Are the Americans stupid for allowing Biden to go for another term?

[DistinguishedSocialCommentator]

At Mr Biden's age, if I'm as fit and alert as he is, I'd be more than happy.

However, he is supposed to be a president and a president of a of a superpower. Therefore, you will agree with me the man is not cut out to be a president of a nation like the USA. He'd be ok for smaller countries that do not have an importance i the world like the USA but not for the uSA

IMO, those that are pulling the strings are actually hurting a half decent man. For the record, I'm nor for, not agaist his poltical party.

Possibly, some that are running the show, pulling the strings were hoping to step into Bidens shoes if he had a fall or a big moment, don't know.

AIBU to feel his is not the right man for the job?

What's your reasoning for this?

You need to be extremely rich to take on the party machinery (and coffers) by standing as an independent. Only two people have attempted it in modern times. One of them won - because the Republicans ended up endorsing him as theirs. The other was (billionaire) Ross Perot in 1992

I’d believe that if there weren’t always posters moaning about Americans despite never stepping foot in the country.

I remember the thread about posters moaning about Americans posting on MN despite those posting actually living in the UK and thinking it not hypocritical that threads like this one is perfectly fine but wouldn’t like it if Americans talked about the UK in the same way with the seemingly revolving door of PMs.

Not allowing a serving president to seek a second term would be a huge call for the democrats and probably lose them more votes than allowing Joe to run. If there are genuine issues with his fitness to serve if reelected there is a process for that and a vice-president ready to take over. Seems like a no-brainer for the democrats to have Biden as their candidate.

Donald Trump is clearly the greater threat to world peace and order and anyone outside the US and Russia should be keeping everything crossed they don't vote that narcissistic lunatic back in.

Agree, it’s just crazy that there no other feasible candidates being bankrolled. Partly explicable by the southern states being very keen on male, white, middle class candidates. I wonder if they’re relying on the older generation to vote Trump in? And women?! Seems he’s very popular with women. Baffles me.

This is what I can't understand. Out of all those millions of people there are only 2 options - both well past retirement age!

The problem is that Biden was chosen for the first term, it's would have been incredibly divisive to replace anyone who wasn't a total disaster now. He's not awful, just not inspiring enough and old, which makes It an unnecessarily close contest. It was short term thinking, without consideration Trump might be a contender for this election.

I think they were in shock over Hilary losing, and chose the safest candidate they could, which is now coming back to bite them with another high stakes election. I guess they imagined they'd be facing a moderate republican against whom losing isn't necessarily the end of the world .. or just didn't think about it at all. Who knows!

We're potentially facing similar here in the UK. Timid unambitious opposition, who could reasonably fall flat on its arse and let in a still-radicalised Tory party 5 years later 🤷‍♂️

His State of the Union speech was damn good. The US economy is booming.Trump talks minced drivel 95% of the time but nobody seems to notice or care that he is demented. Still thems the breaks I guess. Reagan was gaga too. But he and Trump are Big while Biden is tall and skinny. America likes Big.

But didn’t Biden say he’s only running again to try to stop Trump getting in or he’d have retired?

No more stupid than they are for allowing Trump to run again.

Skill should be a requisite rather the ability raise the funds.

I'm in the UK though and it's easy to criticise at this distance.The venality of our current incumbents can't be blamed on encroaching senility.

The mainstream/right Democratic party have had to support him because opening the field would raise the possibility of a Bernie Sanders-style left populist taking charge and potentially winning the presidency, which is the one thing they fear even more than Trump.

YANBU but it's important to note that it's tradition for a first term sitting president not to be opposed by other candidates from within his own party if he has declared intent to stand again.What the Democrats need to focus on is electing the best vice president as there's a more than average chance that they will have to step in at some point.

My opinion is that someone from the party should have suggested that he shouldn't run again but I suppose that would have required quite a bit of courage

Absolutely it was a good speech and he has a very strong economy at his back but still worried its not cutting through.

Just out of curiosity, what would happen if either Biden or Trump had a medical incident after they had secured their party’s nomination, but before election day? Given their ages, it’s surely a possibility?

He really doesn't.

Gosh - I don't know, because I follow other countries' domestic issues only intermittently, so it's easy to miss stuff.

If true, and there really is no-one else that the Democrats think could beat Trump, it shows weakness in the party in a wider sense.

UK politics also is short of good candidates

It's a lacklustre choice, for sure, and it's a shame that Kamala Harris hasn't hugely impressed as VP, otherwise she'd be the natural nominee - JB could have stepped graciously away, but I don't think she could win against Trump, unfortunately, whereas JB might just eke it out because while Trump bafflingly has a huge fanbase, there are a lot of people who loathe him. At least, I sincerely hope so.

Here's an explainer from a US news site

It's unprecedented - so it seems no-one is completely sure what would happen, especially as the people aren't voting directly for candidates, but to instruct the Electoral College.

AP EXPLAINS: What happens if a candidate for president dies? | AP News

Not in a million years. Southern States would balk at voting in a woman, let alone a black woman. 🙁

If he can beat Trump, he’s just going to have to suck it up!

What’s the alternative? It’s Biden or Trump. Like choosing between slow decrepitude or annihilation.

The OP has posted before and appears to have had a long career in the UK so she may fall into your first category, @phoenixrosehere

I took US citizenship when I lived there for 15 years and I volunteer for a nonpartisan charity encouraging everyone with American voting rights to exercise them. That definitely includes Trump supporters. But it bothers me that MumsNetters will not cease making obvious digs at Biden that can only have the effect of increasing support for Trump, who is barely younger, speaks in word salads, a proven threat to democracy, and possibly beholden to Putin. Trump makes no secret of admiring Putin - that’s bad enough.

I truly love this community but I wish MumsNetters would think more about this - and the ways in which the Russians are thought by the US intelligence community to have infiltrated and manipulated SM during the 2016 and 2020 elections - before posting same old same old.

PA Other aspects of this thread are interesting

If elected, perhaps Biden will step aside for the VP to take over?

The current US presidential campaign is the strongest argument there is for keeping the Royal family in the UK.