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As I said earlier, I do not blame Kamala Harris whatsoever. She ran a brilliant campaign, she raised in excess of a billion dollars on short notice, she coalesced Biden Democrats, Obama Democrats, Clinton Democrats and created a disciplined message of hope, unity and liberal American ideals. She was a great, bridge-building candidate. The electorate wasn’t there. The voters were not there. The American people decided they wanted the orange fascist instead. Given everything that’s happened, it’s also sort of insane political analysis to go from “this is Kamala’s fault” to “this is Joe Biden’s fault!” But that’s where people are headed. I’m already seeing too many pieces like this one, a USA Today op-ed:
Donald Trump, despite who he is, has won the 2024 presidential election and will retake the White House for a second term. Republicans made every mistake they could along the way in nominating Trump again, but Democrats threw them a lifeline in mismanaging Joe Biden’s exit from the race and making Kamala Harris campaign from behind most of the way. Instead of persuading Americans to vote for Harris, they spent their efforts persuading them to vote against Trump, and that was not enough for Americans.
In the end, Biden took the presidency from Trump and gave it right back to him. Trump required a special level of incompetence from the Democrats to win, and boy, did he get exactly that.
Democrats did their best in their pivot from Biden, but it was too little too late. In their 2020 quest to beat Trump at all costs, they boxed themselves into a corner by propping up a mentally unfit octogenarian purely for the sake of winning that election, then didn’t realize it was time to change candidates early if they wanted to win this one.
Biden had every opportunity to take the dignified way out and not seek reelection. In the face of poll numbers stacked against him and extremely apparent mental decline, any reasonable person could have seen the odds were too far stacked against them. Instead, Biden’s ego got in the way and put Democrats in the awful situation of a last-minute switch to Harris.
It’s bizarre to me that the argument is “Biden never should have sought reelection” as opposed to “Biden is the only one who has ever beaten Trump and maybe Democrats were wrong to publicly push him out, and the nationally televised interparty fight was what made Democrats look like a bunch of childish, bedwetting idiots.” Once Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, look what she did with it, look at the outstanding campaign she ran. I was grateful that VP Harris (and not Biden) was the one making an energetic Democratic case to the nation. But I also think that people in the Rust Belt really did love Biden, and even more than that, people love a man at the top of the ticket. If anything, these election results have vindicated both Biden and Hillary Clinton. It feels even more remarkable that Biden pulled it out in 2020, and it feels like Hillary fundamentally lost because she’s a woman, and the American electorate does not want a woman president.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
United States President Joe Biden delivers remarks on how his Investing in America agenda is rebuilding American infrastructure and creating good paying union jobs at the Port of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. Copyright: xRonxSachsx/,Image: 928231877, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Ron Sachs / CNP /MediaPunch / Avalon
President Joe Biden made some remarks at a Get out the Vote event in Philadelphia on 111/012024. At the SprinklerŐs Local 692 Buildings in Philadelphia .,Image: 929301190, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: William T. Wade Jr./Photography / Avalon
United States President Joe Biden speaks to a group of reporters as US Vice President Kamala Harris looks on after greeting reporters Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan following their release as part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
Featuring: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
Where: Camp Springs, Maryland, United States
When: 01 Aug 2024
Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
United States Vice President Kamala Harris embraces United States President Joe Biden at an event at Prince George’s County Community College in Largo, Maryland on Thursday, August 15, 2024. The event was centered around “lowering drug costs for the American people” and was their first joint appearance since President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, and endorsed Harris.
Featuring: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris
Where: Largo, Maryland, United States
When: 15 Aug 2024
Credit: CNP/INSTARimages
United States President Joe Biden speaks at an event with United States Vice President Kamala Harris at Prince George’s County Community College in Largo, Maryland on Thursday, August 15, 2024. The event was centered around “lowering drug costs for the American people” and was their first joint appearance since President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, and endorsed Harris.
Featuring: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris
Where: Largo, Maryland, United States
When: 15 Aug 2024
Credit: CNP/INSTARimages
US President Joe Biden with Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris during the day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago
Featuring: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States
When: 20 Aug 2024
Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
US President Joe Biden with Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris during the day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago
Featuring: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States
When: 20 Aug 2024
Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
United States President Joe Biden is seen in the Oval Office, as he meets with Robert Golob, Prime Minister of Slovenia in the White House
Featuring: Joe Biden
Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
When: 22 Oct 2024
Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
