Hello everyone for the second time in a week we find it necessary to top our

discussion which was taped last Friday given the seismic historic events of today, Sunday, and the withdrawal by Joseph Biden and

his endorsement of Vice President Kamah Harris.

We're so lucky that we already had on our episode, one of the best

most trenchant historical scholars of Congress as well as students of current congressional and political operations.

That would be Norm Ornstein, Norm has graciously come back to talk a little bit about this

Thunderbolt. Norm, thank you for being here. Of course here. So let's start.

We had all more or less predicted this in our Friday discussion.

Maybe start there.

Why was this in retrospect a sort of forced play and something that more or less had to happen.

So once we saw the debate and it focused even more attention on Biden's age and condition. And remember that started before the

debate. I think the New York Times had 30 articles reflecting on Biden's age. The debate underscored not just that he's old, but

raise questions about whether he could complete another four-year term, whether the debate performance was a one-off, and if it happened

again further down the road, would be disastrous.

So it's set in motion I think a decision it took a while for prominent Democrats

not just the ones running or election to the House and Senate. But basically the party establishment.

Right.

To take a careful look at this and see, as most of them did,

that this just was not going to work with Biden.

And you know, to add another twist to... this just was not going to work with Biden.

And to add another twist to it, Harry,

once we began to see prominent people

...