Joe Biden is a good man and a great president, but he needs to exit the race
Zander's Weekend Facts #128: Sunday, July 21, 2024
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, it’s time for Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts Podcast! Download the podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, July 21, 2024:
Joe Biden should step down as the Democrat’s nominee for president
(Author’s note: President Joe Biden announced he would not seek the Democratic nomination and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after this article’s publication.)
The calls to step down continue to mount, the public events are not getting easier to watch. We’ve come to the end. It’s time for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.
At 81 years old, Biden is not as sharp as he once was, an acknowledgment made even by his most adamant supporters and allies. However, it was a claim that many had taken to supposed extremes (at the time) to conclude that Biden should not run for reelection. Throughout his presidency, videos swirled around on the internet, commonly aggregated by conservative media outlets, showing Biden confused, falling off his bike, or walking off randomly. While many wild claims that were made based on often deceptively edited clips were debunked, it underlaid the challenge the White House would face in attempting to show the president as a man who can continue in the world’s most demanding job for another four years.
So in an attempt to reassure the American public that Biden was still up to the task, his campaign took a major risk. They asked for a debate between Biden and the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, that would take place in June, the earliest point in the calendar a presidential debate had ever been held. It was a major gamble, and it failed spectacularly.
Throughout the debate, Biden spoke incredibly softly, failed to complete sentences by appearing to lose his thought, and occasionally looked as though he was lost in a daze while his opponent was speaking. It didn’t help that the man to his right had prepared a fresh coat of bronzer for that night, or that Biden apparently had a cold and had just returned from a European trip, but those really didn’t matter. Biden looked old, and to many, like time was up.
In recent weeks, videos of Biden’s past notable public events, including a 2012 vice presidential debate and 2016 Democratic National Convention speech, went viral on social media, showing the contrast between Biden then versus now. The difference in appearance is definitely noticeable.
The debate opened the eyes of many inside and out of the Democratic Party that a Biden candidacy may not be viable in 2024. His poll numbers, even before the debate, have been incredibly weak, and if he can’t even get the points he needs to across to voters on the campaign trail in a straight and understandable manner, then what exactly is the point? The rumblings of intra-party turmoil began on the night of the debate, and they’ve continually grown ever since.
Knowing that they needed to quell those who were now worried about Biden’s campaign, his aides sought to put him in the public eye more and more. A campaign rally in North Carolina the next day helped the cause as Biden looked energized by having a crowd behind him. Yet, other events have not been kind to the president. While he organized the annual NATO summit, the organization’s 75th anniversary, in Washington and garnered praise from several world leaders, he also made some critical public missteps. In one instance, he misspoke when introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, referring to him as “President Putin”, the Russian president, a mistake he immediately corrected. However, in another instance hours later, he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” during a press conference, a mistake he did not correct until a tweet was sent out hours later by his team. Interviews with ABC News, where he once again showed his age, and BET, where he appeared to refer to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as “the Black man” without naming him, have also been a hindrance to his cause.
These events, along with the lagging poll numbers and the almost Trumpian response by his allies to discredit those asking him to step aside, have led me to conclude that it would be in the best interest of the Democratic Party, and the country, for Joe Biden to step aside and let the Vice President, Kamala Harris, run as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
Now before assumptions begin, make no mistake, this has nothing to do with Biden’s record as president. In four years, the Biden presidency has accomplished lots that will benefit America as a whole, and even some accomplishments you likely haven’t heard.
The administration handled post-pandemic inflation, a worldwide problem, much better than our peers, never reaching the inflation highs that the U.K. and the Eurozone saw in late 2022. And average wage growth has been outpacing inflation for almost two years now.
The number of uninsured Americans was at a record low last year.
The CHIPS and Science Act offered more than $50 billion in subsidies to produce microchips in the U.S., creating more jobs and reducing reliance on foreign countries.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act finally produced what the previous administration promised and failed to deliver by investing hundreds of billions of dollars into the nation’s failing infrastructure, with projects currently ongoing all across the country that you can track online.
The administration has continuously supported and accessed funding for Ukraine, who is currently fighting against Russia as it seeks to weaken NATO. In fact, Biden has helped rally NATO allies in the aftermath of Ukraine’s invasion by strengthening the alliance and adding new members.
The administration’s effort to reduce the cancer death rate by half in 25 years was supported by a National Cancer Institute study last year.
