Biden World Thinks He Should Have Stayed in the Race. What Are They Smoking?
The question is not whether he should have dropped out. It’s why he didn’t do so earlier.
SHOULD JOE BIDEN HAVE STAYED in the 2024 presidential race? Would he have done better than Kamala Harris did?
The latest version of this fantasy showed up in Saturday’s Washington Post story about Biden’s legacy and regrets. Buried in the article from the Post’s Tyler Pager is this nugget:
Biden and some of his aides still believe he should have stayed in the race, despite the rocky debate performance and low poll numbers that prompted Democrats to pressure him to drop out. Biden and these aides have told people in recent days that he could have defeated Trump, according to people familiar with their comments. . . .
The Post report has sparked mischievous hype on the right. “Biden regrets leaving presidential race, thinks he could’ve beaten Trump,” clucked the New York Post. Fox News posted a similar headline.
It’s not clear whether Biden actually believes this. His aides and associates have given varying accounts. But some people in his circle seem to be nursing the idea that he should have remained in the race and would have succeeded where Harris failed.
They’re wrong. Let’s put this delusion to bed.