Ex-VP Kamala Harris says leaving his 2024 reelection decision to Joe Biden was "recklessness," but she defends his ability to do the job: book excerpt.
Since the advent of the modern primary election system in 1972, an incumbent president has never been defeated by a primary challenger, though every president who faced a strong primary challenge went on to be defeated in the general election.
Which is exactly why everyone said it was Biden’s decision. A strong primary challenger meant Biden would lose. Should Biden have been convinced to not seek re-election sooner? Yes. But that’s still his decision.
The time for Biden to step aside would have been right after the midterms. Maybe behind the scenes Harris tried to convince Biden, but she clearly failed. Maybe Biden really was at the top of his game and no one saw it until his debate performance, but I’m not sure anyone really believes that. Publicly Team Biden said he was doing backflips around the White House, but of course when the public saw him he was your typical old man.
So… whos to blame? I blame the Democratic party/DNC at large. It’s clear to me most people who vote Democrat want someone more progressive. The DNC would rather play it safe.
Biden shouldn’t have just done the Johnson “I will not seek, nor will I accept…” He should have stepped down as President in 2022 and let Harris run the incumbent bump through 2024.
I don’t believe that would have made a difference, but it was the best shot at a '24 win.
I agree with the pledge, I disagree Biden should have stepped down.
A full Democrat primary with a wide range of fresh faces and pitching their ideas for the future. The last election was the same old Biden versus the same old Trump. Sure we did get a last minute change and I think Kamala did an OK job but she should have had a much harder pivot.
Then you have the same problem, nobody was going to tell the sitting VP she had no business being the candidate and you have the DNC putting their thumb on the scale same as they did for Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_challenge
Which is exactly why everyone said it was Biden’s decision. A strong primary challenger meant Biden would lose. Should Biden have been convinced to not seek re-election sooner? Yes. But that’s still his decision.
The time for Biden to step aside would have been right after the midterms. Maybe behind the scenes Harris tried to convince Biden, but she clearly failed. Maybe Biden really was at the top of his game and no one saw it until his debate performance, but I’m not sure anyone really believes that. Publicly Team Biden said he was doing backflips around the White House, but of course when the public saw him he was your typical old man.
So… whos to blame? I blame the Democratic party/DNC at large. It’s clear to me most people who vote Democrat want someone more progressive. The DNC would rather play it safe.
Safe, and beholden to corporate donors.
Biden shouldn’t have just done the Johnson “I will not seek, nor will I accept…” He should have stepped down as President in 2022 and let Harris run the incumbent bump through 2024.
I don’t believe that would have made a difference, but it was the best shot at a '24 win.
I agree with the pledge, I disagree Biden should have stepped down.
A full Democrat primary with a wide range of fresh faces and pitching their ideas for the future. The last election was the same old Biden versus the same old Trump. Sure we did get a last minute change and I think Kamala did an OK job but she should have had a much harder pivot.
In 2028 it could be quite different depending on the results of the midterm elections.
Then you have the same problem, nobody was going to tell the sitting VP she had no business being the candidate and you have the DNC putting their thumb on the scale same as they did for Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020.