Vice President Kamala Harris with supporters in Jacksonville, Fla., May 1, 2024. AP Photo/John Raoux/File
On July 21, President Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race. Over 30 congressional Democrats asked Biden not to run for reelection because of his poor health.
The 30 Democratic leaders questioned Biden’s ability to serve another term.
It’s no coincidence that these dramatic events occurred after Biden’s terrible debate performance against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Following the debate, public opinion polls indicated that Biden would not win the election.
When Biden dropped out of the race, he told the American people, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
For Biden supporters, the phrase that stood out was “in the best interests of the party.”
Of course, that raises the question: who is “the party?” Is it the registered Democrats who voted for Biden in the primaries, or the congressional Democrats who wanted a candidate with a better chance of beating Trump in November?
Biden then endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. Following Biden’s departure from the race, Harris told the American people, “With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life service: put the American people and our country above all else. I am honored to have received the President’s endorsement, and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
The next day, every Democratic governor and 90 percent of Democratic congressional members vowed to back Harris. The day after that, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies held a press conference to endorse Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Schumer said, “We’ve seen the Democratic Party swiftly coalesce behind Vice President Kamala Harris. When I spoke with her Sunday, she said she wanted the opportunity to win the nomination on her own and to do so from the grassroots up, not the top down.”
It appeared that Harris preferred voter nomination to party leadership selection.
Schumer went on to say, “We deeply respected that; Hakeem and I did. She said she would work to earn the support of our party, and—boy—has she done so in quick order. Vice President Harris has done a truly impressive job securing the majority of delegates needed to win the Democratic Party’s nomination to be our next President of the United States. The vast majority of my senators quickly … endorsed her. So now that the process has played out from the grassroots—bottom up—we are here today to throw our support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Schumer clapped, but no reporters applauded.
Then a reporter asked Schumer the obvious question: I understand you claimed this was a bottom-up process, but Kamala Harris is the Vice President of the United States. There was no other competition. Party delegates, who are essentially insiders, will choose Harris for the nomination. What’s your explanation to the American people and Democrats who voted for Joe Biden that this is not a Harris coronation?
Schumer responded, “The bottom line is that it was a bottom-up process, and people rallied around her. The enthusiasm in this large, diverse, and representative party was amazing.”
It would have been amazing if anyone had believed that a bottom-up process could occur after two days. Black Lives Matter, a social justice activist organization, was the first to call out the problem with Harris’ nomination.
BLM stated, “For the past few years, the Democratic Party has proclaimed that ‘democracy is on the ballot’ in an effort to persuade Black voters to participate in the upcoming general election. They have presented this as the most serious election for democracy in our lifetimes. However, democracy isn’t just an ideal to be protected against Republicans; it must also be safeguarded from erosion within the Democratic Party. Calls for “unity” cannot come at the expense of democracy. The Democratic Party, which has been the loudest in defending democracy, is now poised to commit some of the most undemocratic maneuvering to avoid listening to the will of the voters.”
“Let us be clear,” BLM continued. “This is about the Democratic Party following a process that protects the legitimacy of any future Democratic president following this unprecedented moment. Installing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and an unknown vice president without any public voting process would make the modern Democratic Party a party of hypocrites. It would undermine their credibility on issues related to democracy. Imagine our first Black woman president not having won some sort of public nomination process. The pundits would immediately label it as affirmative action or a DEI move, and any progress made by President Harris would be on shaky foundations. If Kamala Harris is to be the nominee, it must be through a process that upholds democratic principles and public participation.”
The day after Schumer’s press conference, President Biden addressed the nation to explain his withdrawal from the presidential election and refute rumors that Democratic Party leaders forced him out.
Biden stated, “In recent weeks, it has become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, and my vision for America’s future all merited a second term. But nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So, I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.”
This raises another question: who is supposed to pass the torch in “our democracy,” primary voters or party leaders? If the answer is primary voters, then Democratic Party leaders may be the actual threat to democracy.
About Post Author
