Washington (AFP) - Senator Bernie Sanders, a prominent figure of the US political left, on Saturday voiced support for Joe Biden's presidential candidacy despite calls for him to withdraw over health concerns.
"Enough! Mr. Biden may not be the ideal candidate, but he will be the candidate and should be the candidate," independent senator Sanders wrote in a New York Times column, adding that "it's time for Democrats to stop the bickering and nit-picking."
Sanders' column comes amid steadily growing calls from Democratic officials and donors for the 81-year-old Biden to step aside following a disastrous performance in his June 27 debate with former president Donald Trump. So far, some 20 members of Congress have called for him to leave the race.
Most polls taken since the debate show Trump, who is 78, with a national lead over Biden, though within the margin of error. They also show some key battleground states shifting in the Republican's direction.
The Vermont senator noted in his op-ed that he had strong disagreements with Biden on some issues. Sanders, who is 82, has a strong following among young Americans, and like many of them he opposes what he called "US support for Israel's horrific war against the Palestinian people."
Sanders also acknowledged the signs of the president's aging.
But given Biden's accomplishments -- and the record of Trump, "who has 34 felony convictions and... has told thousands of documented lies" -- the senator brushed Biden's shortcomings aside.
"Yes, I know," he wrote. "Mr. Biden is old, is prone to gaffes, walks stiffly and had a disastrous debate with Mr. Trump. But this I also know: A presidential election is not an entertainment contest. It does not begin or end with a 90-minute debate."
Biden, he said, was "a good and decent Democratic president with a record of real accomplishment" who holds "the most difficult and stressful job in the world."
"For the sake of our kids and future generations, he must win."
