On heartache – Katie Rogers, Michael D. Shear, Peter Baker and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in NYT:

‘After a lifetime of refusing to take no for an answer, Mr Biden fought to the bitter end. However, despite numerous television appearances, he could not dispel the image of a stumbling and befuddled old man unfit to serve a second full term. Polling suggested that he was behind in all the places he needed to win on November 5th. Even supposedly safe states, like Virginia and Maine, were in danger of going Republican. As governors, senators and congressmen saw Mr Biden dragging down their own chances of remaining in office, the party began to rise up against him.’

(…)

‘Just after 11 a.m., even as Mr. Biden was preparing his exit, Mr. Richmond — one of the president’s top campaign surrogates — was on CBS’s “Face the Nation” program saying, “I want to be crystal clear, he’s made a decision. And that decision is to accept the nomination and run for re-election, win re-election.” The first three to hear the truth were Ms. Harris, Mr. Zients and Ms. O’Malley Dillon, each in separate phone calls from Mr. Biden, according to several people familiar with the notifications.
At 1:45 p.m. on Sunday — a minute before Mr. Biden posted his letter of withdrawal to the world — the president told several of his advisers, including Anita Dunn, who manages communications strategy. He read the letter to them and thanked his staff for their service.
“Come to me with the work, and let’s get it done,” the president told them.
Mr. Zients then held a call with other White House officials to confirm that it was true and thank them for all their hard work, followed by a similar call he held with members of his cabinet, who were not aware until the posting went online. Mr. Biden spent part of the day making phone calls to congressional leaders and other allies.
He decided to announce the end of his candidacy on X, according to people familiar with the decision, because it gave him the ability to do it “his way,” avoiding the intrigue and leaks that have plagued his campaign in recent weeks.
The posting on X went out at 1:46 p.m.’

(…)

‘“For my entire life, I’ve looked at my dad in awe,” his son, Hunter, wrote. “How could he suffer so much heartache and yet give so much of whatever remained of his heart to others?”’

Read the article here.

The end of this candidacy reminds me of euthanasia.
The longing for it, the denial, the hesitation. The big difference is that euthanasia isn’t usually announced on X.

Perhaps now this campaign won’t be anymore about the question, what is mortality, and when is old too old? Perhaps.

Most political campaigns are distractions after all.

And there are more befuddled politicians, not all of them are old.