Democratic leaders deserve blame for not discouraging Biden from running

Following a disastrous performance in his debate with former President Donald Trump on June 24 calls for President Joe Biden to drop out of the race have intensified. Nearly three dozen members of Congress have urged the commander-in-chief to step aside, paving the way for a new nominee to be selected. Biden, currently diagnosed with COVID-19 and in quarantine in Delaware, has yet to make a decision.

Amid a tough reelection campaign, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is the latest prominent Democrat to request Biden’s withdrawal. According to news reports, former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also favor Biden’s exit.

With the Republicans having officially nominated Trump, the Democrats have very little time to choose a new candidate.

Many Democrats have resigned themselves to the fact that Trump is likely to secure a second term.

READ: Why I registered as ‘Uncommitted’ candidate for Democratic National Convention delegate (February 23, 2024)

Some believe that Biden, widely perceived as lacking the mental acuity to lead the nation effectively, would drag down congressional candidates and potentially allow the GOP to take control of all three branches of government. This is a scenario a large section of the country dreads, having lived through Trump’s first presidency from 2016 to 2020.

A large segment of Americans fears that Trump, who never conceded his loss to Biden in November 2020 and is facing several court cases, has become even more vengeful since his defeat and would take the country in a dangerous direction.

It brings me no satisfaction to say that I was right in urging Biden not to run long before it became a widespread call. I assumed that Biden would serve only one term after winning in 2020. A fresh face or an open primary would have been an opportunity to pass leadership to a younger generation, and any Democrat would have been competitive against Trump or a new Republican contender. It’s disappointing to see that political and campaign strategists meeting with the president haven’t acknowledged that the 2024 campaign will require a more active approach—shaking hands, meeting people, giving interviews, and debating to articulate his vision.

While Biden deserves the blame for not putting the country and the party ahead of his desire to continue as the president for another term, the Democratic Party establishment also shares some responsibility.

In my view, those closest to Biden, including senators, representatives, and other Democratic leaders, have let him down, especially those waiting for 2028 to run themselves. Leaders like Senator Schumer, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and former Speaker Pelosi, who frequently meet with the president, played a role in sidelining candidates like Senator Sanders in 2016 and 2020.

Challenging Biden in the primaries could have exposed vulnerabilities and changed the political landscape. In 2022, I experienced a similar mindset when a delegate from my county (Prince George’s in Maryland) indicated she wouldn’t run for State Senate because the current senator was running for reelection, highlighting a reluctance to challenge incumbents, even though she wanted to serve in that capacity.

I ran as an uncommitted delegate in Maryland’s Congressional District 5 and encouraged others to do the same, believing that Biden should have retired to keep his legacy intact. He has done a good job, and passing the baton to someone younger and more vibrant is something politicians often fail to embrace.

If President Biden steps aside, many candidates would enter the race. I hope POTUS has groomed and mentored Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him if he decides to exit from the race. If we do not rally around her and she is not ready, it would reflect the shortsightedness of all these leaders who were asleep at the wheel and only tried to course-correct after a crash.