
<p>I pose that question because it has been the subject of speculation on various networks. ; CNN’s Michael Smerconish even made that subject his question of the day. ; Sixty-three percent of the 35,000 viewers who responded said “yes.” ; That is noteworthy when you consider that the demographics of Smerconish’s program lean to the left &#8212; heavily Democrat voters.</p>



<p>A recent CBS/Ipsos Poll showed that an astounding 86 percent of voters believe that Biden is too old to serve another term. ; That view is held by 91 percent of independents. ; The CBS Poll was taken after the release of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s Report on Biden’s handling of classified government documents. ;</p>



<p>The Report clearly indicated that Biden had broken the law by “willfully” possessing the documents and sharing them with others. ;  ;Hur used prosecutorial discretion to not indict the President. ; So much for the rule-of-law. ; ;</p>



<p>Biden supporters were highly critical of the references in the Report to Biden’s age and memory issues. ; Those details had to be shared in the Report because they formed the basis for the decision to not indict Biden. Several of the media’s former prosecutors on CNN and MSNBC made that point.</p>



<p>However one views the Report, there can be no disagreement that it enflamed an issue that has been dogging Biden since he announced his run for a second term. ; It has become Biden’s personal version of Whack-A-Mole. ; No matter how many times he tries to slam it down, it pops again.</p>



<p>Team Biden has mounted an all-out hyperbolic defense of the President. ; They claim that after a very thorough investigation, Biden has been exonerated. ; That is not exactly true. ; According to the Report, the decision not to pursue the matter was based on his age and the fact that the Trump case was more serious. ; Nowhere in the Report did it affirmatively state that Biden was not guilty of a crime. ; Objective voters reading the Report will see language that clearly points to a crime.</p>



<p>With regard to the “elderly man” issue, Biden supporters claim that he has amazing energy and that his memory is excellent. ; Vice President Harris was trotted out to make those arguments in the strongest possible terms. ; The problem with that defense is the people see otherwise – and that is obvious from the polling data.</p>



<p>The final defense narrative is that the Report was a political hit job since Hur is a Republican. ; This puts the Democrats’ public narratives in conflict. ; When Trump criticized the Department of Justice and special counsels as political hacks, Democrats jumped all over him for undermining American institutions. ; They claim that those working for the Justice Department, and other agencies, are nonpolitical – just hard-working bureaucrats. ; Now that the proverbial shoe is on the other foot the hypocrisy kicks in. ; And it should not be forgotten that Hur works for Democrat Attorney General Merrick Garland, who appointed him.</p>



<p>The idea of Biden stepping down is getting more traction among political operatives, pundits and newsies – including those who have henceforth been on Biden’s team. Guys like David Axelrod and James Carville are expressing concerns about Biden’s ability to get ahead of the age issue. Carville said that Biden’s rejecting a half hour interview during Super Bowl was a mistake. According to Carville, Biden not only missed an opportunity to appear before the biggest audience in television without paying ad costs, but he gave the impression that he was not physically or mentally up to such a prolonged unscripted event. Axelrod said that the Report “goes to the core of what is plaguing Biden politically now, which is a widespread fear that he’s not up to it.” Axelrod added, “Fair or not, you can’t unring the bell.”</p>



<p>Pundits across the board are now speculating who will take up the race if Biden drops out. ; But Democrats do not have a strong bench. ; California Governor Gavin Newsom has been positioning for a possible run for months already. ; Of course, Harris will expect to get the nod. ; There is even speculation about former First Lady Michelle Obama –although you can probably discount that one. ; The only other candidate who has his name mentioned is Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker.</p>



<p>Questions of Biden bowing out of the race are being raised more often these days – suggesting that it is within the realm of possibility. ; Some political folks are not asking the question but actually suggesting that he should get out. ; They do not always say it in so many words, but the implications are clear. ;</p>



<p>When strategizing a campaign, it is necessary to look to the future to how key issues may unfold. Will the economy get better? Will there be a reduction in illegal border crossings? Will wars end? In terms of the age issue, there can be no such optimism. Biden cannot escape the fact that he is an elderly man who will get older and frailer with each passing day. At his age, a major health event could happen at any moment – even death. And it is not just a matter of making it to election day. The public is looking four years into the future – envisioning what an 86-year-old Biden will look and act like. It is not a pretty picture.</p>



<p>He cannot make concerns over his physical and mental health go away merely by personal assurances from him or his staff. I am not sure that he can assuage the legitimate concerns at all. ; Perhaps it IS time for Dr. Jill to intervene.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Will Jill Biden ask Joe to retire?
