In the last few weeks, as Kamala Harris’ numbers have weakened in the Blue Wall states, I’ve heard a whisper…. “Maybe we would have been better of with Joe.”
On Monday, in The Hill newspaper, a guy named Harlan Ullman wrote an entire column about the idea.
Here’s the key bit:
No matter who wins, we have to ask: Would President Biden have been a better candidate and choice despite suffering from the effects of age and 81 years? Further, suppose that the disastrous June 27 debate with Trump had not taken place, or that Biden had been firing on all cylinders that night. Would Biden have been forced to withdraw? And whether Harris loses or wins, some will ask whether Biden might still have been a better candidate.
Bob Woodward’s new book, “War,” might not be dispositive in representing Biden’s strengths and weaknesses. The book does add weight to this thought experiment, though. Woodward paints a very positive picture of Biden’s ability to lead and to govern despite making mistakes, most notably the disastrous withdrawal from Kabul.
In the words of Gob Bluth: “Ok ok ok. Should should should.”
Like, come on people! How can you write “Further, suppose that the disastrous June 27 debate with Trump had not taken place, or that Biden had been firing on all cylinders that night” with a straight face?
The debate did happen! It was a disaster! And totally destroyed Biden’s chances of winning!
But, even if it didn’t (and it did!), have we memory-holed the fact that a majority of the Democratic base didn’t want Biden as the nominee even before the debate? Or that he was, in fact, 81 years old — and looked, sounded and acted every bit of those 8 decades?
It’s easy to think about what might have been — particularly with polling that suggests Harris is in a nip and tuck race. And, I think it’s a worthy hypothetical argument as to whether Harris was the best Democratic candidate to beat Donald Trump.
But, there’s NO debate — or there shouldn’t be a debate at least — about whether Biden would be running stronger than Harris. He would not be.
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