President Biden’s decision on Sunday afternoon to withdraw from the 2024 race should have turned the page on his presidency without much ambiguity.
Instead, it has revealed in broad daylight the central themes of this presidential election.
First theme: Strength versus weakness.
Former President Donald Trump is shot in the ear and comes within a millimeter of losing his life to an assassin; arrives at the Republican National Convention to thunderous applause two days later. Meanwhile, Biden tests positive for COVID; disappears entirely for nearly a week as he remains in isolation.
Second theme: Transparency versus secrecy and incompetence.
The Biden administration has been anything but transparent. Or truthful. Or reassuring that they’re running the country competently.