It's almost unthinkable, but it could happen: The incumbent president running for re-election may not be his party's nominee come November. Joe Biden has acknowledged that he needs to prove that he deserves to stay on the ticket after his poor debate performance and continued questions about his fitness for office (though he has said thus far that he is staying in the race). But what would happen if Biden did decide to step down? Who is best positioned to lead the Democratic Party in the election? Candidates cleared the field for Biden's re-election bid last year, but there are several Democrats who could still make a strong case. Sure, it's politically and logistically complicated to replace a chosen candidate, but the alternatives warrant exploration. To better understand other options out there, "The Opinions" audio team asked six Opinion columnists to answer the question: Who would you like to see run in Biden's stead? The columnists Lydia Polgreen, Nicholas Kristof, David French, Ross Douthat and Pamela Paul all offer alternative paths to the White House that may inspire a sense of optimism, while Charles Blow argues that the sitting president continues to be the best choice in an election that has become "about people who are for democracy and those who are not." The alternative picks are politically, geographically and racially diverse, and each case has its own logic. Listen to or read Lydia Polgreen on Vice President Kamala Harris, Nicholas Kristof on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, David French on Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Pamela Paul on Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, Ross Douthat on Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Charles Blow on President Biden.
We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times.
|
Saturday, July 6, 2024
Opinion Today: Six columnists on who should lead the Democratic ticket
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment