As the saying goes, the party goes on, and the national Democratic party these days has been “Joe Must Go.” The debacle at last week’s debate has accelerated efforts to get the bewildered president to at least abandon his campaign, if not resign altogether. On Wednesday, a group of prominent business leaders participated in the call.
The Leadership Now Project, a coalition of 400 politically lively and former leaders, predominantly but not exclusively left-leaning, published a opinion on Wednesday, he called on Mr Biden to “pass the torch of this year’s presidential nomination to the next generation of extremely capable Democrats.”
The statement is unsigned, but Daniella Ballou-Aares, founder and executive director of the group, said it is supported by an overwhelming majority of Leadership Now Project members.
Members include Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni’s Famous Ice Cream, Thomas W. Florsheim Jr., chairman of shoe manufacturer Weyco Group, Eddie Fishman, managing director of investment firm DE Shaw & Company, John Pepper, former chairman of Procter & Gamble, and Paul Tagliabue, former commissioner of the National Football League.
This group has only called on President Biden to abandon his campaign, not to resign from the presidency. And there is no denying that his candidacy appears to be crumbling along with his cognitive abilities. The problem is that there are few options that don’t lead to Donald Trump 2, Electric Boogaloo.
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And there is more: Some of the business leaders are concerned that the decision is too closely tied to Biden’s family, which, in all frankness, has the most to gain from it, drag the thing out.
In an interview, Ms. Ballou-Aares, an economic executive who served as a senior State Department adviser during the Obama administration, said she was troubled by messages from the White House and other Biden supporters in recent days.
“The feeling that this is a decision made by a small family group is not good for democracy,” she said, calling it “really out of step with people’s attitudes after seeing the debate.”
It’s not strenuous to understand why they’re calling for Biden to withdraw from his campaign, because that’s a much easier argument to make than calling for the president to resign outright. But both options are fraught with difficulty for Democrats – and both options mean Trump will be back at the Resolute Desk unless Trump or the Republicans make a terrible misstep (which, to be fair, we can’t rule out).
If Joe Biden were to step down completely, Kamala Harris would be catapulted into the top job. In the polls, Kamala Harris enjoys a Approval rate comparable to root canals; listening to her is about as much fun as getting your belt loop caught on a doorknob. But the first colored woman (I can say woman because I am actually a biologist) through some impeccably groomed white guy would be virtually impossible at this point without tearing the Democratic Party apart, possibly beyond repair. Net result: Trump wins the election.
If Joe Biden were to simply abandon the campaign, it would introduce a whole modern set of problems. What happens to Biden’s delegates? They can just be easily given to the other person on the ticket, Kamala Harris, and then – well, see above. What about the campaign funds? That’s unclear; can they be given to the other person on the ticket? Can they be given to someone who might actually have a chance of winning? Also, Joe would have to voluntarily leave before the convention; it’s not at all clear that he’s even considering that. After the convention? Another story.
See also: Yes, Democrats can replace Biden – with Newsom or anyone else they want. Here’s how.
None of these would end well for the Democrats. Any option – Joe Biden resigning, Joe Biden abandoning the campaign and handing the reins to someone else, or Joe Biden resigning after the convention – will lead to deep and constant fissures in the Democratic Party that could take a generation to heal (and a return to some degree of sanity). The bottom line: Trump wins the election.
These business leaders, almost all left of center and all concerned about the stability of the country, are worried. The Democrats are showing signs of despair. With each passing day, the future looks bleaker for the Democrats in general and Joe Biden in particular.
For the Republicans, however, it is slowly starting to look like Christmas.
