President Biden decided to concede his run for a second presidential term earlier this Sunday afternoon. His decision came after facing a growing number of defections by many of the Democratic top leaders and encountering resistance from large donors supporting his campaign. President Biden’s poor polling numbers over the last six months and the disastrous debate debacle against Trump 25 days ago further fueled calls for him to step down.
Adding to his challenges, President Biden announced that he had contracted COVID on July 17, following several campaign rallies where he was not seen wearing a mask. These setbacks, combined with his problematic ability to run for a second presidential term, led to increasing pressure for him to step down.
The last 30 days had taken a toll on the President, with mounting calls from Democratic leaders for him to concede. President Biden pointed to the rigorous travel schedule he had taken on, beginning with the 80th Anniversary of D-Day ceremonies and the G7 meeting on June 13, 2024, as a reason for his lack of performance two weeks later. The disastrous debate with Trump further exacerbated his challenges, leading to doubts about his ability to contest Trump’s claims during the showdown effectively.
While President Biden had many achievements during his term, including enacting stay-at-home rules and mask mandates in response to the COVID pandemic, his leadership faced significant criticism from Republicans who viewed these measures as an intrusion on individual freedoms. Additionally, his administration’s economic stimulus package faced intense scrutiny over its impact on inflation, which remained high, underscoring the weight of public opinion on his decisions.
President Biden faced the challenges of the COVID pandemic with a means to, at the very least, control its deadly wrath on the US population. He enacted stay-at-home rules for school children and mask mandates in response to the COVID pandemic; his leadership faced significant criticism from Republicans, who viewed these measures as an intrusion on individual freedoms. There were approximately 1.2 million deaths due to COVID. He enacted a $1.9 trillion dollar package to get people back to work to stimulate the economic cycle that was devastated by two years of the COVID pandemic. His administration’s economic stimulus package faced intense scrutiny over its impact on inflation, which remained high, underscoring the weight of public opinion on his decisions. The fallacy in the process was the money did not incentivize families to return to work, but many took advantage of the money to stay at home. Those actions contributed to the high inflation rate we continue to experience. However, President Biden was not alone in the high inflation trajectory. During his administration, Trump enacted two major tax cuts for the top one percent, totaling $1.2 trillion, while the lower and middle classes saw little to no reward. President Biden passed a $750 million healthcare, tax, and climate package – the Inflation Reduction Act that has benefited the middle class (https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/21/politics/biden-ambition-democracy-analysis/index.html).
Amidst these challenges, President Biden moved critical technology, such as microchip production, back into the United States. Usurping China’s potential takeover of Taiwan, where the world’s microchip production is centered. He also spearheaded a bipartisan infrastructure package to address the country’s crumbling roads and bridges, a significant accomplishment during his single administration.
Yes, during his administration, President Biden accomplished a lot. Especially in providing leadership for the country and a “can do” attitude. He slowed the progress of COVID deaths, which Trump had somewhat ignored or refused to accept as the worst public emergency since the Spanish Flu of 1918 that killed some 21 million people worldwide, with the US losing about 700 thousand individuals ( https://www.paho.org/en/who-we-are/history-paho/purple-death-great-flu-1918).
President Biden’s decision to concede comes after a term filled with accomplishments and challenges. Despite his efforts to combat COVID and stimulate the economy, his presidency faced significant obstacles, ultimately leading to his difficult choice not to seek a second term. He will, however, be considered as one of this nation’s most outstanding presidential leaders.
President Biden has fully endorsed VP Harris to lead the fight against Trump and the GOP. At this moment VP Harris is seeking the support of Democratic Leaders and donors to support her campaign as the Presidential Nominee. There is however a small group that are calling for open elections during the Democratic National Committe coming up around August 19, 2024.