OPINION - Joe Biden has presented Democrats with a big lie of his own

The ridiculous claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election was the first big lie to infect its politics. Now Joe Biden has presented Democrats with a big lie of his own. Will his party swallow the whopper that he is fit to be president for the next four-and-a-half years? If yes, why on earth would voters go along with this charade?

There are plenty of Americans who would rather vote for a dead Biden than a live Trump, but not enough to win. Has anybody asked what the under-thirties think? The young will not get out of bed for this 81-year-old president. And not just them — according to a CBS poll, 72 per cent of the electorate believe Biden is too gaga to lead. Optimistically, he could be out of the race by next week, particularly if he flubs a friendly, pre-recorded interview with ABC, scheduled for the July 4 weekend.

After last week’s car-crash debate, the Democratic commentator James Carville observed: “That which can’t continue… won’t.” The cold, cruel reality that Joe Must Go is only just sinking in. The Democrats are staring down the barrel of a gun with only two outcomes: Biden either quits the presidential race or he loses to Trump. Pretending there is a third option in which fully sentient voters ignore the evidence of their own eyes about Biden’s advancing dotage is unworthy of a great party.

The top echelons of the party have finally woken up to the seriousness of the situation. The problem is Biden hasn’t. He has been huddling with his former crack-addicted son, Hunter, First Lady Jill — whose wretched Marie Antoinette impersonation on the cover of Vogue is one for the history books — and a gaggle of confidants, some of whom are older than he is and all of whom depend on him for jobs and influence. If it is democracy the Bidens are trying to save, who are they kidding with this unelected bunch?

Something’s gotta give. The Supreme Court’s verdict about a president’s absolute immunity from prosecution for acts committed in an official capacity has underlined the urgency to beat a megalomaniacal “King” Trump before he gets his hands on untrammelled power and wreaks revenge on his enemies. Didn’t I say lawfare would fail? But the Republicans have let Trump’s big lie seep into their souls. The Democrats still have a chance to prove they believe in fact-driven, reality-based politics — and win.

Leaked internal polls show Biden haemorrhaging support in swing states. Democratic Representatives are beginning to squeal publicly about losing their seats and forfeiting control of Congress. Party grandees and donors are chattering about confronting Biden and plotting his replacement.

These plans are still at the embryonic stage but could emerge for the kill, like a scene from Alien. More than 50 per cent of voters don’t want Trump back in the White House. There is time to press home this advantage. A warning shot came yesterday from James Clyburn, 83, the black politician from South Carolina, whose support in 2020 propelled Biden to the top of the pack as the Democratic presidential nominee. On MSNBC, the Democrats’ favourite channel, Clyburn said of Vice-President Kamala Harris: “I will support her if he were to step aside.” With that, he firmly plonked her candidacy on the table and made her the favourite to succeed her boss.

Ah, but isn’t Harris as unpopular as Biden? Yes, she is — for now. Republicans regard her as easy prey. On the plus side, her candidacy has room to grow and generate excitement. She would be the first black and first south Asian female candidate for president and is outspoken in defence of abortion rights. She made a far better case for Biden’s policy achievements on debate night than he did for himself. And, as one half of the existing Biden-Harris ticket, she would be able to lay her hands on $91 million spending money — 100 per cent of the war chest raised in their name.

Women and young voters would be energised against 78-year-old Trump, who gibbered with Biden about his golf scores towards the end of the CNN debate. Sceptics about Harris could be encouraged by the presence of a moderate Democratic governor as her running mate, such as Josh Shapiro, who has high approval ratings in Pennsylvania, a must-win state, or Andy Beshear from bible-belt Kentucky (though he strikes me as a little wet behind the ears). With Harris, Democrats would be swapping Biden, a sure-fire loser, for a candidate who has the potential to win.

If Harris doesn’t convince you, then here’s an alternative. For president, Gretchen Whitmer, the popular, kick-ass governor of Michigan, who saw off an armed militia who invaded the state house and plotted to kill her (for which she blames Trump). “Big Gretch” rallied suburban voters in her industrial swing state in 2022 to pass a constitutional amendment protecting abortion, won both houses of legislature for the Democrats and beat her Maga opponent for governor by 10 points.

To my mind, that’s it. The choice for Democrats should be a binary one between Harris or Whitmer. If Harris wants the job — and she does, badly — she will be hard to oust without deft behind-closed-doors plotting. But there is no need to assemble 57 varieties of presidential candidates, such as the self-promoting Gavin Newsom, governor of California, and have a bun fight on the floor of the Democratic convention on August 19 to 22.

Biden could play the revered elder statesman in Chicago, give a moving eulogy from the podium, anoint his successor and secure his legacy. The balloons would drop and he would depart the field, bathed in admiration. Leaving would become him!

Biden would have fulfilled his destiny as a bridge between the generations, having prevented Trump from securing a second term in 2020 and, with any luck, from regaining power again this year. His successor would benefit from an initial bump of excitement. As the Tories have proved from John Major onwards, changing the leader can be a highly successful tactic — until voters finally run out of patience. What are Democrats waiting for? The time is now.

Sarah Baxter is director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting