For many Democrats, President Joe Biden stepping aside was a day of gratitude and relief, as well as hope for the future. Biden, thankfully, made the choice to put the country over his own ambition and desires. We all know it must have been excruciating, and I am grateful that he made this call.
When I called for Biden to step aside after the disastrous June 27 Atlanta debate, it was not done lightly, and though I was the only high-profile Democrat in Georgia to do so, I was not alone. I was simply speaking for many who didn’t have the platform to speak or who felt that they could express their concerns only behind closed doors.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
When Biden’s letter began to circulate Sunday, the wave of relief from Democrats was palpable.
All the Democrats in my world had been anguished over trying to limp through to November with a badly compromised nominee, particularly in the face of a resurgent Donald Trump. After the shocking assassination attempt on the former president, the country had been promised a renewed and more thoughtful candidate, only to see him immediately default back to his usual talking points of grievance, election denial and ugliness. This is someone who refers to his political opponents as vermin and uses the poem “The Snake” to describe immigrants.
Republican friends confided in me that they really didn’t want to vote for Trump but didn’t think they could vote for Biden after the Atlanta debate. I talked to young people (and really many others) who were demoralized by the choices in front of them.
We now have a chance to reset, to reframe and to finally pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders with a new vision for the future. But this needs to be done thoughtfully and carefully.
The Democratic Party might be consolidating around Vice President Kamala Harris. I understand the anxious desire to quickly decide on a new nominee, but we should take a beat. I think Harris has a strong case to make — but she needs to make it before the August convention.
One of the ironies of the past few weeks was that the people who are in safe seats — who don’t have to win over moderates and swing voters — seemed to be the staunchest defenders of Biden and were pressuring everyone else to fall in line. Many are now quickly rolling up for Harris and again pressuring everyone to fall in line. I understand their drive, but if they think it is important for Democrats to win this race for the White House, the eventual nominee needs to show she can reach beyond the Democratic base.
In the coming weeks, Harris is going to face charges from Republicans that she just checks all the Democratic Party’s identity politics boxes: woman, Black, Asian, immigrant family. She has the tools to counter this with her resume of accomplishment that would be the envy of any candidate and that should appeal to moderates: vice president, senator, California attorney general, district attorney, prosecutor. I can attest that she is a smart, sharp and personable woman. (And I would so love to see her in a debate with Trump. Please let the prosecutor prosecute.)
To win the nomination and the election in November, Harris needs to think about the independent and Republican voters who don’t want to vote for Trump. Can she give them a good reason to vote for her? She needs to think about Democratic voters who have been uninspired by the top of the ticket. What can she do to motivate them to go and vote? As vice president, she has been under Biden’s shadow, defending him and his policies. Now she needs to give us her vision for America.
On Sunday, she posted a statement that was music to my ears: that she intends to “to earn and win this nomination.” That is exactly where she needs to start. I also appreciate that she worked the phones for 10 hours immediately after hearing from Biden that he was stepping aside. That is good and aggressive politics, but more must be done.
Madam Vice President, give us a chance at renewed hope for the future of this country.
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