Biden Clings to Power

His news conference was coherent but selfish

At President Biden’s Thursday news conference, a reporter reminded him that in 2020, he said he would be “a bridge” — a president who would transition to a new generation. She asked: “What changed?”

“What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited,”  Biden said. In a news conference that was coherent enough to buy him some time, this answer reminded me of why he needs to go. Biden was saying that he should still be president through 2028 because things were bad in 2021. Really? That sounds to me like a man clinging to power.

This was of a piece with Biden ducking several questions that related to his abilities in the future. But the future is where all presidential campaigns are always fought and won. If a nominee does not express a vision of the future, he will lose, and the down-ticket candidates are lambs to slaughter.

Toward the end, Biden said, “I’ve got to finish this job because there is so much at stake.” Let’s unpack that for a minute. What does “finishing the job” — passing more great bills — have to do with the stakes? Biden’s “stakes” are the world’s many problems; the real stakes are that Trump will be a dictator. His lack of appreciation of the true stakes should be motive enough to continue the campaign to find another candidate.

I had hoped Biden would withdraw in front of 75 million people on Sunday night, thereby blowing the Republican convention sky-high. That’s not going to happen. Instead, we’re most likely in for at least another week of this excruciating and divisive purgatory on the Democratic side while Republicans hold their coronation in Milwaukee. 

Donors are withholding $90 million from super PACs; David Axelrod says Biden’s pollsters are shielding him from polls showing his chances of reelection are “very slim”; and more House members are bailing on him.

His campaign aides plan to run out the clock before the dispiriting Democratic Convention. Skeptical Democrats will try to use polls to convince Biden that he has no path to victory,  but their best hope is another moment of public frailty. It’s a bad sign for a political party when so many of its members think the only way to win is for their presumptive nominee to lose.

In the meantime, we should keep discussing James Carville’s idea: A series of town meetings in different regions moderated by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Carville suggested eight candidates, but — given the shortness of the campaign — six seems more prudent. I think those six should be chosen by Biden (assuming he finally withdraws), Clinton and Obama. Everyone will have their list. Here’s mine, which is governor-heavy for the critical outside Washington appeal:

Vice President Kamala Harris: Frontrunner and improved candidate would be a stronger nominee if she has to earn it. 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: Swing state champion of reproductive rights has a dynamite stump speech.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom: Powerful on the attack as he showed when he crushed Ron DeSantis in a debate.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro: Swing state moderate frames issues beautifully and repaired a collapsed bridge in less than two weeks.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear: Savvy southerner could put new states in play.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker: Slices up Trump well and could easily pledge $100 million to Democrats if he’s in the hunt.

As Biden acknowledged, other Democrats could also beat Trump. He should let one of them try.

This is an expanded version of a blog post at The Point, in NYTimes Opinion.