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At This Point, There's Only One Question Regarding Joe Biden

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

Does Joe Biden want to bow out of his reelection bid, or is Jill Biden keeping him in the race for selfish reasons? The first lady is addicted to power like Joe’s son, Hunter, is addicted to crack cocaine. Not to mention, the money that pours into the Biden family’s influence-peddling operation will go silent if Joe leaves office. Hunter has legal bills and baby mamas to pay off—it’s too early for Joe to depart. Yet, the presidential debate on June 27 might have accelerated that timeline as the 81-year-old Biden got demolished by Donald Trump, sparking an epic campaign from within the Democratic Party to Julius Caesar the president. Can he survive the fallout? 

For now, Biden’s remaining, but the forces that want him to go are vocal and aggressive, and he can throw a wrench in the works. The latest front to cave is on the fundraising front: wealthy donors, including Abigail Disney (yes, from that Disney family), have mustered the forces of Mickey and others to pressure the aging president into dropping out. They won’t cut any more checks until he steps aside. 

We’ve also entered a period of low-grade civil war, where Democratic governors are supporting the president, whereas congressional Democrats are hoping grandpa gets wheeled off the cliff. Each side has its reasons: Biden’s polling numbers, from approval ratings to those who think he’s too old, are atrocious and could be an obstacle that could stifle attempts to retake the House of Representatives. Governors are looking beyond 2028 and don’t want Vice President Kamala Harris anywhere near that contest. 

The only saving grace for Biden is that the Democratic Party wants him to remain, with 66 percent saying he shouldn’t drop out. Still, the whisper campaign is brutal, with nearly every Democrat and their mother acknowledging something that Barack Obama knew for years: Joe doesn’t have what it takes to do the job. The former president has been reportedly telling top allies his concerns, notably that Joe’s path to reelection might be closed due to his awful debate. 

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer reportedly told Biden campaign officials that her state is no longer winnable. That’s the ballgame for Joe if that prediction holds. Biden will have no path if he loses Michigan. Other states, including New Mexico and Maine, have become redder since the debate. OpenLabs, a progressive polling memo, found that post-debate, 40 percent of Biden’s 2020 supporters felt he needed to drop out, and he’s now losing in every battleground state. Cumulatively, there was a massive plunge in support. Based on OpenLabs’ memo, Trump would have clinched 360 electoral votes if the election had been held today.

With lousy approval ratings, three-fourths of the country thinking he’s too mentally impaired to be president, and a chorus of top Democrats and donors wanting him gone, how long can Biden withstand this pressure campaign? The president is being disemboweled slowly by his party. 

You can take only so many blows to the head, Joe. And from the start, you weren’t mentally healthy.