Democrats End Democracy

Who knew it would be the Democratic party that would administer the coup de grace?

A favorite Democratic attack on Donald Trump and all Republicans is that they (we) are an “attack on Democracy” and must be defeated to save it.

I rolled my eyes, too—a tired and hysterical attack dripping with projection and hypocrisy. Especially now.

Tell that to 3,905 delegates to the Democratic National Convention who are/were pledged to Joe Biden as their nominee for President this fall, having won 14.465 million primary and caucus votes in 56 contests since January. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seems to have masterfully orchestrated a literal coup with other party elites and prominent money people to force Biden out of the race.

Give Speaker Pelosi her due - she’s terrific at consolidating political power, as her reign as Speaker proved.

At least one of my predictions earlier this year came true: Biden would not be the Democratic nominee for President this fall.

And true to form - “never underestimate Joe’s ability f**k things up,” Barack Obama allegedly once said - Biden appears to have chosen to exit his campaign in one of the worst possible ways, politically speaking. The worst way would be endorsing no one and leaving an open (warfare) convention; instead, he’s hanging around. At the same time, Harris must take the slings and arrows for his/their unpopular economic and national security records. The “border czar” has no choice. She’ll be forced to run on “their” record. The Trump-Vance campaign will instantly transfer their policy animus from Joe to Kamala.

A few observations and questions:

First, at this point, I have more questions than answers or thoughts. For example, what prompted him to change his mind? Was it polling? Whose polling? Was it a medical diagnosis? By whom, and what, precisely? Whom did Biden notify in advance of his odd manner of announcing it via his campaign account on Elon Musk’s X?

Yes, the same Elon Musk reportedly contributing $45 million per month towards Trump’s reelection and whose “tweets” are sounding awfully Trumpy these days. I’m sure Biden’s friends in the legacy media are appalled and offended.

Second, subsequent reports suggest Biden has endorsed his running mate to succeed him as the nominee, but that’s not clear at this writing. That would be no surprise since she is favored to win the support of Democratic delegates who worship at the altar of diversity, equity, and inclusion and share her progressive outlook. There’s also the legal issue of making sure the Harris campaign can hang onto the millions raised and being raised. Still, Harris polls no better than Biden, if not worse, and bears worse job and personal approval ratings.

Democratic Governors Gretchen Whitmer (MI) and Josh Shapiro (PA)

The drama now is whom Harris will tap as her running mate. She will be under tremendous pressure to pick someone who can deliver Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Wisconsin - she will almost certainly need to win all three states to secure the necessary 270 electoral votes. I do not subscribe to the notion that Harris will pick Gov. Josh Shapiro, the highly overrated Democrat best known for, as Attorney General, providing legal cover for his predecessor Tom Wolf’s disastrous and possibly corrupt response to Covid and lying to voters about his support for school choice.

She will likely wait until the first day of the Democratic Convention, August 19th. I can’t imagine them trying to force a virtual roll call vote now, but if they’re fearful of disruptions in Chicago or feel the need to get on Ohio’s ballot, that could happen. Joe Biden is likely to remain on the ballot in several states, especially South Carolina but also possibly Georgia, Nevada, and Wisconsin—lawyers are already at work with their challenges.

Shapiro is also Jewish, which the Democratic progressive base, with its protestations for Hamas, isn’t going to like. As previously noted, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is my odds-on choice as part of a progressive, abortion-focused “girl power” ticket—no way she’s picking a white male like Kentucky Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear or North Carolina’s Roy Cooper. Remember, they will run a “base” campaign since Harris is unlikely to appeal to “crossover” voters. The focus will be turnout. Same is true of the Trump-Vance ticket.

Third, the “age issue” now shifts to Donald Trump. Expect to hear this non-stop, but with Biden remaining in the White House for the rest of his term, its saliency may be muted.

Fourth, Republicans and maybe a few Democrats will intensify their pressure on Biden to resign. If he’s not fit enough to seek reelection, is he fit enough to run? Of course, that would gift Harris the powers of incumbency seeking a full term. That matters, and it would allow her to show that voters can be “comfortable” with her as President. Republicans should be careful what they wish for, given how supportive the legacy media will be of the Harris-whoever ticket, but read on.

Fifth, with Harris now taking charge of the Democratic party, what changes will she make in the White House, the formerly Biden-Harris campaign, and the Democratic National Committee? No doubt she’ll want her own people running the campaign while leaving South Carolina’s Jaime Harrison as chair of the DNC. But we’ll see - I know nothing. Personnel changes of this magnitude will set any campaign back.

Side note: Will the scheduled September debate on ABC News go on? I suspect it will.

Sixth, more than a few of us find Harris’s hyena-like cackle, gaffe-prone language, grating, nasely, condescending speaking style highly unappealing.

The coup to depose Biden was successful. Electing a ticket led by Kamala Harris may prove way more challenging. After all, her last presidential campaign fizzled badly before the first caucus votes were cast in 2020. Expect the then-Democratic challenger who put the knife into her campaign to take a more prominent role in the Trump-Vance campaign. Who, you ask? This former Democratic presidential candidate who single-handedly torched Kamala’s nascent 2020 campaign:

And lastly, I have just one central question: When will the pardons begin to flow to Biden’s family, if not himself?

Stay tuned and have the popcorn ready.