I Didn't See This Coming, But I'm Glad It Did

I intended to post this way back in the beginning of July when things seemed the darkest. I admit, I didn't see the Kamala Harris train coming, but I'm glad it did.

Written July 8, 2024

What America needs now is a hero. And his name is neither Biden nor Trump – nor even Harris for that matter. The plain fact is that we’ve got two doddering old men vying for the toughest and most important job in the world and neither one could withstand a strong gust of wind, let alone the task at hand.

Donald Trump never met a lie he didn’t like, a rule he wouldn’t break or a person he wouldn’t screw over. And while Joe Biden is a true patriot, the time has come for him to cowboy up and take a step back and lead the nation through the end of his term with the strength and integrity he shown in leading us out of one of the darkest hours in recent history. His legacy has long been written, but he can author a new chapter in patriotism by mentoring his replacement with the wisdom he has gained over decades in public office.

The Democrats need someone with the quick wit and boundless energy of a late-night talk show host amped up on energy drink to bat away the onslaught of lies produced by the opposition. The candidate must possess the constitutional knowledge of a Jamie Raskin and an innate sense of right and wrong that is beyond contempt. Perhaps most of all, the candidate must have the charisma to invigorate young voters, maintain the respect of the party base and a moral compass that older voters can agree with while cutting across lines of race, gender, age and party affiliations. The candidate needs to re-energize the party base while appealing to voters who may be considering sitting this election out for lack of a good candidate.

Like it or not, we’re living in an era when the cult of personality wins the day and things like experience, integrity and knowledge of the job mean very little to the average voter. We need someone who the mere mention of their name fills the room with hope for a better tomorrow and a desire to be on their team, and it’s OK to get your hands dirty and do a little fighting in the street. It’s time for the Democrats to realize style has to come before substance. Most people agree, if you put Winfrey and Michelle Obama on top of the ballot, they would both beat Biden and Trump if they joined the election tomorrow.

Trump didn’t so much win the recent debate with Biden as much as he finished ahead of the pack in the race for second loser. As Biden stood there with a blank stare on his already powder white face, you could literally see the gears go quiet as he searched his memory banks for answers – any answer. You knew it was in there, but not only could Joe not dig it out, his eyes had that vapid look like someone who couldn’t tell where they were. That was the moment America turned the page and could no longer in good faith keep supporting Joe Biden. Joe has managed to reel back some of what he lost but we’ll have to wait and see what happens going forward. We all owe a tremendous debt to the president. He led the country out of the pandemic and has reestablished our place on the global stage. And there is still a place for him to lead as president until the end of his term and then as an elder statesman for the Democratic party.With four months left before the election, the time is right for Biden to do his finest deed as a leader, by stepping back and helping find his heir apparent.

In team sports they would call this addition by subtraction. Biden has had a stellar career in politics, but his fast ball has lost its zip, and his curveball no longer has its bite. Biden can make the team stronger by doing what he does best – work the situation from behind the scenes. He needs to take a day or two and meet with the party leadership and reemerge with a plan for a transition to a new candidate. The party needs to be able to make one announcement: Joe is stepping back; X is coming forward and this is how things will work going forward.This new candidate will have their hands full dealing with pressing issues like the southern border, Gaza, Ukraine and a domestic economy that appears healthy from the outside but is struggling on the inside.

Then there is the matter of Donnie T and the Supremes. With a new candidate, it will no longer be a dead heat in the Over-80 Division of the Senior Olympics. If the Democrats act quickly and decisively, there is a brief window of opportunity to derail the MAGA-powered freight train.

With four months left before the election, the time is right for Biden to do his finest deed as a leader, by stepping back and helping find his heir apparent. He needs to close ranks with party leadership and come up with a plan for a smooth transition to a new candidate. Biden then needs to publicly announce the end of his run and the name of a replacement that will pump much-needed air into the lungs of the party.

With all due respect to Kamala Harris, this simply isn’t her time. It would be unfair to simply push the vice president to the top position on the ballot just because she’s been the good soldier the past four years and you feel an obligation to give her a chance. I don’t have any qualms with Harris, and her time will come, just not now.

The margins are razor thin and the Supreme Court just made things thinner by legislating from the bench in favor of Trump, so we need a bona fide hero to take charge and lead us. This may prove to be the election that ends our democracy. The Democrats should at least give Americans a chance to go down swinging.

#JoeBiden #KamalaHarris #KamalaHarris2024 #TimWalz #BlueWave #notgoingback #CatLadiesforHarris #Election2024 #BlueTsunami