He Called It: Schar School’s Mayer Had Gameplan for Biden’s Replacement—a Year Ago

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A man in a blue jacket and gray shirt wearing a hat smiles at the camera.
Jeremy Mayer: ‘And Republicans will launch devastating ads showing Biden at his worst as soon as he has the nomination sewed up.’ Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar School associate professor and elections expert Jeremy Mayer warned Democrats nearly a year ago in USA Today that their presumed candidate, Joe Biden, might be exposed in a debate as having diminished abilities from debates televised in 2020.

In an op-ed in late August 2023, Mayer recommended the party replace the incumbent with a challenger to avoid precisely the situation they find themselves now after last week’s debate with former President Donald Trump.

From the op-ed:

Bad debate could sink Biden before general election

“There is a darker prospect that should make every Democrat want a challenger to Biden. Most of the attacks on Biden as senile are unfair, snippets of videos that mistake fumbling with words for dementia. But if you haven’t seen at least one mildly troubling video of Biden being confused, you haven’t been paying attention. And Republicans will launch devastating ads showing Biden at his worst as soon as he has the nomination sewed up.”

Is it too late for Democrats to finally take his advice?

Read the entire op-ed: What if Biden stumbles? Democrats need a strong alternative candidate with stakes so high.

This week, Mayer offers a list of possible replacements in a new op-ed in USA Today. Read who he recommends here.

Meanwhile, the founding dean of the Schar School, Mark J. Rozell, takes the opposite position in a co-written op-ed in the Hill.

Read the op-ed: Sorry, James Carville, but Joe Biden is the best bet to beat Trump.

Must make for interesting faculty meetings.