Politicians from both parties were quick to react Sunday to President Joe Biden's announcement that he's abandoning his reelection bid, but it's the voters who will determine the next president, of course.
NBC10 Boston talked with some Massachusetts voters on Sunday to gauge how they're taking the news. They tell us they are not so surprised, especially with all the recent calls in the Democratic party for Biden to step aside. Now they say they hope that a new candidate can bring renewed energy for the upcoming election.
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"I think we knew this was maybe coming," Rob Perkins said. "It's just hard when you're in that position with that much power to step outside yourself and see kind of the reality for what it is."
"I was expecting it," Jeff Shaw said. "I know, I'm sure it was a very difficult decision for Biden to take, you know this is something he's been aspiring his whole life, serving the country, but I think it was the right one. It was a selfless choice."
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For some, there was no coming back after his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump, and they believe this was the best decision.
"He needs to give somebody else a chance, he’s forgetting, getting up there in age, making mistakes on his words," Deidra Glover said.
"Once I saw some of the big wigs in the party you know Pelosi and Schumer, and those guys announcing that they think he should go, I figured he would do the right thing," Damian Sugrue said. "I think it's going to give the Democrats a much better chance to beat Trump, which I think is the ultimate goal."
"They're really just gonna have to coalesce and figure out what the path forward is going to be for the next candidate," Shaw said. "I think you're already seeing a lot of the endorsements that are kinda coming in."
With the election just around the corner, voters say they do feel there is enough time for a new candidate to lay their proposals on the table and win their vote come November.
