Staff Reports
The political circus has taken a dramatic turn, as President Joe Biden threw in the towel on his re-election campaign, leaving the Democratic Party scrambling in the aftermath. His endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor brought joy to some corners of the party, but reality remains harsh: her path to the nomination is anything but straightforward. It’s as if Biden decided that instead of leading the Democrats through a turbulent primary season, he’d take a much-needed catnap—one that might last until the next election cycle.
Democratic higher-ups, including DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison, promised a transparent process to find a candidate who could potentially stand a chance against Donald Trump. Harrison’s assurances, however, sounded more like wishful thinking than strategy. With the Democratic National Convention just weeks away and time running out, the party appears to be playing a game of musical chairs, except everyone is nervously glancing at the clock and nobody’s sure who is left standing.
Biden’s sudden endorsement of Harris was another twist in a story that’s starting to feel like a badly scripted soap opera. Although he won every contest except for American Samoa, his decision to step aside was as surprising as a clown car pulling up at a funeral. Underneath the inkling of party unity lies a growing unease; after all, not everyone in the Democratic elite is on board with Harris. There are whispers that some party insiders would rather choose their own preferred candidate than give the Vice President a fighting chance.
ActBlue, the small-dollar donor fundraising platform the Biden-Harris campaign uses, said it has raised more than $27.5 million in the first five hours since President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.https://t.co/thNnlfRjMP pic.twitter.com/Bmxb2O7YJq
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) July 22, 2024
The concern was nailed down perfectly by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who recently pointed out that those who want Biden out may not necessarily rally behind Harris. It’s a wild ride, with some party members suggesting that the establishment might try to pull a fast one, bypassing the obvious choice in favor of someone more palatable for the insiders. Essentially, they want to redo the primary process in private as if the voters didn’t just take the time to cast their ballots.
Biden’s push for his own political survival involved an impassioned letter to Congress, arguing that the electorate’s decision should matter. He proclaimed himself the “presumptive nominee,” pointing out that he garnered a whopping 87% of the votes throughout the primary process. However, as he argues, the clock is ticking; Trump’s popularity is starting to swell, and Harris isn’t lighting any fires in hypothetical matchups against him—most recent polling suggests she’s lagging behind.
With Trump holding a three-point lead over Harris and a five-point advantage against Biden, the Democrats seem to be navigating through a minefield of their own design. The irony is palpable; a party scrambling for direction as they look to crown a nominee while the opposing side basks in the confidence of their situation. In a sense, it’s a spectacle worthy of a reality show—just without the fun and drama, as the Democrats are stuck on a rollercoaster with no end in sight.
