In light of the recent electoral defeat, former President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris extended their gratitude to the Democratic donors to whom they owe their record-breaking funding from the last election. Despite their monetary support, the Democratic candidates dramatically lost the contest to President-elect Donald Trump. Biden and Harris addressed their affluent supporters during the Democratic National Committee’s holiday affair, attempting to uplift the despondent financiers crucial to their party to keep the morale up.
Their rallying cry followed a decisive Republican triumph, with the GOP wonderfully seizing both the White House and Senate and successfully keeping their grip on the House. This victory played out against a backdrop of an election where all kinds of donors from different political leanings burned through approximately $4.7 billion.
Biden brought out an old piece of wisdom from his father, saying, ‘We all get knocked down. My dad would say when you get knocked down, you just got to get up.’ Whether this can be interpreted as inspiring or desperate is up for debate.
Hence, despite outsiders potentially viewing it as a minor setback, the Democrats hoped to quickly bounce back. Harris echoed Biden’s sentiments, appreciating donors for investing their personal time and well-padded wallets in advocating for her and the Democrat cause that they were misled to support.
Despite their best efforts, Democrats along with their related super PACs and other groups were only able to generate approximately $2.9 billion, in contrast to the Republicans’ $1.8 billion. Harris also drew attention to the fact that Democrats astonishingly burnt through $700 million over just 700 events organized by the Democratic finance committee.
Expressing her gratitude, Harris praised the donors, saying, ‘You rallied, you opened your homes, you reached out to your friends and your family.’ Yet, despite their best efforts, her words fell short as they failed to make a clear impact on the election outcome.
She believes her supporters risked their personal capital and relationships to engage in dialogues about the happenings in their nation, showing just how misguided the cause was. This left many wondering if it was worth the cost as Harris starts to contemplate her own future and the potential of another White House bid.
While Biden admitted to the admirable Democrats’ feelings of disappointment about their electoral thrashing, he attempted to reassure them that they should take pride in their accomplishment. Regardless, he failed to convince many that their failed investment was worth it.
A few of the administration’s supposed triumphs under Biden were their $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act intended to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., and an increase in federal environmental spending through the Inflation Reduction Act. Even though they view these as achievements, they are incontestably controversial and likely not shared by the mainstream.
In addressing the donors, Biden said ‘We could never have gotten as much done as we did without you.’ A sentimental note that might be questioned given the recent loss. He seems to be banking on the power of their names, reputation, and character to support their futile efforts, a strategy that appeared to have backfired spectacularly.
Looking forward, Biden shared plans of staying engaged with the party politics once he leaves office come January 20, eliciting a mix of trepidation and disapproval. His looming presence threatens to overshadow any genuine attempts at the rejuvenation of the Democratic Party.
He also shared his belief that Harris would most likely remain a key personality in the party’s future. ‘You’re not going anywhere kid. We aren’t letting you,’ he said to Harris, rather paternalistically and without much hope of offering something new for the future of the party.