The Democratic National Convention begins tomorrow. There will be manufactured bits showing party unity, but there’s high drama behind the scenes, and it doesn’t take a political genius to figure that out. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd penned a pretty good column about this week’s events and the fractures that have made public with the ousting of Joe Biden. Dowd called this even for what it is—a coup.
It's a succinct rundown of the fissures and resentments engulfing this party, which is desperately trying to buoy Kamala Harris’ candidacy with some aura of energy and legitimacy. Dowd leaves no rock unturned regarding the Biden family’s resentments, the moves top Democrats made to remove Biden from the ticket, and the overall awkwardness this must be for the soon-to-be-former president.
This is Maureen Dowd saying this, folks... pic.twitter.com/tDG16Kj27W
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) August 17, 2024
Also, the columnist pointed out that Harris was likely none too pleased that so many coup leaders hesitated to endorse her, hoping for a mini-primary instead. Biden opted to be the first, an act that would force a coronation of his VP and a way to stick it to his former boss, Obama. It’s a not-so-subtle way of saying, ‘You screwed my plan, so I’ll mess with yours’ (via NYT):
How could Biden not be hurt that the Democratic convention went from four days of “sitting shiva,” as James Carville put it, to a joyful romp with Kamala atop the ticket?
Democrat after Democrat who had been close to Biden before conspiring to push him out had to confess to cable anchors that they had not been able to talk to the president, who was sulking in his tent.
Party leaders whitewashed the coup by ornately extolling Biden.
[…]
Even if the Democrats wanted to put their bad blood in the past, the Nasty Man at the top of the G.O.P. ticket won’t let them forget.
“Kamala wants NOTHING TO DO WITH CROOKED JOE BIDEN,” Trump ranted on Truth Social Thursday. “They are throwing him out on the Monday Night Stage, known as Death Valley. He now HATES Obama and Crazy Nancy more than he hates me! He is an angry man, as he should be. They stole the Presidency from him — ‘It was a Coup!’”
As much as she cared for the president, Pelosi would never choose helping the House of Biden over helping her beloved House of Representatives. Their alienation of affection was clear in interviews she did to promote her new book, “The Art of Power.”
[…]
The president already resented Obama for shoving him aside for Hillary, and he resented Hillary for squandering that opportunity and losing to Trump. Even though Obama tried to do everything quietly to protect his saintly status, Joe was furious that Obama was sidelining him twice.
Michelle Obama’s relationship with Biden soured when his family ostracized Hunter’s first wife, Michelle’s friend Kathleen; that’s one reason the popular Michelle wasn’t on the campaign trail for Biden.
Kamala can’t be thrilled that Obama, Pelosi and Schumer hesitated to endorse her because they wanted more moderate rivals to compete in an open mini-primary. And Biden and Harris staffs are also tetchy, as Kamala layers on her own people.
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