Prominent poll analyst, Nate Silver, ruffled feathers recently when he suggested that the current President, Joe Biden, step down, effectively handing the reins to Kamala Harris. His harsh commentary took aim primarily at Biden’s perceived inability to address crucial matters with the urgency they necessitate. ‘Is the notion that Biden is proficient enough to run this office something forcibly rational?’ was Silver’s pointed jibe. Threading a note of scorn, he added, ‘The enormity of this task, the stakes escalating particularly around issues in Ukraine—it all demands a more cogent leadership.’
Silver rhetorically proposed that Biden abdicate his office and allow Harris to govern in his stead for the remaining two months—suggesting she couldn’t fare much worse. His words spin a narrative of disappointing presidential behaviour, focusing on how Biden has actively eluded press engagement. He touched on comical instances of Biden’s indifferent behaviour such as a TV producer desperately scribbling messages on large poster pads in an attempt to communicate with him.
In a public spectacular of avoidance, President Biden has refrained from addressing pressing questions from the media since losing the election to Donald Trump on November 5, an event he deemed as one of the most pivotal in the annals of American history. Silver, noted for illuminating political landscapes with his poll analytics, has emerged as a piercing detractor of Biden, both during the campaign and post the Democrat’s deafening defeat.
Hitting hard once again, Silver opined that Trump’s victory is largely attributable to Biden and not Harris, essentially passing the buck to the president. ‘The debacle of this electoral race falls at Biden’s doorstep, not hers,’ he caustically wrote. His acerbic critique escalated with a stinging comment about the top officials in Biden’s campaign, who he manifestly believes should be banished from the political sphere forever.
Piling the scorn even higher, Silver unearthed a shocking revelation— that Biden’s misguided team had predicted that Trump would rake in an overwhelming 400 electoral votes if he persisted in the race. Reflecting hypocrisy and a shocking loss of insight, this prediction further fueled Silver’s critical stance. Perhaps more surprising, however, Silver showed an unusually high level of empathy for Biden’s sidekick Kamala Harris—sympathy he hasn’t extended to even the most defeated of candidate in many years.
Silver concluded with a litany of difficult challenges Biden delegated to Harris: from addressing border issues—arguably the Democrats’ Achilles’ heel—to leading efforts on voting rights, a subject the White House seems to be blatantly disregarding. The implication was clear: Biden is using Harris as a scapegoat in a doomed mission.
Taking a jab at Biden’s strategic abilities, Silver stated, ‘His actions have annihilated the debate timetable, leaving zero events after September 11—a platform that often worked in Harris’s favor.’ The inference was stark that Biden seemingly kept sabotaging Harris’s attempts to communicate her message. A fail that doesn’t seem accidental but more of a strategic misstep.
As a pollster, Silver’s pre-election predictions had forecast an intense neck-to-neck battle. However, as the early hours of the election night unfolded, a strong performance from Trump was glaringly evident. Introspecting on his own forecast and its resultant failure, Silver humbly stated that his model hadn’t adequately grasped the unfolding spectacle, admitting that he had missed tracking the true narrative of this election.