At age 81, most Americans –– even many Democrats –– have understood that the challenges of our time demand what President Kennedy once called “vigah.” Energy, force, passion, drive: in the CNN debate on June 27, 2024, Donald Trump offered a fire-hose of lies and perpetually attacked, but the contrast with Joe Biden on energy and passion was obvious from the start.
As to Trump’s many lies including that Democrats like Biden favor “killing babies,” here’s a good run down, a fact check on both candidates from PolitiFact (the Poynter Institute)
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/jun/28/2024-presidential-debate-fact-check-biden-trump
But so many have been conditioned to Trump’s extreme lies, it’s no longer news somehow, no matter how outrageous; and being an old moderate is clearly not the voter’s current preference. So now the Democratic Party is in a very tough position; changing horses in the middle of the stream has all kinds of complexities and uncertainties. Some observers doubt that it can be done, and it certainly can’t be done unless Biden voluntarily gives up the convention delegates committed to him.
But why in the world, at age 80 –– a year ago –– did President Biden not say, “This is my only term as President of the U.S. The party and the country need new leadership from someone much younger.”
Most likely, the answer is “ego.” Our friend Bob Vanourek (author of Triple Crown Leadership) had plenty of experience leading companies; one of his mantras for leaders is, “Your ego is not your amigo.” Egos so often get in the way of clear-headed decisions that work for ourselves and those around us.
Hanging on to a job past your prime is human, understandable, and (of course) perfectly legal. So is a stubborn refusal to face reality. But the wrong here has immense consequences, not only for Joe Biden and his family, but for the entire nation, or even the world.