Late Friday afternoon, The New York Times launched a nuke from space at the presidential campaign of Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee and sitting president, when its editorial board shockingly called for him to exit the race.
It was a desperate and all but unprecedented move. After all, the Times is not just the paper of record, but a veritable mouthpiece for all things of the Left, and it says Biden should not be president again.
Republicans can be forgiven a moment of schadenfreude over this to be sure, but as a wise person once said, be careful what you wish for, because the Gray Lady may be onto something here. In fact it may be the only thing that can sink Donald Trump.
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD CALLS FOR BIDEN TO DROP OUT
As the radioactive dust settles from Biden giving arguably the worst debate performance in the history of the English language, Trump has never seemed more inevitable. The televisual diptych between his confidence and Biden’s confusion is set in stone.
The polls look pretty good for the Donald, as well.
That is why the Times decided to launch this unprecedented Hail Mary pass, even over the social media posted objections of Democrat heavyweights Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, to try to nudge President Biden off of the ticket.
And there is some reason to believe that such a plan just might work.
It isn’t, of course, the case that the Democrats have a deep bench of great candidates to choose from. In fact, in all likelihood if Biden exits stage right, the one time party of Jefferson and Jackson is probably stuck with Vice President Kamala Harris. But even that might be an improvement.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN BIDEN, TRUMP WAS FESTIVAL OF THE UNPRECEDENTED
While it is true that polling shows the vice president is one of few people less popular than Biden, or cholera, for that matter, she isn’t physically and mentally falling apart, and the historic nature of a potential Harris candidacy could juice things up a bit.
There are doubtless millions of Democrats who would love nothing more than to rally around the flag of a woman of color fighting back against what they see as the racist evil of Donald Trump.
And honestly, at this point, almost anyone would excite left-leaning voters more than watching Biden’s faculties and chances at a second term circle the drain of old age and poor performance.
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And there are other options. A Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer would look like fresh young whippersnappers against the - almost as old as Biden - Donald Trump, and even a dusted off Andrew Cuomo could be forgiven his COVID sins if it meant a chance to thwart Trump.
So yes, the Times editorial board has a point. Replacing Biden is probably the best chance the Democrats have to hold onto the White House, but there is one slight problem.
Since defeating Hillary Clinton in 2008 the Democrats have been the party of Barack Obama, whose third term Biden is currently serving, any replacement would have to continue that.
That may be something Kamala Harris is willing to do, but the Newsoms, Whitmers, and Cuomos of the world have their own ideas, their own advisers and top policy wonks. In short, if one of them wins, Obama might actually have to retire.
That isn’t going to happen, at least not this time around. The angry Obama acolytes who sternly witnessed Trump take over in the White House in the famous photograph eight years ago will not release their death grip on power.
So, as correct as the Times may be in its assessment that the best shot at stopping Trump’s return engagement at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is fresh blood on the ticket, don’t hold your breath.
And that is good news for Donald Trump and the GOP, right now Biden is quite likely the weakest presidential candidate in 40 years and unlike Jimmy Carter, he is also a ticking time bomb of elderly decrepitude.
Does anyone really, sincerely believe that Grandpa Joe can go another 19 weeks without another "I’ve fallen and I can’t get up," moment, or two, or ten?
The Democrats face two roads diverged today, but even as the New York Times, which maybe once had the power to effect such a ticket change, points to the road not taken, the well worn path of Joe Biden still seems the most likely route.
Democrats held no primary, kicked no tires. Biden versus Trump is what they wanted, and now they are getting it, good and hard.
