Trump and Biden each believes that he alone can fix it. One will wreck it; the other could.
by Judith Levine, The Intercept
It should go without saying that anyone who thinks he can be president of the United States has a massive ego.
With Trump, it’s obvious. Only an ego the size of a Goodyear blimp could be inflated by the loss of a presidential election. Biden’s ego is jumbo too, but it may be dwarfed by his cluelessness. He thinks he’s the one person who can beat Trump. In fact, he told donorsOpens in a new tab in early December that if Trump were not running — and threatening to bring down American democracy — he’s “not sure” he’d be running either. Biden’s implication is that only Biden can save American democracy.
During the summer both voters and politicians were alreadyOpens in a new tab publicly worrying that Biden’s age and flagging approval ratings would sink him in 2024. When he announced his run in September, Democratic voices urgedOpens in a new tab him to step aside. James Carville advisedOpens in a new tab his party to “wake the fuck up” and get another candidate.
But almost immediately a consensus formed: It was too late to change horses. In early November, when polls showed Biden trailing Trump in five of six swing states, NBC News repeated the conventional wisdom that too many primary filing deadlines had passed. “Restive though they are, Democrats can’t do much at this stage to give American voters another option.” That opinion was repeatedOpens in a new tab through December.
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