Biden’s Withdrawal: Resolve Turmoil Over U.S. Election with Fresh Start

Editorial

14:00 JST, July 23, 2024

With less than four months until the U.S. presidential election, this is an unprecedented change in candidate. It is hoped that the turmoil surrounding the election will be resolved, to create a suitable environment for choosing the leader of a superpower.

U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat who had been seeking reelection, announced his withdrawal from the race. Biden said “it is in the best interest of my party and the country” for him to voluntarily step aside, hinting that it was a painful decision to ensure the victory of the Democratic Party.

In a televised presidential debate at the end of June, Biden was at a loss for words and he was noticeably frail. Although he had still expressed his desire to be reelected, Biden was strongly urged to withdraw by party heavyweights such as Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, and he likely became unable to hold out.

Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the candidate to replace him, and Harris has accepted.

A second-generation immigrant with a father from Jamaica and a mother from India, Harris is a symbol of the diversity that the Democratic Party values. If elected, she would be the first female president in U.S. history — a fact that the party hopes will draw support.

As vice president, Harris called for defending women’s right to access abortion, but she was criticized for her delay in visiting the Mexican border, as she was in charge of immigration policies. Some voices in the party are saying that other people should be nominated as the presidential candidate.

The party’s unity will be tested as to whether it can unanimously nominate Harris at the Democratic National Convention to be held in Chicago in August.

This is the first time in 56 years that the serving president has dropped out in the middle of the nomination process — Democratic President Lyndon Johnson announced his withdrawal in March 1968. But, there is no precedent for a candidate being replaced just before a party convention.

Many supporters voted for Biden in the party primaries across the country. As long as the U.S. presidential candidate, who was chosen by the will of the people, is being replaced for the convenience of the party or Biden himself, it is essential to make an effort to gain the understanding of supporters and voters through a fair, open process. 

Former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump said: “Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve… He only attained the position of President by lies [and] Fake News.” This is an unpleasant comment that shows a lack of respect for his opponent.

Didn’t Trump appeal for unity at the Republican National Convention immediately after he was shot at during a campaign speech, saying, “I am running to be president for all of America”?

The U.S. presidential race has entered a new phase. It is hoped that the candidates will break away from the empty battle of hurling abuse at each other and discuss how they would lead the United States and the world.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 23, 2024)