A conservative columnist at the New York Times is arguing President Biden should not run for reelection in 2024 and should announce his intention to stand down from the field sooner rather than later.
“Right now he’s worse than a lame duck, because potential Democratic successors are prevented from making calls, finding their lanes and appealing for attention,” Bret Stephens wrote this week in the Times.
Biden, 79, has not publicly spoken in recent weeks about whether he plans to run for reelection in 2024.
Last month, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden does intend to run again despite speculation, fueled by his age and his waning popularity in recent weeks, that he might not.
If Biden were to withdraw from a potential 2024 run, it would “instantly allow him to be statesmanlike,” Stephens argued. “And it would be liberating. It would put an end to the endless media speculation. It would inject enthusiasm and interest into a listless Democratic Party. It would let him devote himself wholly to addressing the country’s immediate problems without worrying about re-election.”
Stephens suggested some possible successors within Biden’s own cabinet: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and infrastructure czar Mitch Landrieu, the former New Orleans mayor.
“And it needn’t diminish his presidency,” Stephens concluded. “George H.W. Bush accomplished more in four years than his successor accomplished in eight. Greatness is often easier to achieve when good policies aren’t encumbered by clever politics. Biden should think on it — and act soon.”