The Democratic Party had the 2024 election slip through their fingers not merely last month, but instead, they dropped the ball early in the previous year. The poignant moment came when they decided to throw their support behind the reelection of Joe Biden despite loads of observable indicators that this wasn’t in harmony with the country’s desire. Unfortunately, it seems that the bubble of Washington DC can often blind those inside to the sentiments of the masses.
The giant of a coalition that maneuvered Biden into power in 2020 was shaky and fragile from the very beginning. However, the charismatic allure of Joe Biden’s age seemed to eclipse the obvious concern of his competency for another term. The voters who had their doubts about this were met with vague implications of this concern potentially being handled later, smartly evaded by the Democrats.
For a great number of citizens, this vague assurance seemed sufficient, it was a message they latched onto. Their primary concern at the time was to restrain Donald Trump, and they adopted a rather nonchalant attitude about the issue of Biden’s age, deciding to deal with it only when the situation would arise four years down the line.
Despite the legislative victories of Biden in the initial two years of his tenure that were portrayed as political triumphs within certain Democrat circles and sections of the media, many of the citizens weren’t reaping any evident benefits. Yet, surprisingly, Biden, now in his 80s, was ambitious enough to aim for reelection, backed by his loyal party members.
The Democrats seemed to be caught in the loop of their own extravagant hype, losing sight of reality. The initial perception of Joe Biden’s role was to oust Donald Trump, and unfortunately, they seemed to have lost sight of this in the run-up to the election. This forgetfulness on their part led to their downfall.
Wait, what happened next? Whilst explicit denial of a second term bid wasn’t forthcoming from Biden, his 2020 promise to act as a transitional leader to a new generation of Democratic representatives was seen by many as an implicit denial. Many predicted that Kamala Harris would step up to the plate for the 2024 elections, in alignment with Biden’s earlier commitment.
However, any expectations of such an orderly shift were shattered when Biden and the Democratic party decided to turn back on this promise. Instead of paving the way for a potential successor in the forthcoming run, they relegated the possible candidate and jeopardized the chances in the 2024 election.
If Biden had truly given thought to his potential successor during the early days as President, he could’ve declared his intentions publicly and prepared the ground for the successor. Alternatively, if Harris wasn’t his chosen candidate, he still had the option to groom another capable candidate for the future.
There were a plethora of choices that could’ve been made. They could’ve mapped out a series of strategies and chosen the one that would ensure the best outcome. However, they ended up making the poorest choice of all – sidestepping the successor and bragging about how Joe was the one and only choice.
It was sheer folly on their part to leave the massive task of transitioning to the successor when Biden’s prospects were grim, with only three months left to the election. Such a reckless move not only undermined the successor’s potential but also distorted citizens’ trust in the Democratic narrative.
Had Joe Biden pulled off a miracle and won the election despite his age and apparent failures, the year 2025 would’ve been marred by a democratic crisis. The hasty transition to the successor, who was sidelined initially, in the event of Biden’s incapacity to serve, would have definitely caused an uproar among citizens.
In hindsight, the error-fraught course adopted by the Democrats is starkly evident. From rallying support behind Joe Biden, despite his unpopularity and blatant signs indicating he was not the people’s choice, to the last-minute crisis maneuver of promoting a sidelined successor, they seemed to be caught in a web of missteps.
Moreover, the overconfidence exhibited by the Democrats and their blind faith in their projected image of Joe Biden only served to further remove them from the ground realities. By losing sight of the bigger picture – that Biden was primarily elected to oust Trump – they were left grappling with their myopic vision, thereby setting the stage for their downfall.
Nevertheless, despite the many roadblocks they could have avoided, they chose to embark on a road plagued with problems, pushing aside potential solutions. Such a stubborn approach not only led to their failure in the 2024 elections but will also leave lasting dents in their credibility for future endeavors.
In future elections, the Democratic party should reflect upon these mishaps and choose their candidates and strategies more wisely. An understanding of the public pulse coupled with strategic planning can certainly help prevent such dilemmas in future.
The Democrats’ debacle in the 2024 elections is a testament to the fact that a party standing on the shaky ground of hype and arrogance alone, without a firm grasp of the pulse of the masses, is set on a perilous path fraught with errors and defeats.