Opinion | Please, Mr. President, Do the Right Thing

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses President Biden's performance, the unfair treatment he has received, and the author's view that Biden should step aside as the Democratic nominee for president, likely in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.

🙋 Q&A

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1. What are the three true things the author states about President Biden?

• Biden has done an excellent job as president.
• He has been ludicrously mistreated, with his every verbal or physical stumble dissected and analyzed to a degree far beyond any scrutiny applied to Donald Trump.
• He should step aside as his party's nominee for president, probably in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.

2. What are some of Biden's key achievements as president?

• Enacted major investments in infrastructure, advanced technology, and green energy, despite having only a razor-thin legislative majority.
• Presided over the best economic performance in the wealthy world, with rapid decline in inflation without a recession.

3. Why does the author argue that Biden should step aside as the Democratic nominee?

• Biden is clearly damaged goods now, and if he insists on running, it seems likely that he, and possibly the future of American democracy, will lose.
• The author believes that Vice President Kamala Harris is smart and tough, and the attacks on her sex and race could backfire.

[02] Comparison of Biden and Trump

1. How does the author describe the contrast between Biden and Trump's public personas?

• Biden was calm and reassuring during the presidential debate, while Trump ranted in a disjointed and off-the-wall manner.
• The author argues that many Americans don't have a full sense of how bizarre and menacing Trump comes across these days.

2. What is the author's view on the stakes of the upcoming election?

• If Trump wins, it may be the last real election - an election in which the party currently holding power allows its opponents to take that power away - America will hold for a long time.
• The author believes that at this point, it's all about defending democracy.

3. What lesson does the author suggest the U.S. could take from France's recent parliamentary elections?

• Many French politicians withdrew from the second round, placing the nation's interests above their own ambitions to improve rivals' chances of defeating antidemocratic opponents, which contributed to the hard right's stunning defeat.
• The author suggests Biden could achieve a similar outcome for America by stepping aside now.