WASHINGTON — June 27 is coming up, the date of the 2024 debate when America watched Joe Biden tank the election to Donald Trump.

Remember? It would be hard to forget Democrats' pain when we saw a ghostly Biden self-destruct and grope for words. Jill Biden tried to pretend otherwise, but the damage was done.

America is still paying dearly for the June 27 debacle. The Trump demolition tour for his 80th birthday and the nation's 250th is about to choke this city to death. Besides which, our civil society and federal government are on life support.

So, Jill Biden's book tour for her "View from the East Wing" memoir is falling a bit flat. If she didn't know her husband's health was too fragile for him to run for a second term, she, of all people, should have known. But both Bidens loved their jobs too much and couldn't go with grace, as Joe Biden promised to do after one term. Some call Jill Lady McBiden; others say, "Cut Jill some slack."

It's the stuff of American tragedy. It took Biden a couple weeks to surrender his campaign to Vice President Kamala Harris. Foolish pride stained his legacy as a good president — and Jill's reputation, too, as a likable political wife. History will not remember them well.

The true view from the East Wing today is a shambles, a metaphor for the nation that's almost too perfect. Trump's ballroom construction is frozen for now, but a cage will be on site for planned Ultimate Fighting Championship matches on June 14, Trump's birthday. Yes, a cage on the White House lawn. The brutal punches and bloody pounding make no bones about mirroring Trump's political instincts.

Joe and Jill Biden brought us to this point. They're no longer a cute couple. The best thing they can do is disappear into their beach house in Delaware with their German shepherds and lots of ice cream flavors.

Meanwhile, the party searches for a cure for what ails it: a rousing, smart and unifying political leader out of the wilderness, as Republicans now rule the White House, Congress and Supreme Court trifecta.

When you look around, when you listen to several prospective presidential candidates in 2028, then the pain intensifies. The bench talent in the Democratic party is so deep and impressive, beyond what Republicans have to offer, that I lay down and wept for the Zion. Let me count the men and one woman who could excite the masses and deliver a win for the White House.

Governors are probably the best bet, and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky is kind of a dream, coming from the South, like Bill Clinton. Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois is a straight talker and shooter, unafraid to confront the excesses of the Trump regime's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago. I've heard them speak in full houses here in Washington, and they are gifted speakers who blew the audiences away.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is not just a pretty face. He's done his homework in governing the state, always a roadmap for America's future. As mayor of San Francisco, he legalized same-sex marriages before they gained wide support. His golden good looks don't hurt, especially coming from the entertainment industry's state. As Trump would say, central casting.

Republican frontrunners — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance — are not as skilled as their boss at orchestrating absolute loyalty and sure revenge. As former senators, they are just talkers who can't get their stories straight on their twisted records. Voters might not be in the mood for their prevarications. Shape-shifter Rubio supported U.S. foreign aid until he didn't, working for Trump, his biographer Manuel Roig-Franzia noted.

Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan are also worthy. I'd rule out Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy and other senators; it's hard to rise above the noise in Congress's current climate. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is a dark horse, a tough-minded pol for a big city — and perhaps country.

Presidential timber all? That makes the Bidens' choice worse — they blocked the next generation from a fair chance at the White House.

The author may be reached at JamieStiehm.com. To find out more about Jamie Stiehm and other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, please visit creators.com.

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