I originally posted this in the Blog Oklahoma Newsletter: President Joe Biden (July 22, 2024)
President Joe Biden has decided to withdraw from the presidential race. This news, though disappointing, was not unexpected. More on this in a moment. What caught me off guard was how it was announced. When I first saw the notices on my phone, they all said the announcement was made on Twitter (I’m still not going to call it X). So, my immediate reaction was to wait a few hours for the news to cycle. Hacks and hoaxes are the norm, especially on Twitter, so I wanted to ensure the announcement was legit. That is pretty much my default reaction when I hear “announced on Twitter.”
I like and respect President Biden. He has done a decent job as president, and if he hadn’t decided to end his candidacy, he would have gotten my vote again in November. No hesitation. Do I wish he would have made this decision sooner? Say before the primaries? Oh, yes. There is no sugarcoating here. His age was very much on my mind back in 2020 as it is now. He was the candidate we got and the better alternative to what we had. And he still is. I look forward to hearing from President Biden later this week when he addresses the nation on his decision.
President Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement. As I write this on Monday morning, many people are lining up to support her. She has my support too. It will be an interesting convention in August, for sure.
More later. Time to think about the future.