President Biden has said none of his doctors have told him he has a serious medical condition. But his debate performance last month raised questions about his health and acuity.

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President Biden said in an interview released on Wednesday that he would re-evaluate whether to stay in the presidential race if a doctor told him directly that he had a medical condition that made that necessary.

Mr. Biden has said repeatedly that none of his doctors have told him he has a serious medical condition. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, wrote after the president’s physical in February that Mr. Biden is “a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”

But his disastrous performance at a debate with former President Donald J. Trump last month, which prompted a wave of calls by Democratic allies to step aside, raised questions about his health and acuity.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21412·
    5 months ago

    This sounds very much like him setting up a scenario where he can step down without losing face. God, I hope.

    • Doom@ttrpg.network
      476·
      5 months ago

      Would be best case scenario would show maturity and unity for the party.

      This thread pulling bullshit everywhere else is so fuckin fake

    • ceenote@lemmy.world
      396·
      5 months ago

      Much better than the earlier requirement of God himself descending from the heavens to tell him to drop out. After which he’d only consider it.

      • Zaktor@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        82·
        5 months ago

        Now the Almighty can work in subtler ways like it usually does.

    • FPSkra@lemmy.world
      321·
      5 months ago

      He started with only God Almighty could make him step down…moved to if polls said there was no path to victory…now we are here…it feels like he’s warming up to the idea.

      • timestatic@feddit.org
        161·
        5 months ago

        Hopefully they can decide swiftly on the democrat convention and Biden can rally the Democrat party united behind one younger more energetic candidate fit to lead the country

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
          11·
          5 months ago

          Party leaders and mega donors seem to have coalesced around Harris. So if it happens it’ll be quick. I sincerely hope he’s actually healthy and this is a managed exit.

          • Rutty@sh.itjust.works
            21·
            5 months ago

            I sure hope not. Harris is a sure fire way to a Trump presidency.

            How about Mark Kelly?

            • Maggoty@lemmy.world
              4·
              5 months ago

              Mark Kelly isn’t well known outside Arizona. And I dunno about Harris being a loser here. The biggest complaint about Biden is his age. And she solves that.

                • Maggoty@lemmy.world
                  2·
                  2 months ago

                  I’m impressed you came this far back. We work with what we know when we know it. In hindsight she ran a shit campaign that tried to tell her base they were wrong and get Republicans to switch sides. Shockingly, neither of those are winning strategies.

                  • Rutty@sh.itjust.works
                    2·
                    2 months ago

                    Viewed from a historical perspective, it’s hard to see how the non-incombent didn’t have a really good advantage.

                    Hindsight can always be 20/20, and think a Buttigieg/Kelly ticket would have done a bit better. Buttigieg has been in charge of infrastructure, which I believe has been well run. He’s from the rust belt, and is more familiar with the working class vs the candidate with California Progressive with a DA background.

                    Ultimately though, I think the fault lies with the Democratic Party hijacking the primary process.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.worldEnglish
        42·
        5 months ago

        God works in mysterious ways. Well, I guess it’s not that mysterious that an 84 year old man who attends a lot of public events got COVID.

        • FPSkra@lemmy.world
          3·
          5 months ago

          What’s the over under on it turning into long COVID which gives him a graceful out.

    • casmael@lemm.ee
      186·
      5 months ago

      Honest question: is that like…. actually a good idea? Probably? What if they decide to replace him with Harris that sounds worse idk

      • DragonTypeWyvern
        236·
        5 months ago

        Infighting to replace him is a terrible idea.

        Him just retiring in favor of Harris or whoever? Better. Still absolutely horseshit considering no one seriously put their hat in the ring for the convention but whatever gets a president that supports universal healthcare and isn’t sunsetting.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        185·
        5 months ago

        It’s probably the less bad option at this point, let’s put it that way. Harris is not great, but she lacks much of the baggage and hasn’t lost the confidence of the party.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
            192·
            5 months ago

            Don’t know that I could be pumped for Harris unless she pulls off some kind of “Crouching Empty Suit, Hidden Visionary” shit, but I could be pumped for her VP. Unfortunately, I suspect she’ll choose a ‘moderate’ old white Dem guy as her VP to ‘balance out’ that she’s an ethnic minority and a woman.

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            7·
            5 months ago

            I have two tracks for pumpedness:

            1. Political: Someone with progressive ideas in the White House to represent that portion of the party. Probably not going to happen.
            2. Capability: Someone who feels like a particularly competent messenger with some fight in them. It would be nice to have some Democrats who can competently and accurately tear up this whole fiasco of a political movement. This could happen.
    • spujb@lemmy.cafeEnglish
      93·
      5 months ago

      please please please (x5) (refrain) please please, yes please, (return to chorus) (bridge) please sir please (return to chorus x2)