It’s time, Joe. It’s time to end your campaign. This is not about you; this is about the future of .American democracy. By the way, I’m not alone, A recent poll revealed that 56% of Democrats share my view.

Consider the possible scenarios if you insist on staying in the campaign:

First, you lose the election and Trump becomes president, a man who has vowed to wreak revenge on his political enemies; that is to say, anyone who doesn’t support him. Moreover, you will see the new Trump administration enact Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation plan that critics characterize as an authoritarian, Christian nationalist plan to move America toward autocracy. Many legal critics have said it would undermine the rule of law, the separation of powers, the separation of church and state, and civil liberties. Anyone who believes that analysis is an overreaction should take another look at the videos of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Does anyone seriously believe that a thug who cheered on hooligans shouting “Hang Mike Pence!” will appoint anyone who might threaten his authority?

Or, another scenario, you win the election and then what? You will be 82 when you start and 86 when your term ends — if you live that long. Joe. You and I are exactly the same age, and I readily admit that I’m losing a step — or three. Moreover, I have never made as many verbal gaffes as you have over the last few months. You blew your cover during your recent interview with George Stephanopoulos. When asked how you would feel if Trump won, you said, “I’ll feel, as long as I gave it my all and did (as) good, that’s what this is about.” Wrong answer. Joe, this is not about you; this is about saving our democracy. Moreover, this is about maintaining the strength of NATO and standing up to Russia and China.

I voted for you in 2020, and I’ll vote for you in November if you decide to stay in the race, but that’s not saying much. I’d vote for a ham sandwich over Donald Trump.

Joe, you have served your country well. You were a loyal vice president in the highly successful (and scandal-free) eight-year Obama administration, and you have achieved a lot during your four years as president, despite constant pushback from Republican legislators. It’s time to take a bow and step down. Don’t let your ego destroy your ultimate legacy.

Joe, you don’t want to be like an aging athlete who stays in the game long after he/she should. Their skills erode, the cheers fade, they become sad vestiges of what they once were.

Take the better route, Joe. Become the elder statesman of the Democrat party. Campaign hard for your replacement. Spend more time with your family. Get a good night’s sleep.

Some of my Democrat friends castigate people like me for asking Biden to step aside. They think I’m being disloyal to Joe and a disloyal Democrat. I make no apologies for putting my country over my party.

And now a word for my Republican friends. I’m asking you to put your country over your party. Ask Trump to end his campaign and step down. You know in your heart that he is not a good man, to put it mildly. You know he is a divider, not a unifier. You know he has what seems to be a dangerous back channel with Vladimir Putin. You know that he doesn’t appreciate the importance of NATO. You know that the Jan. 6 insurrection was a horrible event, the likes of which should never happen again. You know he cares only about himself, not America. You know he has described people who enlist in the military as “losers and suckers.” If he does continue to run, either vote for Biden or don’t vote at all. Thank you.

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns at Dtreadw575@aol.com.