Yes, you’re quite right about the distinction. In fact there has been a general conflation of the argument that Biden is not the best candidate for November’s election and the argument that he is not fully up to the job right now. Agree that there is no obvious candidate who is measurably better on most metrics.
Your questions addressed directly to President Biden are a bit pointless since surely the point about cognitive decline is that one doesn't know one is experiencing it? The suggestion by Giles Hawkins that Vice-President Harris is " less popular by several orders of magnitude even amongst Democrats" is untrue. She runs a few points behind Biden in match ups against Trump. The ideal candidate to take over from Biden, if it could be arranged, is Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. She has been twice elected Governor of a state which is absolutely critical to the Democrats' chances of retaining the White House.
The other thing that was loud and clear in some interviews this morning is that there are at least the 16 or so who prepared Biden last week and beyond that a whole inner circle who have been lying for months about the President's well-being. I think there may now be a major trust issue of the President's inner circle and that is difficult to untangle from Democrat leadership.
The fact is that short of Joe Biden stepping down, nothing much is possible other than a coup at the convention which could be a disaster and if it were successful (and that is highly questionable) would leave a new leader two months to make their case; there is only one Demcrat in the country who can manage that and apparently Michelle Obama will not even contemplate it.
The question of the 25th Ammendment doesn't really come in to it. Theoretically, the President could be removed from the office he holds but that doesn't remove him as candidate for President and as you note, there are those 3,894 pledged delegates who face faithless elector charges if they are not discharged to vote elsewhere.
Kamala Harris is less popular by several orders of magnitude even amongst Democrats than her boss and Gavin Newsome would face real challenges; he has a vastly failing economy in California with high unemployment, high taxes, high homelessness and is widely considered a liar and cheat. The Democrats really don't have anyone who is ready to step on to the big stage at this point.
Yes, you’re quite right about the distinction. In fact there has been a general conflation of the argument that Biden is not the best candidate for November’s election and the argument that he is not fully up to the job right now. Agree that there is no obvious candidate who is measurably better on most metrics.
Your questions addressed directly to President Biden are a bit pointless since surely the point about cognitive decline is that one doesn't know one is experiencing it? The suggestion by Giles Hawkins that Vice-President Harris is " less popular by several orders of magnitude even amongst Democrats" is untrue. She runs a few points behind Biden in match ups against Trump. The ideal candidate to take over from Biden, if it could be arranged, is Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. She has been twice elected Governor of a state which is absolutely critical to the Democrats' chances of retaining the White House.
The other thing that was loud and clear in some interviews this morning is that there are at least the 16 or so who prepared Biden last week and beyond that a whole inner circle who have been lying for months about the President's well-being. I think there may now be a major trust issue of the President's inner circle and that is difficult to untangle from Democrat leadership.
The fact is that short of Joe Biden stepping down, nothing much is possible other than a coup at the convention which could be a disaster and if it were successful (and that is highly questionable) would leave a new leader two months to make their case; there is only one Demcrat in the country who can manage that and apparently Michelle Obama will not even contemplate it.
The question of the 25th Ammendment doesn't really come in to it. Theoretically, the President could be removed from the office he holds but that doesn't remove him as candidate for President and as you note, there are those 3,894 pledged delegates who face faithless elector charges if they are not discharged to vote elsewhere.
Kamala Harris is less popular by several orders of magnitude even amongst Democrats than her boss and Gavin Newsome would face real challenges; he has a vastly failing economy in California with high unemployment, high taxes, high homelessness and is widely considered a liar and cheat. The Democrats really don't have anyone who is ready to step on to the big stage at this point.