The ominous cloud cast over the Democratic Party continues to darken, with crestfallen figures like ex-Obama adviser David Plouffe blaming President Joe Biden for the Party’s struggles. Biden’s ostentation and pigheadedness are indeed points of major concern amongst Democrats, though it would be misguided to solely pin the Party’s problems on him. The fact that Biden is being made a scapegoat for the larger, systemic failures of left-wing politics shows a desperate attempt to escape reality, nurturing a sense of self-delusion.
Perhaps it’s time the party widens its lens to view the bigger picture: their historically low poll ratings. If we’re to blame Biden for anything, his issues with memory retention might only be the tip of the iceberg, overshadowing the more significant challenges the Democratic Party faces.
In their blind pursuit of an economic agenda, every Democrat on the Hill seemed to rally behind the ‘Inflation Reduction Act,’ despite warnings from seasoned economists forecasting the ominous economic tailspin it would inevitably spur. This kind of thoughtless decision making and myopic policy execution is what severely tarnishes the Democratic Party’s image.
It’s important to note that Biden wasn’t the only Democrat subscribing to notions of ‘semi-fascism,’ or endorsing questionable social science theories on gender. Would any elected Democrat even dare to address the anarchic situation triggered by uncontrolled illegal immigration? The waves of silence from the party suggest otherwise.
The party’s oblivious attitude aligns with its disconnect from the public sentiments. A telling pre-election study by Pew depicted that 78% of Americans perceived the border situation as a crisis or a significant issue, amplifying the widespread dissatisfaction with the Democrats’ approach.
Among the main public grievances against Biden is his inability to make way for potential new candidates in the presidency race on time. Irrespective of this, astoundingly, Vice President Kamala Harris would have still been the nominee if Biden had receded earlier.
Imagine that! Harris, eager to seize power, and already established within the White House, would not have easily conceded her spot, nor allowed some provincial governor to eclipse her. The embossed tracks led to her, regardless of the timing around Biden’s withdrawal.
Furthermore, why assume that additional time in the limelight would have translated to greater success for Harris? Her track record shows the reverse – her popularity graph after an initial surge, took a nosedive, evidence of the public losing faith.
The longer she was in the public arena, the steeper her popularity dive. What does this say? It suggests that Harris required less exposure, not more. Greater familiarity did not breed affection in this case; it seemed to fuel collective public repulsion.
Harris was among the potential Democratic contenders who had to campaign based on the president’s track record. Unfortunately, the president’s record by then was far from popular, even before the media openly commented on his deteriorating cognitive state.
Public opinion of Democratic performance was damning: Only 36% approved of Biden’s handling of the economy, a mere 28% approved of his take on immigration, a discouraging 33% gave a thumbs up for his foreign policy, and 30% seemed okay with his Middle East strategy. The numbers were certainly not in their favor.
Even with slumping polls, elections themselves usually unveil two contrasting visions. A CBS News poll suggested 65% of Americans remembered the economy under former President Trump favorably, while only a paltry 38% felt the same about Biden.
Dreamy visions that governors like Wes Moore, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Andy Beshear, or JB Pritzker could magically offer magnetism or compelling narratives to overturn this dismal record are far-fetched. To consider that such charisma could outmatch the present record appears overtly optimistic.
The Democrats being defensive about the president’s solidifying cognitive issues only contributes to the growing list of their self-deceptions. The troubling question is not whether the Senate leader was apprehensive about optics but if the Democrats were willingly sabotaging themselves.
The Democratic Party may have indeed surreptitiously sabotaged itself. Grappling with a litany of systemic misunderstandings, mishaps, and miscalculations, the Democrats would do well to seek out deeper roots of their issues, rather than conveniently pinning their downfall solely on their president.