Joe Biden could retire from office in January 2025 as one of the most accomplished presidents in U.S. history, and probably the most accomplished one-term president. Instead, he appears determined to embark on a second-term campaign that even a sizable portion of his Democratic admirers would dread for the simple, inalterable fact of his age.
For a first-term chief executive to willingly forgo reelection is relatively rare in America’s history. But Biden’s advanced age in the White House is completely without precedent and is problematic in both perception and reality. At 80, Biden is older halfway through his first term than any sitting president has been at any point in his tenure. Even his most ardent fans have to admit that it shows. At the end of a hypothetical second term, he would be 86 — roughly a full decade older than the average American male life expectancy.
For his legacy, his party and his country, Biden should strongly consider the historic step of announcing that he will retire after his current term.
It would be a big step and would not be without significant risk for his party. Democrats have a tendency to lean left when the slate of candidates is open. Biden has had a healthy moderating influence that helps to pull independents and anti-Donald Trump Republicans to the Democratic side. It’s far from clear whether someone other than Biden could accomplish that, and the stakes of failure are exceedingly high given Trump’s grip on the GOP base. There’s enough time, though, for Biden to begin cultivating a charismatic candidate who adheres to his moderate brand.
Why even consider retirement? The ghost of Ruth Bader Ginsburg might have something to say about that.
The late Supreme Court justice’s story is instructive, at least to a point: A liberal stalwart and top champion of abortion rights, Ginsburg refused calls to retire during President Barack Obama’s term (when she was already in her 80s) rather than risk dying in office under a Republican successor. Then she did just that, allowing Trump to replace her with Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
The comparison isn’t perfect; should Biden die in office, his vice president would automatically succeed him. The opposing party wouldn’t get to replace him. But like Ginsburg, Biden is asking his supporters to risk an outcome they didn’t choose, based on an assurance he can’t realistically give: that he will continue to outlive biological averages.
Biden’s thinking in signaling he will run for reelection may well hinge on the fact that he beat Trump before. That doesn’t necessarily mean he could do it again, but the lack of another Democrat of national stature who could potentially take the helm is among the factors discouraging Biden from stepping aside.
Biden should think long and hard about what he would accomplish with a second run versus what it would risk for the nation — and for his own place in history.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service
