Staff Reports
The White House has made it clear that President Biden holds no regrets about handing the reins of the Democratic ticket over to Vice President Kamala Harris as the November elections approach. In response to former President Donald Trump’s musings that Biden might crash the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to reclaim his spot on the ticket, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confidently asserted that the president is “proud” of his decision. One wonders if pride is really what anyone should be feeling after a historic miscalculation.
Biden’s decision to step aside was ostensibly the result of weeks of sleepless nights among Democrats, fretting over his age and performance in a debate that went worse than a cat at a dog show. After months of speculation and a devastated party looking for a way out, he finally bowed out in July, leaving many to wonder if the Democrats are pulling a fast one by shoving Harris into the spotlight.
Hi, Elizabeth. The one about Biden retaking the nomination? Scary. Worse than I've seen it. Before it seemed that he was, in part, playing to his base & trolling the rest of us. This seems way beyond it. Even the grammar seems only partly connected to reality. BTW, I'm Mike
— Michael Leiman (@mleiman1) August 7, 2024
Trump, never one to miss an opportunity, alleged via social media that Biden got the boot from his own party by none other than Nancy Pelosi and company. He suggested that Biden might now feel like a historically defeated figure who surrendered power to “the people in the World he most hates.” In Trump’s world, that’s a coup so blatant it even rivals some reality TV skits. Whether Biden wants to reclaim the presidency or not, it seems Trump has given the narrative a definite spin—one that is as entertaining as it is worrying for the Democratic faithful.
In a classic display of damage control, Jean-Pierre argued that Biden’s decision was all about “unifying the party” and ushering in a new generation of leadership. One can imagine the party’s motto shifting to “For the good of the country—please, no more debates!” as they attempt to polish the narrative. The press secretary added that Biden believed he could have pushed through another four years in the job, but if that were the case, why did he abdicate the throne?
Interestingly, since the torch was handed to Harris, polls show that she is performing better in key swing states against Trump than Biden ever did. It almost seems like the Democrats’ gamble on the underdog may pay off—if only because the stakes have never been higher, and they’re grasping at those straws. With Biden sidelined, the party seems to be shuffling pieces on the chessboard, but with Harris at the helm, will they escape checkmate when November rolls around? It appears the Democrats may have switched the lead actor, but the script remains just as chaotic.
