Internet agrees with Peter Welch as he becomes first Democratic senator to publicly ask Biden to step down for 'good of the country'
WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Peter Welch (D-Vt) became the first member of the upper chamber of the US Congress to speak out in favor of Joe Biden stepping down from his reelection campaign on Wednesday, July 10.
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Welch said that the incumbent should keep the country ahead of himself, and step back assured that the Democratic Party has "a deep bench" to take on presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. However, he refrained from backing any particular individual as a replacement for Biden.
Peter Welch's opinion piece
The senator began his piece by singing high praises of Biden and calling him "one of the best presidents of our time" who saved the United States from the "tyrant" Donald Trump.
However, he doubted that the 81-year-old would be able to repeat his 2020 feat in the upcoming general election as "the stakes could not be higher. We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night."
"(Biden) he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not," stated Welch. "For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race."
Welch went on to slam former President Trump as a "felon," "pathological liar," and a "menace," who has "consistently put his own interests ahead of the nation’s." He also noted the extremist agenda of a second Trump Presidency that MAGA Republicans have laid out with Project 2025.
"But the national conversation is focused on President Biden’s age and capacity. Only he can change it," wrote the Democrat. He expressed the concerns of the regular voters in his state, "like a mom who counts on the child tax credit and seniors who rely on Medicare."
"The good news is that President Biden has united the party and created a deep bench that can defeat Trump," he continued. "Vice President Harris is a capable, proven leader, and we have other electable, young, energizing Democratic governors and senators in swing states. Not only do these leaders have experience running and winning in tough political environments, they also have fundraising networks, media experience, charisma, and the ability to inspire voters across generations and across our big tent."
"We have asked President Biden to do so much for so many for so long. It has required unmatched selflessness and courage. We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now," concluded Welch.
Internet reacts to Peter Welch's stance
Netizens have a varied take on Welch's opinion piece, as the following comments on The Washington Post website demonstrate.
A user said, "Joe is time to go, thank you for your service. Let's put a young governor on the ticket with less strings attached to DC and show the young voters, women and minorities that we actually care about their future. We owe it to them."
A second user commented, "Biden is accidentally wrong to stay in the race. He has been a great light. But age is dimming him, as it does us all. May Joe find the grace needed to correct this wrong of defiantly staying in the race & wisely help the transition to a new Dem candidate."
"Biden is a great person. Passing the torch now would be consistent with his long history of acting with integrity," noted a third.
"Certainly a valid point," another user said.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
