Following President Joe Biden’s disappointing debate performance, questions have arisen about whether he should step aside before the upcoming election in November. David Axelrod, a former White House senior advisor under President Barack Obama, expressed concern over Biden’s performance, suggesting that there may be discussions about whether he should continue in the race.
Biden’s long and storied career in Washington, spanning over 50 years as a Delaware senator, vice president, and now president, raises concerns about his age. If reelected for a second term, he would be 82 at the time of his inauguration in 2025 and 86 at the end of a second term. Despite these concerns, Biden has defended his reelection bid, pointing to accomplishments such as the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act.
While Democrats technically have the option of selecting another candidate to challenge President Trump, Biden is unlikely to leave the race. As of now, he is the only Democrat who has defeated Trump. The implications of replacing him at this stage of the race could be significant, potentially challenging the conventional wisdom of selecting a new nominee at the Democratic National Convention in August.
If a scenario arose where a successor for Biden needed to be chosen, questions remain about who that might be. The prospect of such a significant change so close to the election raises concerns about the implications it could have on the Democratic party moving forward.