The writer prefaces these remarks by accepting the reality that because he is not a politician, an office-holder, a minister, a celebrated entertainer, or any other type of spokesperson, his words may not go very far. In fact, he is no longer a teacher who had something of a captive audience of students for years. Nevertheless, because the condition is so critical, he hopes that the message herein is picked upon and heeded by those who can and should make a difference.

The message is for members of the Democratic Party – Democrats in office, Democrats operating the party apparatus across the country, and individuals considering themselves Democrats because of how they traditionally vote. At the same time, the message is also for people having been sold on the concept or who simply believe democracy is the better way to have decisions made and carried out in a society, whether they label themselves Democrats, Republicans, Independents, or just citizens.

For the first set of Democrats, those identifying with the party, the urgent message is that it’s not just about Joe Biden. No one doubts Biden is not as mentally sharp as he may have been 30 years ago. Of course, neither is Donald Trump, who started with a dull knife. Very few people talk about that and the fact while Trump was running for office in 2016 more than a thousand professional psychiatrists and psychologists signed a document underscoring his mental/psychological problems.

All of that aside, however, rather than allowing Trump supporters to write the script for the 2024 presidential campaign, Democrats need to come together with their own script, including 1) denouncing the real danger of another Trump presidency; 2) showing Trump’s complete lack of vision on such concrete policy issues as inflation, the environment, foreign affairs, reproductive healthcare, and gun violence, EXCEPT revenge and the punishment of his “political” enemies; and 3) showing what Biden has done and can continue to do with the support of like-minded advisors and officials.

If Biden supporters come out strong all over the country, not only will the narrative change. Democrats, Independents, and the whole country will see a new era of progressive change can be had. Just as a partially handicapped Franklin Roosevelt was able to lean on and learn from others, including his wife Eleanor, so can Biden. Surely an ailing John Kennedy did not produce all his own ideas that became law. Every modern presidency has been defined by a team of people, not a single individual. That lesson should be clear as voters view Biden’s presidency. 

By rushing out to join the bandwagon of people castigating Biden, those Democratic leaders make him appear worse than he actually is and that his mental lapses during the recent debate is the most crucial matter in the scheme of things. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Democrats need to display the discipline to come together and show what can be done together, rather than panicking or making a name for themselves as individuals in the spotlight. Unless they have been so frightened by Trump’s mobsters until they are looking for any reason to not oppose Trump, there is little reason to immediately decide to dump Biden. Dumping Biden will weaken the Democratic Party, making it even more difficult to win the presidential election in November. 

The Democratic leaders need to determine the script for the rest of this election cycle and assure the country they can and will help Biden surpass what he has already accomplished and shore up the loose ends that are threatening democracy in the future. That would show their greatness and their commitment to American democracy.

For the second set of Democrats, people believing in democracy, the task is just as important. These citizens should realize Trump and his supporters are out to “get” not just his political enemies. They are out to “get” non-European immigrants, Black and Brown people, Jews and Arabs, homosexuals, women who don’t “stay in their place,” and virtually anyone who is not a strong supporter of white Christian nationalism. Not just Trump, but many of his acolytes, such as Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, Marjorie Taylor Green, and Tom Cotton, want to transform America into a white, minority-ruled country, with other people being as subservient as were the enslaved Africans, conquered Indians, imported Asian and Italian workers, and white women. The Trump team has already drawn up Project 2025 to do just that, if he is elected. 

Additionally, just last week, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court issued a ruling enabling Trump to not only establish such a fascist government. He would be a virtual dictator, doing whatever he desires regarding graft and economics, political and educational institutions, the media, and personal crimes against those out of his favor. 

It is this pending development that should be the topic of conversation rather than whether Joe Biden did not turn in a good debate performance. Even Trump’s lying and scary proposals, in that same debate, were ignored by many who chose to focus on Biden’s debate performance. 

While it is true that America has never been a full-fledged democracy so far as non-Europeans and non-male people are concerned, Trump and his minions want to make that even less the case. The design to have America only run by wealthy white males was disrupted by democratic-minded people in Pennsylvania in the late 1790s. The design to have it being run primarily by slave owners was disrupted by Abraham Lincoln and his supporters in the 1860s. Now, in the 2020s, Trumpers are determined to take the country back to the days of white male rule, under a bullying criminal, who is also a sexist and a racist.

Contemporary Democrats, which includes members of the Democratic Party, Independents, and even dyed-in-the-wool Republicans who believe in the concept of democracy, must make it their business to help Joe Biden save us from Trump and all of the negatives which Trump’s re-election would bring. Furthermore, the people who believe in a full-fledged democracy must change the narrative of the presidential campaign. After all, this is not so much about Joe Biden. It is about this last-ditch effort to salvage and develop an improved democracy for the people, before it is too late.