There was a narrow path to avoiding the nightmare Americans dread most. If Dean Phillips had put up competitive numbers in yesterday’s New Hampshire primary it could have sparked a truly competitive race to replace Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.
That didn’t happen. The Minnesota congressman got just about what polls suggested he would get: 20%. I figured he needed to do twice as well to kick off a real race.
On the Republican side the chances for an alternative to Donald Trump were even more slim. Nikki Haley not only had to win convincingly in New Hampshire, but she probably also needed some criminal convictions for Trump. The second is still entirely possible, but she finished second to Trump in the primary and it wasn’t all that close. She insists she will stay in the race, but I can’t see her sticking with it through what would surely be an embarrassing defeat in her home state of South Carolina on February 24th. Trump currently holds a 30 point lead in polls there.
Almost 60% of Americans say they don’t want a rematch. Biden’s approval ratings are at an all-time low at just 34%. Trump matches him at 35%.
Americans clearly want different, better choices. And yet we march on grimly toward November.
For my part, I just want to beat Trump and I don’t care much who a successful candidate is so long as they can win. I have deep concerns about Biden for the following reasons:
- That 34% approval rating and similar ratings that have stuck to him ever since the fall of 2021. Nothing he does moves the numbers, at least not in a positive direction.
- A poll last fall that found him trailing to Trump in every swing state, save Wisconsin where he had a two point lead, which was within the margin of error.
- Amnesia. Every former president looks a little better than every current president. The former president’s record is locked in, while the current one can’t be sure what he’ll face tomorrow.
- The rabid enthusiasm of Trump supporters versus the tepid support for Biden among Democrats. (I am a proud member of the Tepidly For Joe Club.) In fact, Democratic strategists want to face Trump because they believe he’ll motivate their voters much more then their own candidate. When your strategy is built around the unpopularity and fear of your opponent, well, contrast that to the way we felt about Barack Obama in 2008.
- He’s 81, for cryin’ out loud. What if he has a Mitch McConnell moment in October?
On balance, with all the risks acknowledged, I think we’d be better off trying somebody else. But that train has now left the station.
Yellow Stripes & Dead Armadillos 
“The rabid enthusiasm of Trump supporters” – in other words, Democracy
“the tepid support for Biden among Democrats.” – in other words, not Democracy as the DNC is ignoring the voters. And hey don’t think it’s just my opinion as Dean Phillips said the same thing. I’m glad he appears to be staying in the race, rigged as it is.
Chin up though there is a very good chance Biden becomes incapacitated during the campaign. He won’t be able to do this one from his basement.
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““The rabid enthusiasm of Trump supporters” – in other words, Democracy”
This might be an accurate description Trump himself wasn’t actively campaigning to dismantle our democracy and become an authoritarian. Trump, and in turn his supporters, are inherently anti-democracy.
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My biggest issue is the national debt.
Here’s an honest question – is it possible that we can’t solve that issue under a Democracy?
Dean Phillips laid it out: the incentives for politicians guarantee that the Federal Government will spend too much and tax too little.
Makes sense but then the obvious solution is to reduce spending and increase taxes. How on earth does a guy like that get elected in a Democracy?
Our legislators don’t even play by the rules. The debt ceiling has become merely a suggestion. Seems like end stage Democracy is it’s own worst enemy.
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There is a way that Biden can be replaced with a better candidate. It requires Democratic leadership to sit down with Biden, Harris, and the White House Chief of Staff, and inform them that there is no way that the Biden/Harris ticket can win, and that Biden should withdraw. It isn’t just the race for President that we’re talking about – it’s the down-ballot races too. Biden has no coattails to ride. Democrats running for House and Senate seats can’t coast to victory in the warm glow of Biden’s record and approval rating. If anything, they need to ask him to stay out of their respective states while they’re campaigning. That is not a recipe for success.
I’m contacting Tammy Baldwin’s office and my House Representative’s office with this message. Alarm bells should be ringing in every Democratic congressional office. We got to this point by doing nothing when Biden announced that he was running again. Let’s change that.
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I’m with you but support for Joe Biden has never been more than tepid and in February of 2020, almost exactly four years ago, he was only a few points ahead of Trump. No one has ever been explicitly “for” Biden it has always been against Trump.
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You really think a bruising primary between a ‘woke’, screw Isreal leftist and a centrist Dem governor would be better than having the advantage of incumbency? I think not.
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