Politics is a Team Sport
Hi everyone - back this week after traveling last week. I was visiting a friend in NYC - man was it cold! I love New York but the 20-degree weather was a gentle reminder why I’ll always be a California boy. Now, for the piece:
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In 2020 when Biden won the democratic primary and picked Kamala as his running mate I, like many Americans, thought the future plan was simple if Biden won: he’d be a transition president, turn over the reins to Kamala in 2024, and that would be that.
Now that he’s running for reelection there’s a lot of dismay on the left. He’s too old, he needs to step aside, he’s unpopular, he’s boring, he hasn’t done enough, he’s broken promises, he’s supporting Israel too much, the list goes on. It’s not that Democrats dislike Joe, it’s that they aren’t excited about his candidacy.
Realistically, Joe Biden will be the Democrats’ nominee in 2024 unless he falls physically ill. Democrats need to accept this, & the sooner the better. I have my own thoughts on Biden’s presidency (spoiler, I think he’s doing a great job), but for those who are wavering, I have a reminder:
Politics is a team sport. Sometimes that means accepting an outcome the team doesn’t love but is still best for the group.
Even if Biden isn’t the perfect candidate, he stands for values democrats espouse: equality, democratic norms, racial justice, & progressive policies. In his first two years in office he got a lot done working with Congressional Democrats. See, among others, the Inflation Reduction Act, Chips and Science Act, Infrastructure Law, Safer Communities Act, & The Marriage Equality Act. See also ending the war in Afghanistan, appointing the first black supreme court justice, appointing the most diverse executive cabinet in history, student debt relief, respecting our democratic institutions (that last one is normally a giveaway but since we’re currently battling authoritarianism it bears mention).
Collectively these actions represent thousands of lives saved, better roads and bridges, the largest investment in climate infrastructure in history, protection of marginalized community’s rights, lower drug prices for seniors, and so much more. Democrats win, the American people win. That’s the story that policy of the last 50+ years tells us.
Biden’s administration got this stuff done. And he’ll get more stuff done like it in his second term. We don’t need the most charismatic or relatable guy in the Oval. At this point, keeping Trump out of office should be reason enough to line up behind Joe (and I say that as an American, not a Democrat).
It comes down to pragmatism. If we as Democrats want to accomplish our goals like keeping Trump out, reinstating a Federal right to abortion, gun control, climate change prevention, healthcare for all, a strong social safety net, then we need to respect our team captain’s decision even if we aren’t excited about it. Think of Joe as a figurehead for the Democrats to push our policies forward if it makes you feel better. There’s a lot on the line.
It begins with casting a vote for Biden in 2024. That’s how I’m voting. Because even if I may not be excited about his candidacy, I’m passionate as hell about the Democrats’ policy agenda. And a vote for him is a vote for that.
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