We Just Got A Brand New Election ...
Publisher’s Note
This has been a remarkable few days to say the least, so much has happened, so many millions of dollars have been raised and the public conversation is on fire ahead of a presidential election in a way that we haven’t witnessed in years. Clearly, the game has changed, a mix of excitement blended with uncertainty. No one knows for sure how this will turn out, but its been meme-ified enough by this stage for most to have fun with it. That’s perhaps the most important and critical aspect of this, especially as we watch it unfold over social media: the general public mood seems to be lit and fun-filled in a way that was needed, especially in the aftermath of 1) post-debate doom that was following President Biden in the wake of what many considered a lackluster performance and 2) a very depressing and obscene Republican National Convention that had every sensible voter (and non-voter either sitting on the fence or not yet of age) petrified of the potential dystopic possibilities should Trump win.
Some thoughts to consider as star dust settles ….
President Biden engineered a masterful, near-perfect political move (full of risks, but basking in its eloquence) that is unmatched by even the most dramatic political thrillers. It was unquestionably Yoda-like in its delivery.
The timing also took every breath and band of energy - if there was any - out of a painfully bleak GOP convention that, admittedly, many of us avoided watching out of genuine concern for our own mental health. Republicans weren’t painting a picture of an America the majority of Americans want to exist in.
The timing of the move even overshadowed the historic assassination attempt on Trump, which the mainstream media cycle, social media and public discourse seemed to gloss over once the Biden announcement was made. Save the resignation of the Secret Service director, few really talked about it.
For the first time in quite a while, the zeitgeist is talking more about someone other than Trump. And, that’s feeling good for a lot of people at the moment …
It also took the oxygen, just when it was needed, out of the bitter Democratic Party civil war that was brewing over whether Biden should have stayed or bowed out. Here we had a situation where Republicans were fervently coalescing around a felon, a rapist, a racist, an insurrectionist, a confidential document-stealing traitor and failed president who was responsible for too many more Americans dying through a pandemic … and Democrats couldn’t unify around their very successful president who just had one bad debate night. All is forgiven for now, for the greater good, but folks won’t forget who started it. But Biden wisely chose the best way to manage that … and some might say that this was his plan all along, to do it this way.
Biden not only gracefully exiting the stage, but handing his light saber over to his Vice President, Kamala Harris, a polished personification of next generation, was perfectly timed to meet the moment and suck all media-frenzied life our air out of the Republican clown balloon. It’s been a momentous occasion and quite magnificent to watch, in all honesty.
This move secures Biden’s legacy, for the moment, as the greatest modern U.S. president of all time, barring any grave misfortune in his decision-making between now and the last day of his administration. This wasn’t just a political lesson; this was also a philosophical and spiritual lesson in commitment and sacrifice, lessons that have been demoralizingly absent in our political and policymaking universe for quite some time.
Thankfully, now we get a fresh new election. No more of the speculation over whether Biden stays or goes, and focus on decisively beating the most existential threat to American democracy since World War II.
Since media incessantly obsessed over Biden’s age and his ability to govern, which should have been an issue and, clearly, was never a challenge for him, will they obsess the same way over Trump and his non-stop incoherent rants on the campaign trail (along with bouts of visible napping at the GOP convention)? What’s good for the good is now good for the gander, right? But, ultimately, Trump is by numerous measures unqualified, his lack of mental sharpness chief among them.
And, we kept seeing polling data and hearing open conversation about how Americans hated having to choose between two old geriatrics, one mean and rambling full of tropes, while the other occasionally bumbled or stuttered in an interview and once through a debate. So, now, you don’t have that choice anymore. Now, Democrats have a candidate as radiant, youthful and energetic as they could find. Will the electorate, always unpleasable, be satisfied with that?
The contrast between Trump and Harris is as sharp as a blade. A convicted felon versus a former top prosecutor and Attorney General to the largest state in the nation. A proven rapist and suspected pedophile versus a long-time champion of reproductive rights. A failing business showman with no governance skills who drove a superpower off the COVID cliff versus an actual long-time public servant with governance skills who has an incumbent administration’s post-COVID record to run on. An open racist versus civil, voting and environmental rights policymaker.
Because of these contrasts …
There are risks for Democrats, of course: we still have a bit over three months till the election, so that is plenty of time for Republicans to still regroup. Disinformation will be rampant. Opposition researchers will be doing their researching on Harris to turn over any unturned stone. The racism and sexism are showing in abundant spades. However, Biden would not have picked Harris as a running mate had he not been confident of her ability to manage or respond to a moment like this. She’s already vetted: prosecutor, Attorney General, Senator and then Vice President.
The fundraising from this moment has already broke records. There’s more money to come, floodgates are opening and a record number of volunteers are signing up. Harris already has an automatically built-in Black community infrastructure of HBCU alumni and student, Divine Nine, Black church, Mason, and block captain networks that are already charged up and raising millions. As CBS reports as of today …
The campaign said earlier it took in $81 million in the 24 hours after Mr. Biden dropped out. It was the largest amount of money raised in a 24-hour span in presidential history, according to Team Harris.
The campaign said more than 888,000 grassroots donors contributed in that 24 hour span and for 60% of them, it was their first contribution of the 2024 election cycle. A call hosted by the group "Win with Black Women" brought in $1.6 million alone, Team Harris said.
The $100 million haul came from more than 1.1 million unique donors, including 62% first-time donors, according to the campaign.
There is some national polling showing Trump running fairly flat as Harris already gains quick ground …
But 1) it’s still way too early to tell and 2) we’ll need to see what the battleground state polling (especially in states like Pennsylvania) say. We can’t judge this race on polling at this moment. It’s worth watching political scientist Allan Lichtman’s offer his analysis through his 13 keys to the White House to help make sense of it …
We haven’t felt this kind of energy since Barack Obama’s seismic shifting Iowa caucus win in 2008. From that point on, he was an unstoppable electoral juggernaut all the way into the White House. This is the kind of optimistic, hope-filled energy one needs to win a presidential campaign. So …
Get registered to vote. Vote the right way.
One last request, however: we do hope this now shifts the conversation away from less important quirks like age, bad debate nights and who passes the old guy smell test and lands on to more important discussions like where do these candidates stand on key issues. What’s the plan for climate crisis? What are you doing about the housing crisis? American education is crumbling, what are you going to do about that? What investments will you make in vulnerable communities? How will you prepare our national defense and essential Nat Sec partnerships like NATO and AUKUS for the future, especially as Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran chest thump? Are you ready to redesign and build American infrastructure? How much can you improve healthcare systems so that they work for everyone? Are you giving deep thought to equitable governance, the wealthy paying their fair share and making sure we’re building up the common good? Democrats have a solid candidate and they also have an opportunity to expose Republicans’ sinister Project 2025 plan while highlighting their forward thinking plans. Use the next few months wisely.