Staff Reports
Joe Biden’s recent appearance on ABC’s The View brought to light his rather convoluted reasoning for stepping out of the presidential race, or as he puts it, taking a “time out” from the Oval Office. He spun a narrative indicating that his grand accomplishments during his tenure were so overwhelming that they delayed his planned exit. One has to wonder if he was actually referring to the overflowing stack of unfinished business that seems to plague his administration. The idea of being a “transition president” sounds noble until you realize that being stuck in the White House swamp might not be the most heroic cape to don.
Claiming to have intended to anoint a new generation of leadership, Biden seems to suggest that his colossal successes, rather than personal ambition or a hefty dose of reality, were responsible for his decision to abandon ship. Of course, let’s not forget that this is the same man who racked up 14 million votes in the primary process and squared off against Donald Trump before waving his white flag. If anything, his narrative sounds less like a grand vision and more like an elaborate excuse for why a man in his position is running away from the voters’ judgment.
Biden tells The View that ‘success’ delayed his exit from the 2024 presidential race https://t.co/s9Txcmgg7C
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 25, 2024
What’s particularly entertaining, however, is the cognitive dissonance in Biden’s statements. Just a week post-exit, he allegedly felt confident enough to tout his record, proclaiming that he deserved a second term. Yet, here he was, presenting himself as a benevolent leader who needed to graciously step back for the new and shiny. Either he was riding high on optimism, completely disconnected from voter sentiment, or maybe, just maybe, he realized his time was up and he couldn’t keep the charade going any longer.
Viewership on The View swelled as the show’s liberal hosts heaped praise on Biden, which was predictable. They also had their fun grilling him about his relationship with Nancy Pelosi; the awkwardness was palpable. The president fluttered his eyelashes and attempted to laugh it off, all while assuring everyone that he was in tip-top shape for a rematch with Trump. Yet, age became a running gag, with Biden joking about how “hard it is” to even know his own age. Perhaps someone should help him find that forgotten birthday cake he keeps misplacing.
Even the ever-vocal Whoopi Goldberg couldn’t suppress her frustration regarding how Biden was booted from the race. She lamented the public nature of the event, indicating a deeper emotional connection with a man who, let’s be honest, is mainly a figurehead at this point. Biden also found time to mimic swatting Trump away like a pesky fly, an amusing image of how he might deal with political adversaries. While he garnished his narrative with comments about NATO and alliances—cleverly avoiding questions about whether he actually has a sensible foreign policy—all anyone could really focus on was how Trump still seems to occupy the real estate in his mind.
To wrap up this circus act, Biden promised that he wasn’t entirely leaving the political scene, hinting at leading think tanks and other organizations to voice his opinions. It seems the political afterlife of a president now includes a transition to punditry, which is a nice way of saying he doesn’t want to fully retire. As the applause roared from the studio audience, it became ever clearer that while Biden might be going off the main stage for now, he certainly plans to keep the curtain just a crack open for his commentary. Let the era of backseat leading commence.
