The French center-left coalition did not unite around President Emmanuel Macron they united against Marine Le Pen and the rise of fascism in France that she and her followers represented. Macron is not without his supporters to be sure but the French did not rally to save Macron they rallied to save themselves and their country.

One of U.S. President Joe Biden’s core mantras during his successful 2020 campaign for President was, “Don’t compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative.” It wasn’t a lofty standard but it was one the American voters could easily understand and carry with them to the polls on election day and ultimately the argument that prevailed.

One potent weapon against Donald Trump was his conduct in office. The country was in the midst enduring the dark circus that was the Trump presidency. It wasn’t theoretical or projected but rather a day-to-day inescapable reality.

One problem for Biden and the Democrats is that Donald Trump hasn’t been in control of the Oval Office for the last four years. The threat he currently represents is, while existential is not nearly as urgent a matter as it was when he was in possession of the nuclear codes. David Bowie in his memorable 1975 song and album of the same name, Young Americans asked the question “Do you remember, your President Nixon? Do you remember, the bills you have to pay? Or even yesterday? Will today’s young Americans remember what it was like with Trump in the White House, just four years ago?

Further complicating matters is what Isaac Chotiner writing for the New Yorker called The Paralysis of the Democratic Party. It’s not even clear who a left-center coalition would rally behind. The calls for Biden to step aside have not died down in the wake of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The pressure and support for a new candidate is growing once again.

Joe Biden had what the New York Times called in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election an enthusiasm deficit problem. To say that hasn’t gone away would charitable. It’s an agonizing dilemma at this late stage just months before the 2024 elections and only a few weeks before the Democratic convention in Chicago.

The irony of the Democrat’s current predicament is that Joe Biden was the candidate the Party insiders had-to-have in 2020. They adamantly refused to accept Bernie Sanders as the nominee even though rank and file Democratic voters were far more enthusiastic about his campaign.

The Democratic Party has no shortage of compelling a highly qualified candidates waiting in the wings. The two names that seem to come up most often are Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Kamala Harris might be a bit better prepared based on her direct day-to-day involvement in White House affairs. Gavin Newsom might be a little bit more effective on the campaign trail. Newsom is probably the best communicator the Democrats have in terms of making Democratic policy something a wide swath of the public can wrap their heads around.

A left-center coalition can form around a left-center candidate. But time is running short for the Democratic Party to get its act together. If opposition within the Democratic Party to Biden’s candidacy does not abate and it does not appear to be doing so, then holding off a return of Donald Trump to the White House seems increasingly unlikely without a different candidate. The Democrats must choose one, they can’t have both.

At the end of the day the Biden camp has to ask and answer one all important question, is it about the Biden presidency or the future of the country?