AP Photo/Evan Vucci
President Joe Biden appears to have weathered the storm.
He will, in all likelihood, be the Democratic nominee for president.
Biden wisely focused his efforts on securing the support of party leadership. Former President Barack Obama, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have all come to his aid. Now many of Biden’s biggest skeptics have resigned themselves to his continued presence at the top of the ticket.
“Most of our caucus is still with him … meaning he’ll stay in. Which sucks for our country,” one House Democrat told Axios on Tuesday.
“He [Biden] said he’s gonna remain in, he’s our candidate, and we’re all going to support him,” remarked Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who just two days earlier had expressed his desire to see Biden step aside.
“Well that kind of leaves you with no choice then, I take it?” suggested a reporter.
“Well, yes,” admitted Nadler.
Congratulations, President Biden & Co. You win, and your prize is nothing.
If the highest good imaginable is Biden remaining in his current post (i.e. your name is Joe, Jill, Hunter, or Wannabe R. Klain) then perhaps there is reason for some celebration. His path to a second term technically remains open.
But only barely. Biden has spent the entirety of two weeks now fighting for his political life by trying to prove he is compos mentis and exactly none of them explaining how he can turn the tide of his general election contest with former President Donald Trump.
He has tried, though.
In his short sit-down with George Stephanopoulos last Friday, Biden painted a delusional portrait of the race. Asked for his plan reverse to Trump’s momentum, Biden claimed that no one could draw rally crowds like he could and boasted about the panicked donor money that followed his disastrous debate performance.
He went on to draw comparisons to the 2020 race — during which he led Trump in the polls for the entirety of the cycle — as well as to deny that he has the 36% approval rating that he’s earned.
Then during his largely incomprehensible phone call into Morning Joe on Monday, Biden offered this reassurance:
The American public is not going to move away from me as the average voter. And again, I’m here for two reasons, pal. One, to rebuild the economy for hard-working middle class people. Give everybody a shot! Just a straight shot! Everybody gets a fair chance, number one. Number two, remember all this talk about how I don’t have the Black support. Come on, give me a break. Come with me, watch. Watch!
Mika Brzezinski may have nodded along like she was listening to the Gettysburg Address, but her husband’s grimace better reflected what the rest of the country felt.
We’re all watching Mr. President, hence the 36% approval rating.
There’s no hint of a workable plan for actually winning the election from Team Biden, and even if there is, Biden himself isn’t capable of articulating it — which renders it as valuable as Brzezinski’s proud smirk.
Even if Biden stumbles backwards into reelection thanks to his opponent’s own manifold weaknesses, Democrats should never forgive the president or his enablers for biting, kicking, scratching, and clawing to hold on to the nomination with no earthly idea of how to beat Trump.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
