Dear President Biden,
I believe you have been the best president of my lifetime (I am 77).
But it is time for you to take a step back.
Please listen to America. Your advisors and your family will tell you what they think you want to hear. They won’t challenge you because they love you. Open your ears and hear us.
I believe that in a second term, you would govern very well. I believe in you. If you are the nominee you will have my vote and my donations.
But it is time to recognize the reality that you could easily lose this election. A convicted felon would enable Project 2025. That would bring fascism to America.
Donald Trump is a weak candidate. He is a crook. His reputation is a monstrous joke. Ask yourself why you are not leading him in every poll by double digits? I think the polls are often wrong. But still, in a matchup with such a ludicrous candidate, the polls should be indicating you would garner at least 60% of the vote.
I am not worried about your stutter or inability to engage with a bellicose combative liar. But millions of other voters are VERY worried. Too many may stay home on election day.
I think you have performed extremely well on the international stage. You have signed legislation that is the most important since the time of FDR. You guided us wisely out of the Pandemic. You signed bills that are rebuilding our infrastructure and bringing important jobs to Americans. Our economy is vibrant – the best in the world. Well done!
But many younger people do not feel that way. Time for the next generation to take the reins. Withdraw from the contest now and allow another candidate to rise to the top.
You could spend your remaining months working on executive orders to improve the lives of Americans. Advance climate crisis policies, negotiate peace in the Middle East, support Ukraine in any way you can. You could pardon thousands of prisoners who committed nonviolent drug possession or small money crimes. This would relieve the overburdened prison system and offer some long overdue justice.
You could guide your successor with your decades of experience and wise counsel.
When you ran for president in 2020, you said you wished to be a transitional president. It is time to assist the next leaders with your wisdom, experience and support. It’s time to transition. Our generation needs to pass the baton. Do the right thing. Let Democrats choose a new president.
Release your delegates before the convention. Recommend that the Democratic National Committee draw up a list of potential presidential candidates. Our bench is deep. There are Governors, Senators and House Representatives who are experienced and could hit the ground running as a candidate. And there is VP Harris who could be an excellent ground breaking president. After all, look at who has been her teacher.
The convention delegates could vote using a ranked choice voting system. In a matter of days, the campaign would have powerful new energy. Funding would flow and we would be victorious in casting aside the greatest threat to our nation since Andrew Johnson.
The “conventional wisdom” is that a new candidate would not have the necessary name recognition and there wouldn’t be enough time to drum up support. That is nonsense in a world where the internet and social media can bring a person to higher prominence in a matter of days. For most of our history, the political parties have selected their nominee at a convention. Not ideal. It will be messy. But can’t we be nimble?
This would be democracy in action. Your legacy would be that you put your country ahead of your ego and ambitions. That’s the stuff of heroes. Please, for the nation, for the Planet Earth - do the right thing.
With respect and admiration,
Bill Alstrom
Massachusetts Democrat
Bill, well written as usual, but I must disagree. This would have been great a year ago, but now, I think it's too late. I think Felonious Trump & The MAGAlomaniacs would declare victory and further stir up their base, and the Dems would be deflated.
I also don't think the bench is that deep. I think too many people have just been sitting on the bench, watching President Biden make all the great plays. I also don't think Kamala is ready to be elected. I think she'll do fine if called upon to succeed President Biden during his term, but I don't think she'd win on her own.
As I've written, I think the better strategy is to make the case that President Biden has restored functionality to the presidency that FT decimated, and if something happens to him, we'll be just fine. As I've also written, we should be developing contingency plans, and getting future prospects off the bench and into the game.
President Biden may be past his prime, but he's still doing more good every day for us than most of his predecessors. We need to support him now more than ever to stop the worst of his predecessors from ever setting foot in the Oval Office again.
Bill, I have almost always agreed with your comments but I heartily disagree with this one. I strongly support your right to speak your mind and state your opinion but I also think it's unwise and destructive. I don't think Biden is going to step down, so every plea to do so only works toward electing Trump again. I don't think it's ego driving Biden's decision. In fact, I think Biden comes from a generation and moral group that finds it difficult to sing their own praises (which is a problem), so although I do think he's still confident in his abilities to lead our country, I feel confident he's accepting the kind of assistance in terms of advisors and delegation that makes it possible to keep up the burden as well or even better than almost anyone else you will find out there. I do like Kamala Harris and think she's going to also be competent to take over should the need arise. Do you discount her presence on the ticket? She is included in every oval office morning briefing when she's in town, which is in order to keep her up on events, information and reasoning. I'd go into how 45 conducted his morning briefings except I realize you are adamantly against ever having him in office again and expect you are envisioning someone else taking up the nomination. That person isn't out there. The top contenders have not polled as well as Biden against 45, all of them who I have heard anything from have rejected the idea (Gavin Newsome is especially adamant). Young people who reject Biden on the strength of his age and currently perceived stamina will be exposed to his more vigorous speeches over the next four months (may I repeat that - Four Months) and should be at least equally anxious over climate change and personal bodily freedoms, LGBTQ+ rights and a host of other issues where the GOP does not fare well with the youth vote. Many DEM commentators are wailing and gnashing teeth but so are double the number of GOP commentators and if they thought dems would lose if we stick with Biden don't you think they'd be trying to convince us to keep him? Many influential more liberal commentators are saying they still support Biden. Listen to Lawrence O'Donnell for one. Four months to raise a campaign fund and introduce yourself to the American people? All that imaginary person would have going for them would be a clean slate and the votes of "never Trumpers". Biden has a four year record and the support and advice and shouldering of responsibilities by accomplished, experienced, expert people on an already assembled team. Have you read "What Did Biden Do Today?" recently? I'd challenge any of us to keep up. One bad night, everyone gets sick now and then, four months to go... wait a few more days and keep watching before trying to influence things against Biden, K?