The Democratic Party is in a stalemate.
On one side is President Biden, the party’s beloved elder statesman, long known by Democrats as “Uncle Joe,” who has built a coalition of progressive, black and Hispanic voters and lawmakers who defeated former President Donald Trump once and are quick to point out that they can do it again.
He’s in the trenches.
Meanwhile, there’s a growing chorus of Democrats — key lawmakers (including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama), donors, activists and pundits — who say Biden is too old to serve another term. But they’re not alone: Three weeks after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, poll after poll suggests a majority of Democrats feel the same way.
Both sides are eager to win, and this week proved that.
Take Friday’s tug-of-war, for example. In just a few hours, Biden secured a key endorsement from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in contrast to the Democratic caucus’ opposition. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voiced his support for the president. But major Democratic donors threatened to cut off funding to the campaign, exacerbating what one donor called an already “abysmal” funding situation.
“If it doesn’t end soon, it’s not going to be a good thing,” one Democratic strategist speculated when asked about the volatile situation. “We are a divided nation, but even worse, we are a divided party.”
Since Biden’s debate performance on June 27, the topic has swung wildly, from Biden’s stubborn “I’m not going anywhere” stance to Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-Mont.) bold declaration just before Trump took the stage at the RNC that “I don’t think President Biden should run for another term.”
As lawmakers hold closed-door meetings in both houses of Congress as well as the White House fretting about his chances of winning the November election, Biden has been met with friendly crowds. At Biden’s Detroit rally last week, a crowd chanted “Don’t give up!”
The rifts within the Democratic Party were further highlighted by Republicans endorsing Trump at the Republican National Convention just days after the assassination attempt, which prolonged the party’s internal disputes.
“It’s a worst-case scenario for Democrats as Republicans are unifying, energizing and rallying together,” said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public policy at Princeton University. “As more Democrats publicly call out Biden’s problems, the polls don’t improve, while Biden goes on the offensive.”
“The party isn’t fighting Republicans, they’re fighting within the party,” Zelizer said.
Further complicating the issue is what to do if Biden leaves office, and even then there are many different camps.
Some Democrats argue that a Harris nominee would make the election process smoother because she already has a proven track record, could easily raise $91 million in campaign funds and help energize the party’s base as it seeks to win back support from black and Hispanic voters.
But some people don’t think she can win, especially in heavily Democratic states like Wisconsin and Michigan.
Some donors in particular are hoping for an open convention in Chicago next month, but strategists say that could lead to further confusion if some Democrats feel like Harris has been overtaken.
“That’s the problem,” said one major Democratic donor. “There’s no easy way to get from point A to point B. I think that’s the main reason Biden doesn’t want to go anywhere.”
Biden allies say the president is certainly thinking about the 2016 election, when Biden tried to run against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. Biden considered himself a better candidate than Clinton but was shut out of the race by former President Barack Obama, donors and party officials.
In his 2018 book “Promise Me Dad,” Biden wrote that his senior adviser, Mike Donilon, had recommended his candidacy.
“My favorability ratings were the highest of any candidate in either party. My numbers for trustworthiness, honesty and empathy were the highest they’ve ever been,” he wrote. “And I was strongest where the most formidable candidate, Hillary Clinton, was weakest – in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.”
After Clinton lost in 2016, Biden told supporters, journalists and anyone who would listen that he would have won if he had run.
“All of this is surely impacting his calculations,” said a longtime Biden ally.
The president appeared unwilling to budge on Friday as the Democratic chorus grew louder again, and his advisers were still holding discussions while he remained home with COVID-19.
“Give me the polls and I’m going to reach out to voters directly,” Biden campaign co-chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said during an all-staff meeting Friday. “The people the president is listening to are saying, ‘Stay in this race, keep fighting. We need you.’ And those voices may not be as loud as those of a television audience, but remember, people in this country don’t watch cable news.”
If there was one unifying factor on Friday, it was Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention.
“We just need to stay on our toes, because we can beat this guy,” the strategist said.
