Biden's Debate Disaster: Mounting Pressure for the President to Withdraw from 2024 Race

President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance last week has sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party, with growing calls for him to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. New York Times editorial board member Maya Gay weighs in on the situation, arguing that the president is not fit to serve another term.

President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance last week has sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party, with growing calls for him to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. New York Times editorial board member Maya Gay has emerged as a prominent voice in the chorus of critics, arguing that the president is not fit to serve another term.

Biden's Debate Disaster: Mounting Pressure for the President to Withdraw from 2024 Race

In an op-ed published in the Times, Gay defended the editorial board's decision to call for Biden's withdrawal, arguing that the president's performance in the debate was a clear indication that he is not up to the demands of the job. "It was just a bad night," she writes. "You can’t judge a presidency by 90 minutes."

Gay's comments echo the growing sentiment within the Democratic Party that Biden is too old and out of touch to lead the country for another four years. A post-debate CBS poll found that 72% of Americans believe Biden does not have the mental fitness to serve as president.

Biden's Debate Disaster: Mounting Pressure for the President to Withdraw from 2024 Race

The White House has dismissed the criticism, arguing that Biden had a bad night and that the polls will eventually rebound. However, Gay argues that the president's cognitive decline is a serious issue that cannot be ignored.

"It’s very different with a faltering 81-year-old asking for another term," she writes. "The 'one bad night' defense doesn’t hold water."

Biden's Debate Disaster: Mounting Pressure for the President to Withdraw from 2024 Race

Gay also criticizes the media for covering up Biden's growing infirmities, arguing that they have been complicit in allowing the president to hide his true condition from the public. "With a handful of exceptions, most journalists don’t have access to Biden," she writes. "They have seen what everyone else has seen on the air, the president increasingly mumbling and stumbling, and now it’s clear why his top advisers have been so determined to shield him from the press – even a softball Super Bowl interview."

Gay's op-ed has reignited the debate over Biden's fitness for office and the future of the Democratic Party. Many Democrats believe that the party cannot afford to take any risks in the 2024 election and that Biden is simply too old and vulnerable to run again.

Biden's Debate Disaster: Mounting Pressure for the President to Withdraw from 2024 Race

However, Biden remains defiant, insisting that he is up to the challenges of the job and that he will not withdraw from the race. "If we do see changes in polling in the coming weeks, it will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls," said Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon.

The Democratic Party is facing a difficult choice. If they nominate Biden, they risk losing the election to Donald Trump. If they nominate someone else, they risk alienating Biden and his supporters. The decision they make will have a profound impact on the future of the country.