S-N Editorial

An unprecedented campaign got even wilder on Sunday when President Joe Biden withdrew from the race with less than four months to go. While the November election is still one big coin flip, Democrats from sea to shining sea are breathing a huge sigh of relief.

Biden’s goose was cooked last month after a disastrous first debate with former president Donald Trump. To put it mildly, Biden seemed woefully out of his depth. Subsequent public appearances and TV interviews did little to soothe public opinion that the president is too old for four more years, and he was left with no other option than to jump off the sinking ship in hopes someone else could save it.

Whether Vice President Kamala Harris can do just that remains to be seen. Her fellow Democrats this week flocked to support her nomination, and she’s already amassed enough pledged delegates to secure the ticket without a fight. With that support comes money, and she’s definitely going to need plenty of it to beat Trump.

Biden’s decision no doubt incensed many folks from all political stripes; however, there was no other decision he could make. His poll numbers were in the toilet and he was at risk of losing to Trump in a landslide. Stepping aside gives Democrats a fighting chance, and it also helps down-ballot races for the Senate and House – if people couldn’t stomach voting for the president, it’s not likely they would have pulled the lever for other Dems come November.

This political earthquake won’t affect the result in reliably red states like Iowa, but purple places like Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and elsewhere have a new race on their hands. Harris – who ran for president in 2020 and didn’t even make it to the Iowa Caucus – has a steep hill to climb, because if poll numbers are to be believed, she’s barely more popular than her boss. That’s decidedly not good for liberals, but it’s still better than what they had.

Regardless of the outcome, this election is already one for the history books. The viewing public should be advised to hold on to their hats, too – there are still three months to go.