Unions are at their strongest point in decades, thanks to having the first president who was on a picket line.
The U.S. is producing more oil than ever before, and more than any other country ever has.
The administration instituted new rules requiring airlines to payout for delays and cancelations.
The administration has waived $168.5 billion in student loan debt, with some of it having been blocked by conservatives in the court system.
The first gun safety bill in 30 years was signed by the president two years ago as the administration looks to stop mass shootings.
And the president has continually called out Trump for his actions regarding the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath, where he called on his supporters to march into the capitol building, which they subsequently broke into in an attempt to stop the democratic process of certifying the election.
And that’s just to name a few.
If Biden chooses to step down now, he’ll keep his legacy intact and history will likely prove him to be one of America’s best presidents. However, if he soldiers on with a campaign that is looking more and more doomed, he could wipe all those positive momentos away and replace them with being remembered as the elderly man who wouldn’t step aside and instead handed the country back to Trump and his cronies seeking to install a Project 2025 agenda that would tarnish long-thought beacons of American life.
It’s clear that Biden is still mentally there and knows what he’s talking about. His press conference after the NATO summit earlier this month where he explained complex foreign policy situations in detail proved that he still knows what’s up. It’s the way that he now cannot communicate as clearly that is hindering his reelection bid. While news reports have been all over the place on this topic in recent days and weeks, it appears that the inevitable might finally be dawning on the president as he recovers from a bout of Covid. (And should it also not be mistaken that Biden said last week he would reconsider his candidacy if a medical condition appeared, and then he almost immediately got Covid?)
With high-profile Democrats reportedly working on an exit plan from the Biden campaign, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, and even former President Barack Obama, it’s now clear that the time has come.
And while the election is now less than four months away, having a sitting vice president transition to becoming the nominee would not be the worst thing in the world. Especially when Republicans’ current main attack on Kamala Harris is that she apparently has a crazy laugh.
It’s also no secret that the current administration has not put Harris in the best position. Biden’s efforts to place Harris in charge of the southern border with Mexico have gone poorly, and her public appearances have not been widely covered. It is also a fact that as the presiding officer of the Senate, the Vice President has had to be in Washington while the Senate is in session in the case that a tie-breaking vote is needed, which has occurred frequently in the last four years. Biden dropping out of the race, and subsequently endorsing Harris, would almost be the least he could at this moment. (It also helps that Harris is the one potential candidate who would have access to the Biden campaign’s trove of over $200 million in campaign donations.)
And while it is a very difficult thing for someone who tries to see the bright side of humanity to say, you can’t deny the factor that Harris is both Black and a woman. She would be a glass-shattering icon, but she would also be an instant target for some of society’s ultimate lowlifes who just so happen to reside in the Republican Party. The attacks on her being the vice president and her potential candidacy have already come as a “diversity hire” and “DEI president.” Imagine what they’ll say if/when she is the presidential nominee. And imagine how turned-off swing voters will be by the rhetoric from her opponents. (And by the way, having a record with District Attorney of San Francisco, Attorney General of California, and United States Senator in your resume doesn’t exactly make you a diversity hire.) And for those who keep clamoring for anybody but Biden or Trump, it would be time for them to back up their words.
When Biden ran for president in 2020, he declared himself a “transition candidate” who would eventually pass the torch. While that time may have come sooner than Biden wanted it to, it has now come. It’s time for the president to pass the torch.
For more information on this week’s top story, here are articles from Axios - Behind the Curtain: Top Dems now believe Biden will exit
What Zander’s been reading
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the National Weather Service (NWS), has provided vital weather information and forecasts to the public for decades, for free. That could all come to an end, however, under the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which envisions a second presidential term for Donald Trump.
Check out this week’s featured article in The Atlantic - The MAGA Plan to End Free Weather Reports - (Apple News link)
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
2024 Summer Olympics: The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad are set to begin later this week in Paris as the Summer Olympics return to Europe for the first time since London in 2012. Events will begin on Wednesday as rugby and soccer get underway, with handball joining the festivities on Thursday. The Opening Ceremonies will take place on Friday, beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The vast majority of sports will begin on Saturday, with the competitions lasting until the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday, August 11. NBC Sports will air all the events of the Olympic Games, with coverage airing on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, E!, and Peacock, which will stream every event.
