The Biden debacle must spell the end of short-termist politics

It didn’t have to be like this. The Democrats didn’t need to be in the midst of a crisis less than four months out from the US presidential election, scrambling to deal with the reality that their candidate is just not up to another four years on the job.

There was another way, one that would have required facing some hard truths, a little introspection and – crucially – some foresight. But it wasn’t one that President Joe Biden, his staff or his backers were willing to take. And the bitter irony is that they were so caught up in using any means necessary to achieve what they regard as the highest moral imperative in US politics – stopping Donald Trump from returning to the White House – that they have now made it much more difficult for him to be stopped.