The many Democrats who have long claimed that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy somehow see no irony in ousting the winner of their primary and installing a new candidate for whom no one voted.
Following President Joe Biden’s X post containing a screenshot announcing his withdrawal from the Presidential race, the national news media has reached new levels of political drama, rivaling anything Hollywood could even dream of. Democrats have already changed their tune, immediately hopping on the Kamala bandwagon—her campaign received over $200 million in donations following Joe’s exit.
But given the fallout since the June 27, 2024 debate, something about this bait-and-switch has seemed particularly unsavory. Had Republicans done something of this sort, there surely would have been widespread outcry—and frankly, it would be deserved. But right now, the story is more about Kamala’s chances of success rather than her slimy trail to the top of the ticket.
There are a few reasons why this tactic was democratically - and morally - wrong.
First off, while we may not know what, exactly, the current President is ailing from, we do know for certain that it was plaguing him during the nomination process, four short months ago. President Biden’s slow decline comes as no surprise to his inside circle. This isn’t a situation in which he suffered from a stroke, or some other unforeseen medical emergency which might warrant a sudden change in heart. If it’s true that Biden suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, the onset has occurred over the course of years. For all that the American people know, this could have been a chronic illness that began during his initial campaign for President from his basement in 2020.
Second, this method disenfranchises voters from choosing a true successor to Biden, and, without a doubt, frustrates Democratic hopefuls like Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, and others. Newsom and Whitmer, both of whom were surely eying 2028 enthusiastically, now only have a slim chance of clinching the nomination, especially if there’s an incumbent in the race. Because of campaign finance laws, Harris was the only viable option to succeed Joe, since the funds he raised can automatically transfer only to her. Right off the bat, she has tens of millions of dollars in her campaign coffers.
The “Harris was on the ticket” argument is a weak one. She was, if anything, selected by the American people as a back-up, not as the President. Please note—it’s hard to argue that that money donated to Joe’s campaign was intended for Harris, too. Those politicos who binge-watch Veep may forget that 41% of Americans are unable to name the sitting Vice President.
Last but not least, this feels like a pretty obvious attempt to try and reverse the tide of the Trump momentum. It comes 25 days after the debate where Biden had one of the worst performances of his career. If it had been days following the debate, it may have seemed more genuine. But in the interim, there was the press conference where he referred to “Vice President Trump” and “President Putin,” and then, of course, the Trump assassination attempt, which seemed to increase his popularity, or more importantly, Trump’s poll numbers.
Instead of loyally standing by the man they chose twice for Vice President, and, through the gauntlet of primary elections, twice chosen for President, Democratic leadership quickly turned on Biden as they watched their national numbers begin to dwindle.
Eventually, Democrats succumbed to external pressure and quickly changed the messaging around Harris. Virtually overnight, Harris went from being the laughing stock of the Democratic party, to a brilliant stateswoman, unburdened by what has been. Even those on the left have started to criticize the Democrats for all too quickly hopping on the Harris bandwagon.
If it feels oddly familiar, it is because it is. The game of politics is a whole separate dimension, linking adults in suits to the immaturity of infantile sport. With the heat of summer lingering over us, it’s reminiscent of the neighborhood bully in the cul-de-sac, who changes the rules of the game in the very last round to get the leg up. Republicans were right to fear election fraud—it just took a different form this time.
Maggie Cleary Kilgore is a visiting fellow at Independent Women’s Law Center (iwlc.org) and Deputy Commonwealth Attorney in Culpeper County, Virginia. She previously served as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety under Governor Glenn Youngkin, and as a federal prosecutor for the Western District of Virginia.
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