Former PA governor and 1965 College graduate Ed Rendell reaffirmed his support for President Biden's reelection campaign.
Credit: DP File PhotoDespite growing concerns within the Democratic Party regarding President Joe Biden’s candidacy and mental fitness, former Pennsylvania Gov. and Penn professor Ed Rendell has reaffirmed his steadfast support for the president.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Rendell, a 1965 College graduate, emphasized Biden’s resilience and urged fellow Democrats to “take a deep breath” and await further public appearances from the president before reconsidering their support. Rendell has continued to support Biden’s candidacy after the June 27 presidential debate, even as other members of the Democratic party have called for a new Democratic nominee.
“[The debate] wasn’t good, but it wasn’t fatal,” Rendell told the DP, adding that Democrats pushing for Biden’s replacement on the November ballot are “jumping the gun” and “panicking.”
“I’m not ready to say the president should step down at all,” Rendell added. “I think he’s entitled to the presumption that he’s fine, especially because he had such a successful first term. No question about that. We should stand by him.”
Rendell drew parallels to Ronald Reagan’s first debate performance during his 1984 bid for re-election.
“There were all sorts of charges that Reagan didn’t have the intellectual ability and cognitive abilities to continue on as president,” Rendell recalled. “Reagan went on to win 49 out of 50 states. So it doesn’t mean anything.”
The former governor also noted that Reagan’s faulty debate performance took place just one month before ballots were cast, in contrast to the over four months remaining until voters cast their ballots this election cycle on Nov. 5.
“I think there will be time enough to see if Joe Biden has the mental and cognitive ability and the physical stamina to go on as president,” Rendell said.
Rendell, who described himself as “very critical of the media,” noted that despite the outcry following the debate over Biden’s age and competency, little attention had been directed towards Trump, allowing the Republican nominee, in his opinion, to “get away with things that are unbelievable.”
“[Trump] never answered any of the questions he didn’t want to answer,” Rendell said. “His debate performance was horrible. That’s why most of the people who were for Joe Biden, coming in to watch the debate, are still for Joe Biden.”
“I know Joe Biden very, very well. I’ve known him for over 50 years. I think he’s an honest person. If he felt he was going to lose and had no chance to win, he would withdraw. I believe that with all my heart,” Rendell concluded.
On Monday, Biden delivered a letter — in which he stated his intention to stay in the race — to the United States Congress as they reconvened for the first time since the debate, and he stated that he was “absolutely” the “best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.”
The president also met with Democratic governors last Wednesday to assuage concerns about his candidacy, leaving the conversation with the state leaders’ support. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey — who was a member of Biden’s national campaign advisory board — has since released a statement saying the president should “carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.”
Rendell served as the mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000, the chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1999 to 2001, and the governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011. He now teaches a political science class at Penn.
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