In a little more than a week, Americans have been forced to come to grips with the possibility of losing both major presidential candidates — scarcely more than three months before the election. Republican Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a July 13 campaign rally, and eight days later Democrat Joe Biden, the incumbent, ended his reelection campaign in response to mounting concerns about signs of physical, and possible cognitive, deterioration.
Biden is drawing widespread praise for his decision to give up his bid for a second term. At 81 years of age, he’s the oldest president in our nation’s history. He’s always been known for verbal mistakes and other behavioral ticks, but during his term people have noticed a marked increase in apparent cognitive lapses. Concerns aren’t solely about public perceptions and his electability, but about how well he might be able to perform in the second, third and fourth years of a second term if he were reelected.
Trump is just three years Biden’s junior but his energetic delivery doesn’t inspire similar concerns.
Biden’s sudden exit, and Trump’s close call, certainly alarmed most Americans. While their loss surely would be a shock, our nation’s founders designed a government that is built to survive such jolts, and tweaks along the years have made it even better.
Under normal conditions we get a new president every four to eight years anyway, we we are accustomed to change. For the first 150 years of our country’s existence no president served more than two four-year terms. After Franklin Roosevelt won election four times — he died in office during his fourth term, our Constitution was amended to limit our presidents to two terms.
Moreover, nine of our 46 presidents — an average of 1 out of every five — didn’t complete their terms in office; four have been assassinated, four died of natural causes and one resigned. To be sure, following each sudden loss the American people were shocked; they mourned. And then they went on with a new person in the Oval Office.
A list of successors to the president has been compiled to prevent battles over who gets to be in charge. The list begins with the vice president, followed by the speaker of the House, then the president pro tempore of the Senate and then each Cabinet member, ranked according to the age of each position.
Our nation’s continued progress in light of the relative short tenure each head of state serves is testament to many factors, beginning with the resilience of the American people. Another major factor is the relative weakness of the position. Our presidents enjoy significant influence over the public, but that is a factor of tradition rather than design. The Constitution gives lawmaking authority solely to Congress, although lawmakers, and the public and courts, have allowed presidents to issue executive decrees and bureaucratic agencies to impose regulations.
Biden is expected to serve out his term as president. Thus, the inevitable transfer of authority will occur according to tradition. If we had faced a sudden, unexpected change, however, this country would have survived the shock.
We’re designed to do so.
AIM Media Texas
