• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

The Biden Edge Case

Yes, of course, Biden is running for re-election. But national politics is a viper’s nest that requires ambitious putative candidates to prepare for even unthinkable, Murphy’s Law-style outcomes. So, what happens if Biden unexpectedly decides to bow out? Exploring D.C.’s increasingly popular hypothetical question.

Despite Biden’s accomplishments and the diligence of his team to keep the media on message, politics is a profession that rewards operatives for preserving optionality.
Despite Biden’s accomplishments and the diligence of his team to keep the media on message, politics is a profession that rewards operatives for preserving optionality. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Tara Palmeri
August 3, 2023

Yes, yes, of course, Joe Biden is running for re-election. He is the sitting president, has passed historic legislation, and he’s the one guy who has proven that he can vanquish Donald Trump, whose Republican primary lead appears increasingly insurmountable despite his third indictment. The White House has largely argued that any doubts about Biden’s political future are ageist, puerile, and absurd. Who cares if he takes the short steps up Air Force One, or needs a note card to remind him to take his seat, they contend. He’s a spry 80-year-old who wears aviators, rides a Peloton, and doesn’t mind being photographed shirtless on a Delaware beach. Inflation is falling. Unemployment is near historic lows.