{"id":5838,"date":"2024-07-08T06:20:34","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T11:20:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/denisonforum\/2024\/07\/president-biden-faces-a-credibility-crisis-as-more-democrats-say-he-should-leave-the-race\/"},"modified":"2024-07-08T06:20:34","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T11:20:34","slug":"president-biden-faces-a-credibility-crisis-as-more-democrats-say-he-should-leave-the-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/denisonforum\/2024\/07\/president-biden-faces-a-credibility-crisis-as-more-democrats-say-he-should-leave-the-race\/","title":{"rendered":"President Biden faces a \u201ccredibility crisis\u201d as more Democrats say he should leave the race"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

In normal times, I would probably be writing on Hurricane Beryl after it made landfall<\/span><\/a> this morning in Matagorda, Texas; the storm is expected to cause significant flooding in the Houston area and beyond. Or I would focus on the surprising results in France\u2019s parliamentary election, where leftists won<\/span><\/a> the most seats, though no party won a majority. Or the vote in Iran that elected<\/span><\/a> their first reformist president in two decades. Or the elections that empowered a center-left government<\/span><\/a> in the UK.<\/p>\n

But these are not normal times, as a growing chorus is calling<\/span><\/a> on President Biden to end his candidacy,<\/span> and some even say<\/span><\/a> he should resign from office.<\/p>\n

• \n

• Mr. Biden continues to face what Axios<\/i> describes<\/span><\/a> as a \u201ccredibility crisis\u201d as his support falls<\/span><\/a> in the Democratic Party and yet another elected Democrat calls on<\/span><\/a> him to exit the race.<\/li>\n

• Mark Warner, an influential centrist senator, is working<\/span><\/a> to gather support among his Democratic colleagues to ask Mr. Biden to drop his reelection bid.<\/li>\n

• Major donors are defecting<\/span><\/a> from the campaign.<\/li>\n

• In interviews with more than fifty Democrats, the New York Times<\/i> <\/i>found<\/span><\/a> that many see Mr. Biden\u2019s candidacy as unsustainable.<\/li>\n

• And a half-dozen top Democrats in the House of Representatives privately told<\/span><\/a> colleagues yesterday that he should withdraw from the race.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  Some are blaming<\/span><\/a> the media for covering up Mr. Biden\u2019s alleged cognitive deterioration. Others are accusing<\/span><\/a> the media of exaggerating and exacerbating<\/span><\/a> the crisis.<\/p>\n

  This story within the story tells us much about our cultural moment and illuminates a biblical path forward.<\/p>\n\n

  <\/div>\nA crisis fueled by media?<\/b><\/h2>\n

  You may not know the name J\u00fcrgen Habermas, but the German philosopher\u2019s insights regarding Western democracy are vitally relevant to today\u2019s conversation. A recent Foreign Policy <\/i>article explains<\/span><\/a> his assertion that democracy is not just about free and fair elections\u2014it requires open processes that form public opinions which are then reflected by voters.<\/p>\n

  For example, the eighteenth century saw an increasing number of readers freely discussing novels in salons and coffeehouses. Eventually, these discussions turned to political questions, leading many to expect their leaders to represent their views and to act for them.<\/p>\n

  However, Habermas worried that capitalism\u2019s increasing reliance on manipulative advertising techniques would help destroy a free and open public sphere. What he failed to foresee was the rise of mass media in the 1960s. Accordingly, he eventually came to view the widely respected and economically successful newspapers and TV news of that era as resources around which entire nations could congregate each evening.<\/p>\n

  That was then, this is now.<\/p>\n

  Digital and social media have largely disrupted the communal and collegial news experiences Habermas saw as vital to a thriving democracy. Instead, they have given each of us a megaphone for trumpeting our personal views\u2014researched and reasoned or not\u2014and headphones for listening only to those views with which we agree.<\/p>\n

  The controversy surrounding President Biden\u2019s cognitive capacities is Exhibit A. Everyone with an opinion has the ability to publish it. Evidence and commentary that do not align with our personal position can be ignored. Perception becomes reality, or multiple realities.<\/p>\n

  And these \u201crealities\u201d will largely determine the future of the leader of the free world.<\/p>\n

  \u201cYou make known to me the path of life\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

  Last week we discussed<\/span><\/a> James Davison Hunter\u2019s lament that Americans have lost our \u201cshared moral code\u201d and the \u201ccommon assumptions about the nature of a good society that underwrite a shared political life.\u201d Apart from these, any society is likely to unravel, a disintegration amplified by the fragmented media that consumes much of our culture.<\/p>\n

  Our problem is even deeper, however. As St. Augustine observed:<\/p>\n

  "\n*******
  ** *******Men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others. They seek to criticize, not to correct. Unable to excuse themselves, they are ready to accuse others.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

  According to psychologists, we deflect<\/span><\/a> and project<\/span><\/a> blame for our mistakes onto others to protect our own self-image.<\/p>\n

  Our best response lies in an assertion made three thousand years ago by someone who understood the depth of his personal failures and finitude. David prayed:<\/p>\n

  \u201cPreserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, \u2018You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you\u2019\u201d (Psalm 16:1\u20132).<\/mark><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

  He therefore made the decision God is calling us to make today: \u201cI have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken\u201d (v. 8). As a result, he could testify, \u201cYou make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore\u201d (v. 11).<\/p>\n

  \u201cPeace to my head, light to my heart\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n*********
  ** *********To sum up: we can put our trust in our elected leaders, but many will fail us. We can trust the media to inform us, but they are as fallen as we are. We can use social media to influence others, but we are as sinful as those we seek to persuade.<\/p>\n

  Or we can share an ancient Gaelic prayer<\/span><\/a> first published in 1631 but as relevant as today\u2019s headlines:<\/p>\n

  "\n*********
  ** Christ Jesus, bend me to Thy will:
  \nMy feet to urge, my griefs to still;
  \nThat e\u2019en my flesh and blood may be
  \nA temple sanctified to Thee.<\/p>\n
  ** No rest, no calm,<\/span> my soul may win,
  \nBecause my body craves to sin
  \nTill Thou, dear Lord, Thyself impart
  \nPeace to my head, light to my heart.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
  ** *********Will you experience such peace and light today?<\/p>\n

  NOTE:<\/b>\u00a0URGENT: Denison Forum needs your help to finish our Summer Campaign strong. Donations made by July 12 will still be DOUBLED by a $30,000 Matching Grant, so\u00a0please give today<\/u><\/b>.<\/u><\/a>\u00a0For 15 years we\u2019ve been transforming our culture with Christ-centered content \u2014 and your partnership is vital as we launch into the next 15 years.\u00a0Give NOW to\u00a0<\/u><\/b>DOUBLE your<\/u><\/b>\u00a0impact.<\/u><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

  Monday news to know:<\/b><\/h2>\n\nRecord-breaking deadly heat wave plagues US as experts say stay inside<\/span><\/a><\/li>\nVikings rookie Khyree Jackson among three killed in Maryland car crash<\/span><\/a><\/li>\nBoeing to plead guilty to fraud in US probe of fatal 737 MAX crashes<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\u201cWe\u2019re not dead yet.\u201d Baby boomers\u2019 good times drive the economy<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n

  On this day in 1981: Reagan announces Sandra Day O\u2019Connor as pick for the Supreme Court<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n**Quote for the day:<\/b><\/h2>\n*************
  * \u201cOur confidence is not in our love for Jesus, which is fragile, fickle, and limited, but in his love for us, which is unbreakable, faithful, and without conditions.\u201d \u2014Pete Scazzero<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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