National Democratic leaders should pay attention to the veteran strategist James Carville and take it a step further. They need to find a way to persuade President Joe Biden to step aside for the 2024 election.
Carville’s critique was strongly stated over the weekend, continuing his message of the past few years about his party’s political insensitivity. Starting at the 6:15 mark of an interview on the Politicon podcast, Carville said, “Democrat messaging is full of s***. … Don’t talk about f***ing Gaza and student loans. That’s so out [there].”
Citing polls that place these issues low on voters’ concerns, Carville questioned, “Why are we forgiving student loans for people that go to Harvard? Which — according to [marketing professor] Scott Galloway, quite accurately, is nothing but a hedge fund that has classrooms — well, they got a $52 billion f***ing surplus! Why are taxpayers going to bail these people out?! Why don’t you come out for a proposal to tax every university endowment over $5 billion and use that money to give their former students relief?”
Carville believes Democrats should focus on the “cost of living” and issues related to the Supreme Court. Coupled with his longstanding complaints about “wokeness” dominating the Democratic Party, Carville consistently advises that Democrats adopt populist messages instead of catering to left-wing elites.
While Carville did not call for Biden’s removal in his latest outburst (in fact, he has often praised Biden), he has consistently pointed out Biden’s political weaknesses. He has noted that “right below the presidential level,” the Democratic Party has considerable talent. Speaking to New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd in March, he listed names such as “Mitch Landrieu, Andy Beshear, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, Raphael Warnock, Gretchen Whitmer, Gina Raimondo, and Roy Cooper.” (Follow the links for more on each.)
Carville is correct. If Democrats believe former President Donald Trump poses a significant threat, they need a stronger candidate than Biden to defeat him. This also requires abandoning the pandering to the woke Left and appealing to the broad center of the electorate.
Democratic insiders are aware that Biden, though not senile, is increasingly physically limited and tires easily. When tired, his cognitive function diminishes. He isn’t fit for the job now, and won’t be for another four years.
Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and others should meet with Biden and his wife Jill to lay out the situation. They could suggest that Biden could end his term on a high note but highlight the political reality that his decision to run again could give Trump a lifeline. Convincing him to step aside might be their best option.
The challenge is to do this without leaving the unpopular Vice President Kamala Harris as the default candidate. They may need to persuade her that her future lies in a judicial role, perhaps even suggesting a Court of Appeals judgeship with a possible Supreme Court position later on. They could ask a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to take senior status, pushing her nomination through before year’s end.
If Biden’s replacement is a white male, identity politics might necessitate a black female running mate. Democrats could consider selecting one of the top black, female chief executives from prominent companies.
One way or another, Democrats need to present an alternative to an unpopular, fading candidate who would be 86 by the end of the next term. America deserves a better option against Trump. With Biden as the nominee, the Democrats’ message will remain challenged, regardless of the topic — because ultimately, at the presidential level, the candidate is the message.
