In the World’s Greatest Democracy, the sitting President “catches COVID” and goes into seclusion at his beach house, with minimal staff and minders present. “He’s doing great,” the doctors say, but he remains incommunicado. Two days later, he issues, on his personal Twitter account, a statement that he is no longer running for President. Nothing on WhiteHouse.gov . No live LBJ / Nixon-style announcement. Zero media prep, or even calls to supporters. Minutes before he “announced” his departure, several state parties issued statements of support for his continued candidacy - no one got a whiff of advance warning. No one got their story straight. No one was waiting to answer the obvious questions.
Evidently none of this preparation and message-tuning was considered important. What was important was to get a single Twitter post out the door now, in a manner that suggests incredible time sensitivity, and a follow-up, endorsing Kamala Harris. “I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.” Sure Grandpa, I bet you will.
The calculation is that as long as they launch before Biden gets back to DC, the plotters can bypass Hunter and Doctor Professor Jill, and leave Biden with no possible route to victory. What, is he going to hold his prime-time address and go full Marion Barry? Better to go out on a high note - thinking of the country, muh legacy, and so on.
When Joe Biden wakes up from his post-Matlock nap and discovers what the interns managing his social media pulled off as a fait accompli, the old man rage will be audible in space.
I never want to hear from Democrats talking about 'My Pressshussss Democracy' ever again, but I know I will.
His ego is bigger than his brain. Leave now with your legacy intact. You, your son and brother keep all of their ill gotten money, or continue on as a fool and all of you wind up in Gitmo.
This is the Chicago way.