US President Joe Biden’s Decision to Stand for Re-Election: A Critical Analysis
In late spring 2023, US President Joe Biden made the fateful decision to stand for re-election, despite concerns about his age and cognitive abilities. According to a report by the Financial Times, citing sources from various books, including “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, Biden saw himself as a reincarnation of Franklin D Roosevelt, a big spender who had rescued America from a post-Covid economic depression.
The return of inflation seemed incidental to Biden, who was more concerned about the prospect of a second Donald Trump term. Having narrowly beaten Trump in 2020, Biden had watched in horror as the Maga hordes descended on Capitol Hill. A 36-year veteran of the US Senate, where he earned a reputation as a bit of a gasbag, Biden took the January 6 insurrection personally.
As reported by the Financial Times, citing “Original Sin”, Biden’s decision to run for re-election was encouraged by a cabal of self-interested advisers, who convinced him that he alone was capable of beating Trump and saving American democracy. However, this decision has been widely criticized, with many questioning Biden’s ability to lead the country for another term.
The Financial Times reports that a new book by Tapper and Thompson, “Original Sin”, provides a devastating portrait of a decrepit American president, citing evidence of a cover-up of the president’s cognitive decline by his inner circle, including First Lady Jill Biden. The book also highlights the complicity of the media in this cover-up, with many journalists turning a blind eye to Biden’s declining health.
According to the Financial Times, special counsel Robert Hur described Biden as “an elderly man with a poor memory” – a mild verdict in retrospect but one that allowed the president to escape prosecution. The incident has raised questions about the accountability of US presidents and the need for greater transparency about their health.
The Financial Times reports that the truth about Biden’s condition finally came out during a TV debate with Trump on June 27, 2024, when Biden could barely string a sentence together. It took more than three weeks before he reluctantly agreed to step aside in favour of vice-president Kamala Harris, leaving her with a mountain to climb.
As cited in the Financial Times, David Plouffe, the veteran Obama operative drafted into the Harris campaign, was quoted as saying: “We got so screwed by Biden as a party… He totally fucked us.” The comment highlights the widespread disappointment and frustration within the Democratic Party about Biden’s decision to run for re-election.
The Financial Times reports that Tapper and Thompson note that there is no law or oversight forcing US presidents to be transparent about their health. However, the authors argue that the Biden case is egregious because it concerns mental infirmity, and that the president’s inability to mount a sustained campaign for Ukraine aid cost votes in Congress.
According to the Financial Times, citing “Original Sin”, those fingered for their role in the cover-up include Mike Donilon, a beetle-browed operative with wispy white hair whose relationship with Biden went back decades; White House counsellor Steve Ricchetti, a hard-boiled Washington lobbyist; and Bruce Reed, deputy chief of staff.
The Financial Times reports that the book “Fight” by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes quotes Donilon speaking to a prominent Democrat, saying: “Nobody walks away from this… No one walks away from the house, the plane, the helicopter.” The comment highlights the fierce loyalty and protectionism within Biden’s inner circle.
The Financial Times notes that the legacy of Biden’s presidency is now irreparably tarnished, and that his sole consolation is that he was right about Trump being a threat to American democracy. However, the question remains as to whether Biden’s decision to run for re-election was a mistake that cost the Democrats the White House.
The Financial Times cites Lionel Barber, a former editor of the FT, as saying that the test for Democrats is the next US presidential election in 2028. Until then, the party will have to live with the consequences of Biden’s decision to stand for re-election.
References:
“Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Decision to Run Again” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson
“Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes
“Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History” by Chris Whipple
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