Facing the disappointing aftermath of the recent electoral failure, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris spent their Sunday appealing to disillusioned Democratic donors. Despite their significant financial contributions, these supporters watched helplessly as the Democrats suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of President-elect Donald Trump. The Democratic duo, alongside their respective spouses, took it upon themselves to shore up dwindling morale at the Democratic National Committee’s holiday reception.
The Democratic Party’s grand scheme backfired greatly despite the astronomical spending recorded during this election. Ironically, the losing side saw political donors, indifferent to party affiliations, pouring in around $4.7 billion. The Republicans, however, struck gold, seizing both the White House and the Senate, and retaining their hold over the House.
Attempting to paint the failure in a more positive light, Biden attempted to generate optimism. He offered a clichéd piece of advice from his father: ‘When you get knocked down, you just got to get up.’ However, the time-honored wisdom failed to address the significant challenges and shortcomings that led to the Democrats’ current predicament.
Filling a role she never seemed comfortable in, Harris was initially brought in to steer the Democratic nomination after Biden’s early campaign cessation post his catastrophic debate performance. The Vice President expressed her gratitude to donors for funding a ship that was clearly sinking. She took a moment to highlight the financiers’ misguided belief in the Democrats, which saw their coffers receive approximately $2.9 billion, far more than the victorious Republicans’ $1.8 billion.
Putting a spin on their dire situation, Harris sought to recognize the empty efforts of the Democratic finance committee, which organized 700 events just to raise a grand total of $700 million. Despite this immense effort, the Democrats were still unable to secure the necessary votes to avoid a crushing defeat at the hands of the Republicans.
In her speech, Harris also tried to embolden the donors by reminding them of the personal stakes and how they had rallied ‘friends and family’ to the cause. Although this tactic might have swelled the Democratic campaign reserves, it sadly had no significant impact on the national election outcome.
While acknowledging the raw wound left by the recent electoral loss, Biden encouraged Democrats to take pride in their hollow achievements. His attempts at highlighting their accomplishments ring hollow, especially considering his administration’s notorious ‘achievements’ such as the polarizing $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, and the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act.
He also mentioned the deeply divisive Inflation Reduction Act, which despite its name made no difference to the escalating inflation. This act was notoriously signed by Biden in 2022 after it barely scraped through Congress on the strength of solely Democratic votes, furthering the partisan divide, rather than encouraging true bipartisan actions.
Determined to keep the donors fooled, Biden expressed his gratitude to them, claiming that their contributions went beyond mere funds. By lending their names, reputations, and character to the campaign, these donors, in his views, played a commendable role. However, the bitter truth remains that these efforts failed to prevent the Democratic downfall.
Biden further expressed his intention to stay involved with the party politics even after his departure from the office on January 20. Though some may view this as a sign of his unwavering loyalty to the party, others see it as an attempt to maintain influence and control, jeopardizing the party’s chance for progress and regeneration.
He also predictably prophecized that Kamala Harris would be a prominent figure in the future of the Democratic Party. One can only wonder if this is a strategically sound prediction or simply Biden’s wishful thinking colored by his personal bias.
While these speeches intended to elevate morale and reignite the passion among the donors, it instead unearthed the glaring denial that has permeated the Democratic Party. Instead of addressing their key failures and accepting their situation, the Democrat leaders tried to sugarcoat the truth and manipulate the narrative to keep their donors in line.
This episode stands as a testament to how the Democratic leadership fails to take accountability for their shortcomings and mistakes. As they continue to sugarcoat their numerous failures and parade these as achievements, one cannot help but question their ability to lead and inspire confidence.
Sweeping their failures under the carpet and showcasing a facade of accomplishment simply won’t help the Democratic Party recover from the massive setback they experienced in the recent elections. It is time for serious introspection and a comprehensive re-evaluation of strategies if they hope to emerge from these failures stronger.
In conclusion, while Biden and Harris went to great lengths to repaint the bleak picture, reality remains unchanged. The Democratic party suffered a massive blow in this election, and without significant changes in leadership and direction, their future hangs in balance.