NBC News reports that the Biden family will gather on Sunday to discuss the president’s future.
There are already columns from well-connected-to-Obama columnists — like the New Yorker’s David Remnick — that seem to suggest a “a painful and selfless conclusion” may already be in the bag.
But this is how NBC describes the state of play for this weekend: Elected Dems are going to give the Bidens time to come to their own conclusion, at least for now:
One Democratic House member who believes Biden should drop out of the race — but has yet to call for that publicly — told NBC News that three colleagues expressed the same sentiment to him during votes on the House floor Friday.
At the same time, there is an understanding among top Democrats that Biden should be given space to determine next steps. They believe only the president, in consultation with his family, can decide whether to move forward or to end his campaign early — and that he won’t respond well to being pushed.
“The decision-makers are two people — it’s the president and his wife,” one of the sources familiar with the discussions said, adding: “Anyone who doesn’t understand how deeply personal and familial this decision will be isn’t knowledgeable about the situation.”
And once again for emphasis:
Another person familiar with the dynamics said Biden will ultimately listen to only one adviser.
“The only person who has ultimate influence with him is the first lady,” this person said. “If she decides there should be a change of course, there will be a change of course.”
So Jill Biden has the nation’s future in her hands. Earlier I recalled the 3 A.M. phone call. Now, I’m recalling George W. Bush’s presidency: Jill Biden is “the Decider.”
I’m starting to get the feeling that the choreography is in place for Biden to leave the race. But we await to hear word from Jill Biden, of course.