Taunton Democratic State Rep Says Joe Biden Should Step Aside

By Tom Joyce | July 8, 2024, 18:38 EDT

Should President Joe Biden step aside and let someone else be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee this November?

A Democratic state representative from Taunton joined the growing list of politicians who say yes.

State Representative Carol Doherty (D-Taunton), who says she respects and supports Biden, said the 81-year-old should step aside, she told NewBostonPost.

“President Biden has a long and exemplary history in public service,” Doherty told NewBostonPost by email. “His legacy should be one of accomplishment not an apologia for the decline beset on many as a result of aging. On retiring from The Boston Globe some years ago Ellen Goodman said, ‘there is a trick to the graceful exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage is over and to let go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its validity or past importance in our lives.’ Yes, our President needs to step down, a decision unimaginably difficult but in the best interest of our country.”

“Should the President be our candidate, I will fully commit to his re-election,” she added. 

Doherty is the third state legislator to publicly call on Biden step aside as the Democratic Party’s nominee since his tumultuous June 27 debate on CNN. The others are state Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester) and State Representative Mike Connolly (D-Cambridge).

Here is what Lewis said about the situation in a July 3 Facebook post about Biden:

 

Rather than reassuring Americans of President Biden’s ability to campaign vigorously and lead the Democratic Party to victory over Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans, the words and actions of the Biden campaign over the past week have led to further erosion of confidence and support among voters.

After President Biden’s dismal debate performance (and even if he had performed well), he should be doing multiple, energetic campaign events across the battleground states along with media appearances. The fact that he is not is itself evidence that his candidacy is deeply hobbled.

Unlike Donald Trump, President Biden is an honorable American whose lifetime of distinguished public service makes clear his love of this country. Now, with the future of our country at stake, I hope that he will make the understandably difficult decision to step aside.

 

Connolly expressed a similar sentiment.

“It’s sad to see a person in decline — but it’s time for President Biden to end his campaign for re-election and for top Democrats to stop gaslighting the American people,” Connolly posted on the social media site formerly known as Twitter on July 2, 2024. “Trump is now closer than ever to retaking the White House, and we need to do everything we can to stop him.”

Biden is widely considered an underdog in the 2024 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump has a 55.7 percent of winning the presidency as of today, according to RealClearPolitics. Biden’s odds are a mere 18.2 percent — reflecting the possibility that he does not receive his party’s nomination.