After Biden's performance in the First Presidential Debate in June, there were immediate concerns that he would not have a chance to win the general election in November and would be a drain on downstream candidates. It took a few weeks to convince Biden, but ultimately, he made an extreme sacrifice and withdrew from the 2024 race.
“While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” announced Biden
There were concerns about Biden's age and mental acuity, concerns that didn't seem to be sticking to Donald Trump, despite multiple instances of losing his train of thought and rambling incoherently. The Second Presidential Debate, this time featuring Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden on the Democratic Party ticket, proved to be even more alarming for Republicans as Donald Trump was the worst version of himself. He did nothing to disprove the charge; he could be easily manipulated, taking the bait whenever Harris dangled something in front of him.
Trump admitted to having no plan for healthcare after nine years of promising to replace the Affordable Care Act with something better. He had "concepts of a plan." Harris repeatedly called him out for not having a plan, and he confirmed it. Trump tried mocking Harris like a child, saying, "You don't have a plan," in the midst of her outlining her plans for supporting first-time homebuyers and families with young children and continuing to reduce healthcare costs.
“I have concepts of a plan,” Trump
Even at Fox News, commentators grudgingly acknowledged Trump performed poorly during the debate.
I rarely advise the Republican Party, but it's time to consider replacing Trump with someone else. You have to see that not only is Trump going to lose badly, but he's going to take down any number of downstream candidates with him, which, upon reflection, wouldn't be bad for America. At the time of this writing, there are 55 days left to election day. Early voting in Minnesota and Virginia begins as early as September 20, 2024, so you don't have time to waste. You have to pick a candidate. J. D. Vance is your vice presidential candidate, so you must have seen something in him. There's always Ron DeSantis and old standby's Ted Cruz or Lindsay Graham. How about Elon Musk? I'm just trying to think out of the box here.
How is the Harris campaign feeling after the debate? They offered Trump the chance for another debate, realizing Harris would mop the floor with him every chance she got.
Don't get caught up in the logistics of changing candidates. Your Party didn't mind when Trump talked about terminating and suspending the Constitution, so how mad will they git about breaking a few Republican by-laws? Yes, Trump will get angry and not go quietly, but it is better to bite the bullet now rather than face annihilation in November. You can then begin the slow process of trying to rehabilitate the image of the Party, which has been lost for most of the last decade in a cult of personality. Truthfully, you might be better off wiping the slate clean and starting a new political party. You did it when the Whigs weren't cutting it for you.
I'll leave you to your internal meetings and discussions. You may find Republican donors anxiously awaiting your calls; they saw the debate, too. I would wish you luck, but I wouldn't mean it. You don't have time to assess Harris's post-debate bump or the trend of the polls. You know in your heart that Trump is washed. He pointed out firing in his administration that were ineffective. Consider doing the same.
This post originally appeared on Substack and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of William Spivey's work on Substack and if you love what you're reading subscribe to his History Channel.
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