The Democratic Party has had since November 8, 2016, to work on its plan for securing the presidency this year. With so much time, one would think that its 2020 strategy would be hard to beat. But instead of offering an inspiring fresh face and bold plans, the best it can do is more of the same in the form of an elder statesman surrounded by a long list of concerns.
The sexual assault allegations against the presumptive nominee, Joe Biden, have once again shed light on the rank hypocrisy that festers within the party that claims to stand on the moral high ground. Rather than demanding answers and suggesting even a minimal investigation, party leaders such as Nancy Pelosi stand beside Biden because he’s their only hope. This allegiance to Biden is nothing but a semblance of unity. The party that is aching to replace President Trump can only desperately cling to what little they’ve created.
As reported on Thursday, the Democratic Party is so split that in an unprecedented move, the Biden campaign is allowing two-time party nominee loser, Sen. Bernie Sanders, to influence the upcoming convention. Not only will Biden “appoint Sanders supporters to fill hundreds of delegate slots that Sanders sacrificed by dropping out,” but he will also “ensure representation for Sanders allies on the committees that, for instance, write the party’s policy platform.” The reasons behind these moves are obvious. At the start of the primary season, Sanders seemed to be sailing to a potential nomination while Biden lagged behind. The attempts at appeasement indicate anything but harmony.
While tensions continue with the Sanders camp, questions about Biden’s fitness and ability to excite not only remain but also grow more pronounced. A new Emerson College poll shows that Trump supporters are far more enthusiastic about voting for their preferred candidate than Biden supporters. The poll also reveals that by a margin of 14%, voters as a whole believe Trump will win reelection. But Biden’s inability to inspire as much as the incumbent isn’t the only problem. As Liz Peek writes at the Hill, Biden is struggling on all fronts. She also suggests things are so bad that a Hillary Clinton substitution may be appropriate.
It’s apparent that the Democratic Party, its leaders, voters, and backers are all less than confident about their 2020 chances with Biden at the helm. And this is the result of four years of preparation?
The Democratic Party is certain that Trump is an existential threat. Curiously, it is not giving the 2020 election its best shot. Its collective inability to prepare sufficiently is most likely due to its obsession with Trump’s every word, deed, and tweet. From the start of his term, there was talk of Russian collusion, impeachment, and the like. It was so sure that it would be able to oust him long before November 2020, that the months and years crept up on it. Then the new election season arrived, Biden ended up at the top, and together, they pretend that this is what they’ve wanted all along. The multiple fractures tell another story.
To anyone paying attention, it is evident that Democrats are in a sorry state. They have only themselves to blame.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
