Here’s an idea for how the Democrats can snap out of the nightmare brought on by Thursday’s debate and emerge with a startlingly attractive ticket. Call this a game of electoral fantasy football, as it’s unlikely that the necessary real-life players would go along with the plan—but if they did, victory in November would be almost certain.
President Joe Biden’s egregious showing at the debate was not so much a bad “performance” as a neon warning sign that he might be as feeble and unsuited for another term in the White House as his harshest critics have been saying. It’s sparking panic in party circles, spurring some to urge the 81-year-old incumbent to drop out, free his delegates, and unleash a brokered Democratic National Convention.
Of course, this path poses problems, as even its advocates acknowledge. First, Biden has enough committed delegates to win the nomination; he can’t legally be ousted; he would have to drop out himself; and, at least for the moment, he and his family—the crucial deciders—are showing no inclination to do so.
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