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[JimH]

Biden.  Trump. 

I remember Nixon vs. Humphrey in 1968, during the war in Viet Nam.  No good choice.  Nixon won.  Gloomy time. 

2024 has been equally uninspiring.  I've supported Biden, financially and otherwise, but without a lot of enthusiasm.  He's done a good job as President, but the debate on Thursday was the sad end of his career, in my opinion.

Biden will be 82 in November.  I'll be 80 a month later.  I can't imagine keeping the schedule he has.

If he doesn't make a decision now, we are extremely likely to have Trump in office again.  Unbelievable, but likely.  The Federal government, already a mess, will descend into chaos.

I see two possibilities.

1.  Biden releases his delegates, and asks for an open convention.  We go back to the time when conventions meant something and weren't just a pageant.  Anyone can be nominated, and rounds of voting continue until someone achieves a majority of delegates.  If the delegates want Biden, then he gets the nomination, but delegates do their job.

2.  Biden continues, Harris agrees to step aside, and Barack Obama becomes Biden's running mate.  Biden agrees to vacate the office when unable to serve, making Obama  President, who then selects Harris as VP.

I believe the Constitution allows this.  Obama can't run for President again because of term limits, but he could run as Vice President and then serve as President if Biden is unable.

Though I grew up in Nebraska, a very Red state, I'm a lifelong Democrat.  I've supported candidates at all levels, given significant money, and run for office a few times.  I won a couple of times.  I think the system is flawed, but it's what we have and we have to work with it.

I'm extremely concerned about the possibility that Trump might win.  The Supreme Court is now political, mainly due to his work and McConnell's.  If we have a court that is still more political, we're in deep trouble.

[Scobie]

It's certainly a mess, and as an interested spectator from the other side of the world the fact that Trump can even be considered a possibility is jaw dropping. And as you say now he has a very realistic chance.

I do like Biden and think he has done a very good job in office, but the Dems have not played this well. It should have been made clear that he was a one term President and spent the last 3 years grooming and marketing a successor. That would not have looked good for Harris but she has to toe the party line. Now whatever they choose to do threatens to splinter their base which they cannot afford.

As for your Option 2 Jim, the 12th Amendment reads that, "[N]o person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to that of vice president of the United States." So Obama is certainly ineligible. The fact that he cannot run and Trump can...a bit of a head scratcher.