It is also an infuriating read that illuminates the selfishness and self-delusions that led an unwell octogenarian to run for a second presidential term — and a team of sycophantic advisers to conceal his condition from the public (and possibly, even from himself). Thompson and Tapper argue that had Biden ducked out of the 2024 race in a timely manner, “a competitive primary and caucus process would have produced a stronger Democratic nominee, one who had more experience with debates and taking questions from reporters, one with a more cogent and precise answer as to why they were running, one with time to introduce themselves to the American people.” Obviously, one lesson that Democrats should take from the last four years is “it’s bad to conceal the rapid mental deterioration of an elderly presidential candidate.” But that shouldn’t be the party’s primary takeaway — both because it’s unlikely to be relevant again in the near future and because Biden’s age ultimately wasn’t Democrats’ biggest problem last year.
Author: Eric Levitz
Published at: 2025-05-19 21:24:25
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