During the second Democratic presidential debate Thursday night, desperation was the name of the game. Although there were some tense exchanges and awkward moments the previous night, somehow, the first debate didn’t feel as frantic. The reason last night’s did is obvious: former Vice President Joe Biden, the candidate who may well become the party’s nominee, was standing on the stage.
The entire two-night saga was Joe Biden’s to win or lose. In the end, he emerged somewhere in the middle — not the victor but not forgettable. Yet more than anything, he appeared to be a Democrat from years past, whose time at the helm is coming to an end.
The clear winner of the evening was Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. Her fiery performance, which included calling out Biden over issues of race, commanded attention. Younger, far-left Democrats have taken over the party of Biden, and Harris made it show.
One individual who stood out starkly from serious contenders was Marianne Williamson. The author and activist is a long-shot candidate whose brand is more based on self-help sermons than any actual platform. However, one line from Williamson was particularly memorable:
This statement rings true.
Democrats are panicking at the thought of President Trump winning a second term. They are working to convince themselves that their policies and proposals will win over an electorate that is rife with division. Twenty of them in total gathered to discuss and debate the issues with the hopes of presenting themselves as alternatives to a boorish incumbent. In the midst of the yelling, interruptions, and verbal jabs, they are forgetting that Trump was and is a potent political force unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.
Williamson may be one of the strangest people ever to launch a presidential campaign, but she is right about one thing: Trump won because of his populist appeal. Can any of the Democratic candidates truly say they speak for ordinary Americans who just want their lives to improve? Are they able to relate to a middle class that feels dismissed by coastal elites and mocked by social justice activists?
Like him or not, the president continues to inspire praise and support with his boundless energy and biting remarks. He has a perfectly crafted message that points to his adversaries with disdain while using simple, relatable terms. As former President Obama offered “hope and change,” Trump offers the promise of not only bringing American greatness back, but maintaining it. When voters look to what Democrats will bring they see socialism, higher taxes, open borders, and cultural shifts.
Why wouldn’t they prefer perceived Trumpian greatness to the unrecognizable?
To be sure, there are actual policies that drive the Trump administration. However, if regular Americans, especially his supporters, see a country that isn’t changing lanes and careening toward progressivism, they’ll be satisfied. They’ll even say that American has been made great once again.
For all her unhinged, feel-good rhetoric, Marianne Williamson may have been the only one on the Thursday night stage to see their foe with clear eyes. If a fractured Democratic Party can’t do the same, 2020 will only bring defeat.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
