Biden Ignites Speculation – Will He Follow in LBJ’s Footsteps?

President Joe Biden has stoked the fires of speculation with his statement on “60 Minutes” that he's not officially decided whether to seek reelection in 2024:

“I'm a great respecter of fate,” he said. “And so, what I'm doing is I'm doing my job. I'm gonna do that job. And within the timeframe that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do.”

In other words, it depends on what happens in the midterm elections this November, and probably whether Donald Trump decides to seek the GOP nomination. (RELATED: More Americans Concerned About ‘Socialist Left' Than ‘MAGA Republicans,' New Poll Shows)

In the meantime, there will be an intense parlor game of “who will run if Biden doesn't.” As AGF's Greg Valliere writes, apart from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democrats have a pretty short list of contenders for the nomination who aren't either near or past their 80^th birthday.

That doesn't mean in Biden's absence there wouldn't be a mad dash for the nomination. Every Democratic pol with a flicker of ambition will at least explore a run. (RELATED: Sources – Gavin Newsom Will ‘Unequivocally' Run for President in 2024)

But let's think about the last time an incumbent president chose not to seek reelection. That was Lyndon Johnson in 1968. The Texas Monthly published a fascinating look behind the scenes of that decision, which ends this way:

It was the first time in history that nothing had leaked.

Johnson was as happy that night as I ever saw him. The burden was off, and he was like a young boy. He had a midnight press conference, trying to portray the whole exercise as rather routine. And you know, 80 percent of what he told them was true.

Perhaps Mr. Biden intends to do an LBJ. We shall see. In the meantime, let the parlor game of “who will run if Biden doesn't” begin in earnest.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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