Everything has changed

With one tweet last Sunday afternoon, President Biden transformed the 2024 race – from a same-old, same-old election to a stark choice between past and future, hate and hope, grievance and progress.

Suddenly, only one party is trying to elect an 80-year-old President who mixes up names, mangles his thoughts and looks to be in severe cognitive decline.

The election is now a choice between a criminal prosecutor and a convicted criminal.

It’s a choice between a champion of women’s reproductive rights and the man who ripped away those rights and sexually assaulted women.

Democrats, bitterly divided over President Biden’s candidacy a week ago, are suddenly united, eager and enthused.

For all their renewed energy, they shouldn’t underestimate the challenge of electing Vice President Kamala Harris over a man and a party that spent decades honing appeals to racism and sexism.

For now, Democrats should take a moment to thank President Biden for this moment – and this opportunity to shape a new future.

He did something preciously rare in politics. He put party and country before personal ambition.

He’s done that before.

In 2008, he agreed to be running mate to a younger, less experienced man, and his selfless humility helped elect the first Black President.

In 2016, he passed up a chance to run for President and supported the first woman nominated for President. He probably would have beaten Trump.

In 2020, he did beat Trump.

This year, he stepped aside and handed Democrats and America the chance to make history again.

All this after being one of the most consequential Presidents in decades – leading us out of a pandemic, restoring the economy, creating jobs, holding down the cost of medicine, passing the massive bipartisan infrastructure bill his predecessor promised but never delivered, and standing up for freedom against tyranny at home and in the world.

Thanks, Mr. President.