How Democrats Botched the 2024 Presidential Election
SACRAMENTO — How did we allow a convicted felon, compulsive liar, adjudicated sexual abuser and wannabe dictator to be elected our nation’s president? Three words: Democrats botched it.
A Missed Opportunity
It shouldn’t have been even close, running against a man with his disqualifications. And, in fact, it wasn’t. Republican Donald Trump won with ease. Here’s my post-mortem on the political demise of Democrat Kamala Harris.
The Blame Game
Just as Republicans themselves are at fault for allowing the California GOP to sink into irrelevance in state government — through years of bad positioning and ignoring moderate voters — top Democrats fumbled nationally leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
The Obama Factor
It started with a betrayal by President Obama in 2016. The blame begins with him. Obama reportedly shoved aside his own vice president, Joe Biden, and backed Hillary Clinton for president. He dissuaded Biden from running. Democrats thus missed their grand opportunity. Biden was at his peak back then and probably would have beaten Trump, nipping his political career in the bud.
A Poor Candidate
Clinton turned out to be a poor candidate. Many Democrats believed she lost because America wasn’t ready for a female president. But as New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote recently: “Hillary Clinton did not lose because she was a woman. She lost because she was Hillary Clinton. She didn’t campaign hard enough, skipping Wisconsin and barely visiting Michigan. She got discombobulated about gender …”
The 2020 Mistakes
Then in 2020, Biden finally won the Democratic nomination but, in my view, fumbled his choice for running mate. He had pledged to name a female veep and was under heavy pressure to choose a woman of color. Look, it’s a mistake to lock yourself into a narrow field of potential selectees months before needing to make a decision. And maybe it’s time for Democrats to ease up on identity politics. Whatever the policy merits are, it doesn’t appear to be benefiting Democrats politically.
Harris and the Biden Ticket
Anyway, Biden’s preferred woman of color for vice president was Harris, the then-California senator whose own White House bid had bombed. She bowed out before any primary votes were cast, avoiding an embarrassing loss in her home state. Biden was largely drawn to Harris because she and his late son, Beau, were close allies when both were state attorneys general. He probably would have been better off tapping then-U.S. Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, who was likable, energetic and a goal-achiever. Bass later was elected L.A. mayor.
Conclusion
By far the biggest drag, however, was the 81-year-old Biden himself. And he shares significant blame for Harris’ loss last week. That’s because he reneged on his 2020 campaign promise to be a transitional president and pass the torch to a younger generation. He stubbornly refused to face reality and listen to Democratic voters who kept telling pollsters they desired a spryer candidate. It was only after Biden exhibited the worst TV debate performance in history that he bowed to party pressure in July and stepped aside.
FAQs
Q: Why did Obama back Clinton over Biden in 2016?
A: It is unclear, but one assumption is that Obama was desperate for Clinton’s support after their 2008 nomination battle.
Q: Why did Biden choose Harris as his running mate?
A: Biden was drawn to Harris because of their personal connection, as well as pressure from Democratic leaders to choose a woman of color.
Q: Why didn’t Democrats conduct a normal nominating process?
A: Biden’s decision to seek reelection kept Democrats from having a competitive nominating process, which can hone a candidate’s skills and test their messages.
