I try to stay out of intra-Democrat conflict these days, but Biden's defenders underestimate how his age has become a symbol, especially for younger voters, of not just how the party has failed but all institutions.
His refusal to budge validates Trump's "give up and give in" campaign message.
The fascist's best friend is cynicism. When good people believe "they're all corrupt anyway," they peace out of politics, allowing fascists to take over.
To win, Trump doesn't need to convince more people to vote for him. He just needs to convince them not to vote. Biden is helping.
It's not just that Biden is old. It's that the gerontocracy is understood by younger voters, for a good reason, as a form of corruption.
Not financial corruption, but still. Putting your ego needs in front of the country is a form of corruption. It's still greedy.
I was skeptical of the "step down" arguments earlier this year. Now, however, I'm starting to believe it may be the only way for Democrats to demonstrate good will and to prove that they do believe what they say: That beating Trump is the most important thing.
For a normie, it's just hard to believe that Democrats think Trump is that much of a threat to democracy. Because, if he was, they'd have run a candidate who had basic skills like completing thoughts while speaking or going on the attack when necessary.
It is what it is.
Anyway, I have no faith that Biden will step down. But he should. Failure to do so sends a strong message: "Actually, we don't care about the country. The egos of our elderly leaders come first. So don't bother voting."
And that is hard to argue against with young people. Just try, you'll see.
You're not wrong about cynicism; it's got me already (though I'm still voting). I wouldn't recognize the Democratic party if they followed through on a massive change thats obvious necessary.
