The Wall Street Journal editorial board argued President Joe Biden is too old to run for re-election Friday, amid reports he is likely to announce his 2024 bid next week.
“The public understands what Mr. Biden apparently won’t admit: that electing an octogenarian in obvious decline for another four years could be an historic mistake,” the editors wrote.
The editors continued, “asking the country to elect a man who is 80 years old and whose second term would end when he is 86 is a risky act that borders on selfish.”
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U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, June 15, 2021. (Denis Balibouse/Pool Photo via AP) (Denis Balibouse/Pool Photo via AP)
The editors alleged the White House “goes to great lengths” to hide what they speculate is Biden’s declining health.
“But his decline is clear to anyone who isn’t willfully blind,” they argued.
They pointed to his lack of press conferences, scripted appearances, and public stumbles as evidence for their position.
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President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in Washington. ((AP Photo/Patrick Semansky))
“Different people age at different rates, but the risk of an accelerated decline for Mr. Biden is considerable. The chance that he could serve a full second term is hardly assured,” they wrote.
The editors argued that Vice President Kamala Harris would make a poor commander-in-chief and that she would be nearly unelectable should Biden be forced to drop out of the race.
President Joe Biden speaks at the Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (AP)
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“In that event, voters on the fence could swing toward a Republican nominee who can at least meet the rigors of the office. Yes, even Donald Trump.”
The editors contended that Biden is not the only Democrat who can defeat former President Trump in a general election. They said that if Biden were to announce that will not run soon, he would give ample time for younger Democratic governors to get in the race.
The editors argued that the best reason for Biden not to run is patriotism. Invoking a 2008 campaign ad by then-Senator Hillary Clinton, they questioned his fitness to serve.
“In 2008 Hillary Clinton ran an ad saying that she was prepared to take a 3 a.m. phone call in a crisis,” the board wrote. “Could an 84-year-old Joe Biden take a 3 p.m. call?”