Dear Joe,

I hate that I feel I have to write you this letter, but you need to hear the truth, and it seems you need to hear it from multiple sources.

I want to thank you for your years of dedication and public service. In 2020 you were probably the only Democrat who could have beaten Donald Trump. After four years of chaos, Americans craved stability, even if you weren’t very exciting.

I’m not a big fan of some of your policies, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand your desire to do good. I know you want what’s best for Americans.

To me this election cycle feels more like 2016, when Hillary Clinton was probably the only Democrat Donald Trump could beat. After your performance in Thursday’s debate, a Trump win seems inevitable this year if you remain the democratic nominee.

There is no doubt that you are the more competent choice for president. Even if your age is showing and you are slowing down.

But the electorate isn’t looking for competence. They want forcefulness and flash. Thursday showed that you really can’t do that anymore. (I haven’t followed your career closely enough to know if you ever could.)

You looked lost on that stage. You may have had a better grasp of policy. Trump may have been spouting pure fantasy. It doesn’t matter. He seemed confident. You seemed old. And inept, even though we know you aren’t. Certainly not when compared to Trump.

But that doesn’t matter. Politics is mostly about perception. And the enduring perception now will be that you are too old for the job.

As you love your country, it is time to step aside and let someone else be the Democratic Party nominee. I know how tough that is. It has been almost sixty years since a sitting president decided not to run for re-election. Quitting isn’t in your DNA.

But this wouldn’t be quitting. This would be finishing your term. Allow someone else to finish off Donald Trump and send him to the dung pile of history.

Yes, he has made it personal and you want to fight back. That’s human nature. But a great politician thinks of the people and the country and puts his or her own desires aside.

You are 81 now, and showing signs of your age. How will you feel at 85?

The voters are very much aware of how the job has aged you. They aren’t sure about you being able to finish another term. They want a say in who comes next.

The honorable thing for you as a public servant is to allow someone else to lead your party in the 2024 election. If you insist on staying, we can expect four more years of Donald Trump, years that will make his first time seem like a golden age.

For the good of the country (and the world) please do the right thing and pass the baton to the next runner.

Sincerely,

A concerned Canadian