Doom Loop
Democrats face a dilemma of their own creation
Eventually the hysteria about Joe Biden’s ability to carry the Democratic banner will subside. After all, Democrats have to nominate someone to run against Donald Trump. But they had better get there soon.
A couple of times it looked like this frenzy was going to pass, most recently earlier this week when Biden made clear to members of Congress that he was not going anywhere. But his campaign has not been able to lock down wavering members nervous about their prospects with Biden at the top of the ticket, and the drumbeat of concerns only grew as the week progressed. More calls for him to step aside are expected today.
It started of course with Biden’s unnerving debate performance and the press feeding frenzy that predictably followed when Democratic leaders expressed their worries to reporters. As we said at the time, the debate itself—as bad as it was—didn’t do much to reshape the election. But it did trigger fears in some elite circles about Biden’s viability.
The story took on a life of its own once those fears became the center of attention, compounding the damage Biden inflicted on himself by causing panic in the ranks. A classic fight-or-flight response ensued, with Democrats divided over the best course of action. Some want to dig in with Biden while others are running to find a replacement.
Setting aside for the moment that panic is the worst state for making rational decisions, it’s impossible to see how these different reactions can be bridged. Democrats convinced they will lose with Biden are going to want to run for self-preservation. Those convinced they will lose by abandoning Biden will do the opposite for the same reason.
The potential for this self-inflicted harm to carry through to the election grows every day the frenzy continues. As I noted on Monday, France was able to subdue its far right because the left and center worked together. The same thing has to happen here. Not only is a quick resolution to this frenzy necessary, it needs to be one that leaves space for those who do not get their way to stay on board and work to confront the real threat.
It’s hard to do that in the middle of a storm.
I don’t intend to delve into the question of Biden’s fitness, but I do want to consider the risks posed by the alternatives Democrats face in the event Biden is convinced to withdraw.
Let’s start with a couple of stories.
