Biden is ready to turn the page toward a face-off with Trump. His path to re-election won’t be an easy one as he faces a party that would have preferred a different candidate
President Joe Biden officially turned the page Wednesday to the general election, looking ahead to a race against former President Donald Trump that will test his ability to reenergize key corners of his winning coalition in a race his team views as nothing less than a fight for democracy itself.
I notice the talking points have shifted around to "the Democrats all wanted it to be someone else" in the last couple of days. It's the kind of fact-free criticism that can worm its way into people's minds and is tough to counteract.
A shitload of democrats and just about all independents to the left of the DNC (which is millions if not tens of millions of potential voters) DID want someone else and still do, though.
Especially since he's stubbornly refusing to depart from his unconditional support for the Israeli apartheid regime even as more and more voters do.
Disclaimer: I'm not saying that he's not a MUCH lesser evil than Trump or that anyone who can shouldn't vote for him.
That doesn't mean that he's above criticism or universally popular amongst everyone to the left of the fascist GOP. Which are supposed to be the people he's representing.
If it were most Democrats, someone might have beat Biden in the primaries
No way to know for sure since the primaries are controlled by the party leadership, all of whom are firmly pro-Biden and some of whom have been known to rig the contests in favor of their preferred candidates before.
I'm getting old. Biden is the farthest left president of my lifetime
No. Even Obama was further left and he was very much a Clintonite too.
Some of Congress and some on Biden's cabinet (most of which were appointed on the advice of others) are further left, but Biden himself is just barely to the left of Joe Manchin.
there's no major candidate running to his left this year.
Because they're literally not allowed to by the DNC leadership.
"Someone else" sure. But not anyone on the ballot. For me they'd need to be both more progressive AND have a shit's chance of beating Trump. Bernie maybe but he's not going to pull centrist votes nor will he dodge the age question. Biden is, unfortunately, our best shot at retaining democracy for another 4 years.
(disclaimer am not American) I say Biden is fine for the US despite his faults and mistakes, but President Sanders would be the best alternative if the world could have one.