Now comes a CNN survey showing that 75 percent of self-identified Democrats want someone other than the 46th president heading up their 2024 ticket. There’s not much ambiguity when you look at the poll’s internals, either. Liberals want a different nominee by a 78-21 margin, but so do moderates by a 72-28 margin. Seventy-eight percent of white Democrats want a new standard-bearer, but so do 73 percent of Democratic people of color. Sure, older folks like Uncle Joe more than younger folks, but even 69 percent of Democrats over the age of 45 want a different 2024 nominee. There’s just no silver lining in the numbers.

Can this Joe Must Go feeling in the rank and file of his party get worse? Sure it can. Envision how Democrats will feel if they do very poorly on November 8, which is 12 days before the president’s 80th birthday. You could very well see the sentiment reflected among rank-and-file Democrats in these recent polls spread to party leaders and elected officials. And once the inhibitions associated with the natural loyalty of partisans to their chieftain begin to fade, it could get very dicey for the president’s renomination hopes…

Putting all this information together, if the president stays on his current course toward running for a second term, you might want to circle November 20 on your calendar. If Democrats are then licking their midterm wounds; if we see big-time Democratic elected officials beginning to hedge their bets about Biden’s renomination or even exploring challenges of their own; and if Biden doesn’t benefit from some Fear of Trump factor pretty decisively, then among the best wishes being sent to the president by his erstwhile supporters on his 80th birthday will be a clear implicit message of Happy Retirement, Joe!