There Aren't Any Easy Answers for Democrats

It May Not Matter If Democrats Abandon President Biden

President Joe Biden is old. Like, really old. I don’t think that’s a secret to anyone. Most regular political followers didn’t know how much his mental acuity had diminished since his run for the White House in 2020. We saw that during his disastrous presidential debate performance in June. We’ve seen more in subsequent interviews that were clearly attempts at damage control.

A few weeks ago on Peach Pundit the Podcast, I told my fellow co-hosts, former Georgia state representatives Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway, that I thought the debate would matter. Scot dismissed the notion. I don’t blame him. Debates haven't moved the needle for as long as I can remember. President Biden’s performance was so bad, though, that. That’s not to say Trump’s performance was good. It wasn’t. But between the two men, President Biden looked old, sickly, confused, and entirely out of depth.

If President Biden remains in the race, he’ll likely lose. National polls have shown that Trump is beginning to pull away from President Biden since the debate. The same is true of state polls as well. Granted, the Democrats running for U.S. Senate are generally still performing well against their Republican opponents in competitive races. That said, it may be a couple of months before that picture becomes more evident. Although they have leads now, a lot can and will happen between now and election day.

The question on everyone’s minds right now is, will President Biden remain in the race? Polling shows that other Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, outperform President Biden against Trump. Chatter has picked up in recent days that he is considering an exit. Reportedly, his family is discussing what that looks like. Of course, the White House and his campaign have denied the rumors. At least one person in his inner circle has also pushed back on the chatter.

Obviously, we’d be in uncharted territory. One would assume the nominee would, from a legal standpoint, almost have to be Vice President Harris, but it could make the Democratic National Convention, currently scheduled to begin in Chicago on August 19, really interesting to watch. (Speaking of which, whoever made the decision to have the convention in Chicago, as crazy as the world has been for the past several years, should have their decision-making privileges revoked.)

Whether President Biden stays in the race, Vice President Harris, or another potential candidate is nominated at the convention, I’m not sure it’ll matter. Sure, a race between Trump and Vice President Harris is closer than with President Biden at the top of the ticket. If it’s Vice President Harris, she’ll have to contend with being part of the Biden administration. Republicans have already labeled her President Biden’s “border czar.” (I don’t at all subscribe to the Republican claims of an “open border,” but it’s undeniable that there has been a crisis at the Southern border.)

Plus, Vice President Harris appeared in several Democratic debates during the 2020 cycle. She ran as a progressive. While I don’t think of President Biden as a progressive, he’s not a moderate or a centrist. Vice President Harris would need to bring herself to the center, as much as she can, and promote bipartisanship to create a distinction between herself and Trump. She would need to pick a running mate from a battleground or traditionally red state.

Even then, I’m not sure Vice President Harris can win. We’re talking about a complete change in the Democratic ticket around 100 days from election day. That’s going to be a very tough task.

Democrats will also have to contend with claims that the process they may have to use to pick a nominee, particularly if it’s Vice President Harris, is undemocratic. I don’t know how much that’ll resonate with voters. Ultimately, it may not matter.

Going back to the presidential debate in June, we’re in the midst of the most fascinating stretch in modern political history. It’s so taxing and tiring. I’m tired of living through unprecedented times.