Staff Reports
Nate Silver, the sports statistician turned political savant, is more or less begging President Biden to gracefully retreat. After Biden’s recent debacle against Trump, one could forgive Silver for pointing out the glaring problem: the man is just too old. Over two-thirds of Americans think Biden’s age is a deal-breaker; with fresh polling, this number will surely get uglier. Yet, the Biden camp seems to be in wild denial, probably inspired by Hunter’s infamous escapades.
Silver honed in on how age has taken down even the mightiest in sports, like Michael Jordan, hitting the nail on the head by noting that anybody with elderly relatives knows the signs. For Biden, those signs are practically flashing neon lights. Silver’s attempt to defend Biden’s age is half-hearted at best, conceding that months of playing defense on this issue has led to nothing but a relentless offensive from the Trump camp. It’s almost humorous watching Silver balance his disdain for Trump’s past actions with his absolutely warranted concerns about Biden’s age, much to the chagrin of liberal faithful.
7/1 model update.
Debate beginning to take a real bite out of Biden. pic.twitter.com/lSESmUd4JZ
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) July 1, 2024
As things swirl down the drain, Silver suggests that the Democrats have every right to be livid over Biden’s reluctant selection of Kamala Harris as VP—a move that has led to even more of this ongoing disaster. Harris’s performance hasn’t exactly instilled confidence, and one can imagine that Biden’s second White House run might very well be an attempt to clean up after this ill-fated lineup. Silver closes his argument by pleading for Biden to step aside for the good of the party. With Silver’s model giving Trump more than a 68% chance to win and even predicting a popular vote victory, it’s clear that the Democrats are in crisis mode.
Silver’s conclusion is simple but essential: Biden’s failure to endlessly deliver vigorous public appearances sharply contrasts with someone like Bernie Sanders, who, despite being the same age, still lights up the stage. Comparing Biden now to his 2012 performance against Paul Ryan only makes it more evident—Biden is a shadow of his former self. This is the most obvious, glaring fact that even the Democrats can’t gloss over, especially with Republicans gleefully weaponizing it as they prepare for a potential “October surprise.”
Nate Silver's model gives Trump more than 68% to win the election against Biden. For the first time, Silver also predicts that Trump will win the popular vote by a wide margin. pic.twitter.com/ZXBHEgETvI
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) June 30, 2024
The desperate attempts to shield Biden, such as dodging a Super Bowl interview and reducing debate appearances, only underline the rampant incompetence. And let’s not even talk about that blocked audio recording of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which described Biden as an elderly man with a failing memory. Adding to the spectacle, the infighting among Democrats is reaching a boiling point with staffers spinning unfavorable polls and special interest groups who insisted on Kamala despite her lackluster primary performance. Biden’s decisions have put their party in an untenable position.
A miracle switch in candidates through superdelegates might come across as a clown show, but hey, anything is better than Biden at this point. Despite the writing on the wall, Biden’s insistence on staying in the race leaves only grim options for the Democrats: face Trump with an aging and faltering frontman or gamble on their unlikely backups. These ladies and gentlemen are the epitome of political self-sabotage.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s warning that Michigan is no longer winnable is just the cherry on top of this disaster sundae. Silver’s latest model has already bumped up Trump’s chances to nearly 72%. The key takeaway: it’s catastrophically ill-advised to expect the American public to keep Biden in office until he’s 86. Biden’s insistence on maintaining the race could very well become one of the most ludicrous political asks in history, handing yet another close Electoral College victory to Trump.