UEFA EURO Final: Spain won their record-breaking fourth UEFA European Championships after defeating England 2-1 in last Sunday’s final. Nico Williams opened the scoring for Spain two minutes after halftime, with Cole Palmer equalizing for England in the 73rd minute. However, a late, unexpected goal by Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal in the 86th minute gave Spain the victory. Williams won Player of the Match in the final, while Spain’s Rodri won Player of the Tournament. The victory was Spain’s seventh in the tournament, becoming the first team to win all seven matches they’ve played in a European Championship since the tournament expanded to include a Round of 16 in 2016.
Copa América Final: Argentina now have the sole crown for most CONMEBOL Copa América titles after their 1-0 victory over Columbia in the 2024 edition’s final one week ago. The match began over one hour after it was originally scheduled to kick off after security issues forced stadium gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to close. The issues led to thousands of fans without tickets gaining access to the stadium. Once the match began, it wasn’t until extra time that a goal was scored, with Lautaro Martinez scoring in the 112th minute. Martinez’s goal was his fifth in the competition, the most of any player. Argentina’s Copa América title is their 16th, breaking a tie with Uruguay for the most championships in the competition’s history.
The Open: The final golf major of the year, The Open, will conclude later today with the final round at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Coming into Sunday’s final round, the tournament appears wide open, with nine players within three shots of the lead. Billy Horschel currently leads at -4, with six players sitting at -3, including Russell Henley, Justin Rose, and Xander Schauffele. Scottie Scheffler has a score of -2, with Shane Lowry at -1. The final round began earlier this morning, with coverage continuing on NBC until a winner is crowned, which is expected to occur around 2:00 pm ET.
Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz took down Novak Djokovic in the gentlemen’s final of The Championships, Wimbledon in much more dominating fashion than their previous meeting one year ago. Alcaraz beat Djokovic in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 7-6, to win his second Wimbledon title, beating Djokovic in both 2023 and 2024, at just 21 years old. Alcaraz also won the French Open singles title in June. The title is Alcaraz’s fourth in a Grand Slam, with the Australian Open the only major tournament that Alcaraz has not won. The final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, begins on August 26.
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Republican National Convention: The Republican National Convention took place last week in Milwaukee, with former President Donald Trump formally accepting the nomination to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate for the third consecutive election. On Monday, before the convention kicked off, Trump selected Ohio Senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate. The convention took place less than one week after Trump survived an attempted assassination at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump concluded the proceedings on Thursday night by accepting the nomination in a speech that lasted 93 minutes, the longest-ever acceptance speech at a political convention.
Trump Documents Case: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case involving former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents on Monday, saying that Special Counsel Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed to his role. Prior to Monday’s dismissal, the trial had been delayed indefinitely. Cannon’s ruling was likely aided by a Supreme Court concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas where Thomas questioned the appointment of Smith in a ruling that granted Trump immunity for official acts. The Justice Department announced on Monday that it would appeal the decision.
Robert Menendez: New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez was found guilty on all counts in a corruption trial by a jury last week. Menendez was on trial for accepting bribes that benefited the Egyptian and Qatari governments. The charges included acting as a foreign agent, bribery, conspiracy, extortion, and obstruction of justice. Menendez is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29 and is expected to appeal the ruling. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the top Democrat in the Senate, called on Menendez to resign after the guilty verdict was handed down on Monday. Menendez is currently running for reelection as an independent, with Rep. Andy Kim serving as the Democratic nominee in the election.
CrowdStrike Outage: A software update caused massive disruptions to computers around the world last week. On Thursday, a cybersecurity technology company based in Texas, CrowdStrike, sent a software update to customers that run Microsoft Windows software. Computers that received the update crashed soon after, leading to airlines canceling flights, cutting off 911 call centers, hospitals canceling surgeries, and retailers closing on Friday. Many of the issues were resolved later on Friday and Saturday. CrowdStrike dealt with a similar issue earlier this year when a software update to Linux customers caused computers to crash in April.
Evan Gershkovich: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia after being wrongly detained on accusations of espionage. The U.S. government has condemned the secret trial as a sham and President Joe Biden issued a statement saying the government would continue working to release Gershkovich. Gershkovich was detained by Russia’s Federal Security Service last March while in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Another American convicted by Russia on espionage charges, Paul Whelan, is still in a Russian prison. American basketball player Brittney Griner had been detained on drug charges in the country but was released as part of a prisoner swap last year.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts Podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, July 28, 2024.
