Behind the Essay: In Rolling Stone, I argue Biden must do more than step aside to save his legacy—and the American Experiment
“I’m not sold on ‘history is written by the victors,’” I write in Rolling Stone, “but I’m certain that presidential history is determined by first-responders.” A president’s legacy is shaped by narrators who “carry the attendant baggage of the era.” And though “I love eviscerating falsehoods with an arsenal of contradictory evidence,” I’m well aware of my disadvantage. I’m always a century or two late.
“It’s breathtaking to watch it develop in real-time,” I write, given President Joe Biden’s accomplishments. The onslaught of negative coverage has recast him as a staggeringly selfish old man who will bring the American Experiment down with him.
Is the media, given the reality of Biden’s Republican challenger, being fair? Yes. Balanced? No, Trump got a pass after the debate that is just now expiring. But in the end, there’s one standard for both candidates: Be fit for office. And for both parties: Demand your candidate be fit for office. Republicans are sadly a lost cause when it comes to Trump. Democrats might have the capacity to do better. To give the latter party a pass because of the former’s failings is hypocritical, short-sighted, and downright dangerous.
But all may not be lost! As late scientist Daniel Kahneman told us, endings “create an overwhelming cognitive illusion.” He can still rewrite the narrative, and do so in such a dramatic fashion, he helps rather than hinders Vice President Harris, the presumptive nominee. Given how long he’s waited, however, I don’t think stepping aside is enough. Biden needs to go big—and then go home.
For more, read my essay over at Rolling Stone.
ICYMI
I went on CBS to put the assassination attempt on Trump’s life, which we still know very little about, in historical context. I also spoke to John Dickerson about the possibility of unity, a word that comes up often at the RNC. Sadly, it’s sandwiched by words that discount it.
See you soonish! In the meantime, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram and my books on Bookshop, Amazon, and your local bookstore or library. If you’d like me to sign or personalize my books, purchase copies from Oblong.