Why Forcing Out President Biden Would Only Benefit Trump

As the debate surrounding the 2024 U.S. presidential race continues, the idea of forcing out incumbent President Joe Biden has gained traction among some quarters. However, a close examination reveals that such a move would only benefit the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

The Inertia of a Presidential Campaign

Joe Biden refuses to drop out of the race, despite pressure from some liberals who are concerned about his performance in recent debates. The inertia of a presidential campaign is one of the most powerful forces in politics. Ending a campaign after a party's nomination has been secured is almost unfathomable. The candidate is already strapped to the rocket.

The God Complex of Presidential Contenders

Presidential contenders, particularly those who have already held the office, carry a God complex. This is inevitable because doubt does not exist in the presence of the divine. The throngs of advisers, boosters, and confidants around Biden serve to keep such doubt at bay, dismissing it as blasphemy.

The Best Course for the Democrats

According to Alan B. Lichtman, an American University historian and a prescient predictor of presidential election results, pushing Biden out of the race would be “a tragic mistake for the Democrats.” Lichtman believes that the president remains the party’s best chance at winning the election. Indeed, there is no potential replacement that would stand a better chance of defeating Donald Trump than Biden.

The Challenges for Vice President Kamala Harris

A CNN-SSRS poll conducted after the debate found that Vice President Kamala Harris performed slightly better than Biden against Trump, but still trailed. Despite this, it's important to note that a brand-new Reuters-Ipsos poll found that only one-third of Democrats think Biden should exit. If Biden were replaced, Harris would likely be the safest option, but approval ratings and standings in one poll before she becomes the actual candidate could be a bit of a mirage.

The Patriarchal and Racial Tensions

During Hillary Clinton’s tenure, she enjoyed solid approval ratings, but her numbers gradually diminished when she ran against Trump. This can be partly attributed to the patriarchal nature of our society. My conviction is that this tension would be amplified for Kamala Harris by patriarchy's twin evil: racism. Harris is competent and capable, but I do not believe that she is more electable than Biden in the current climate.

The Risks of a Chaos-Inducing Selection Process

If Biden were to stand aside and Harris was passed over in favor of another candidate, there would very likely be strong protest from her legions of Democratic supporters, many of them Black women, a key voting bloc for Democrats. Furthermore, a free-for-all selection process would be sheer chaos. Factions would fiercely compete, egos would be bruised, and convention delegates would select a candidate effectively bypassing direct participation by Democratic voters. This would all play out just a few months before Election Day, giving opposition researchers a field day.

The Enduring Threat Posed by Trump

It is important to recognize that Trump's support has solidified, while Biden's has frayed. Many Americans have not felt the benefits of a Biden-led economy, and the young activist portion of the Democratic base is angry about Biden's handling of the war in Gaza. I, like many others, wish Biden hadn’t sought a second term. However, retrospective wishing is pointless.

The Dangers of Undermining the Party's Champion

Biden is currently the Democratic candidate, and he is the only person standing between us and Trump's destructive retributive impulses and the ever-increasing latitude that the Supreme Court has granted him. An 81-year-old showing signs of being an 81-year-old shouldn't worry Democrats; what does worry them is Trump having another term.

The Risks of Further Wounding Biden

Another way that a call for Biden's withdrawal could backfire on liberals is that it risks further wounding their standard-bearer and increasing the probability of Trump's re-election. If Biden were to decide to leave the race, as The New York Times suggested on Wednesday, it would only add credence to the idea that Democrats had in effect conspired to conceal a disqualifying impairment and only changed course when forced. This taint would linger over the party and any replacement candidate.

The Best Path Forward

Instead of clearing the way for victory, liberals may be paving the way for defeat. The best course of action is to support Biden, who remains the Democratic nominee and the best chance for defeating the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.