The media’s new anti-Biden twist: Democrats scramble to challenge him

The media campaign against President Biden — a concerted effort to put him out of the running for 2024 by declaring he can’t win — has reached a new phase.

Now the argument turns into a claim that if Biden continues to insist on a re-election bid, he will be challenged by one or more dissident Democrats.

There is a parallel media crusade to portray Donald Trump as a hemorrhagic supporter in his party – much less surprising but no less real – but it is clearly a failure. The former president told New York Magazine that he had made up his mind — not hard to understand his decision — and the only question was timing. The Washington Post quotes unnamed advisers saying Trump will likely announce in September.

If anything, the media attacks have made it more likely that Trump will mount a third White House bid, using his longtime antagonists as a foil.

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But for the press to turn on Biden — the man they hailed in 2020 as he ousted the guy they hated — is a remarkable turn of events. (Keep in mind, though, that the press called Biden after his early losses too old, too dull and too moderate until he started winning one big state after another.)

The New York Times played a pivotal role here, first by declaring that the age of a candidate who would be 82 at inauguration is up for debate, and again with a poll showing that most Democrats don’t want Biden to run again. . This figure was 64%.

« President Biden faces an alarming level of doubt … as voters nationwide have soured on his leadership, » the story reads, indicating an overall approval rating of 33%. The article, and another about Biden’s age and mental fitness a day earlier, fueled the media narrative that he can’t win and spawned a barrage of cable news segments.

Former US President Donald Trump applauds as crowds cheer him on during a rally in Washington Township, Michigan. There is a parallel media crusade to paint Trump as a hemorrhagic supporter in his party – much less surprising but no less real – but it is clearly a failure.
(REUTERS/Emily Elconin)

Biden confused two different things when he told ABC’s Ben Gittleson that « people want me to show up. » He then pointed to a poll finding that is true: « Read the polls, Jack. You’re all the same. This poll showed that 92% of Democrats, if I ran, would vote for me. » But Ben (not Jack) had read the Times poll correctly. There is a difference between Democrats who side with their candidate, presumably against Trump, and not want him to run in the first place.

A talking point for the Dems is that Biden would beat Trump in 2024 — but at a time when the Jan. 6 hearings are taking their toll, it’s only by 3 points, which is essentially a statistical tie. Also, did I mention that such polls are ridiculously early?

Now comes The Hill with a lead story stating, « Day after day, Democrats are considering a possible new scenario: challenging the incumbent president for the 2024 nomination. »

Norman Solomon, a progressive RootsAction activist, told the newspaper:

« Unless Biden comes to his senses and announces that he will not run again, a contentious battle for the nomination seems very likely. » Of course, progressives are upset with Biden for not enacting all of their broad leftist plans, which would likely be a poison pill for any Democratic candidate.

Naturally, we don’t hear anything about it from any future Biden challengers – because they have to pledge allegiance to their incumbent president.

As Jack Shafer aptly puts it in Politico, many Democrats “don’t run while actually running” — meaning they have to “raise campaign funds; tickle the eye of the media; oppose other candidates and put them in your political debt; canvass potential campaign staff; and traveling and giving speeches. There is also a list of things such an aspirant cannot do, and these reside in a politically negative space. He cannot criticize the president and must do everything possible to demonstrate his support. He He can’t make multiple trips to Iowa or New Hampshire. It cannot be blatant about building campaign staff, even ghost staff. And he has to vehemently and repeatedly deny that he is showing up.

Because few believe Kamala Harris can win the nomination, Shafer pitches names like Pete Buttigieg and Gavin Newsom (who told the San Francisco Chronicle, « I have sub-zero interest »). The Washington Post gives the highest ranking to Buttigieg, who won the Iowa caucuses, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Newsom, with AOC No. 10).

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference after meeting with students from James Denman Middle School. Newsom told the San Francisco Chronicle, « I have less than zero interest. »
(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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History shows that incumbents who are challenged in the primaries tend to lose in November. This includes Jimmy Carter and George HW Bush.

It’s not that the Times didn’t use its poll to undermine Trump’s prospects as well, saying he’s « weakened » among Republicans, especially because of the Jan. 6 hearings, « with nearly the half of the party’s core voters seeking someone different for president in 2024 and a significant number vowing to ditch him if he wins the nomination. » The figure was 49%.

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The difference is that Trump doesn’t care what the New York Times thinks. If he wasn’t already running, he would just run to stick it to the paper. It would immediately get people talking about him and his stolen campaign crusade, but could also clear the playing field and make it harder for Ron DeSantis, who drew 25% in the poll, to challenge him.

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No one knows how Biden, a Beltway institutionalist, would react to a Democratic delegation telling him it’s time to go — if the press and polls don’t convince him first.