This is the next of our series of missives on our unfinished work to restore the promise of our country and its government. Each will focus on a single element of the many opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Each will provide three steps we can all take to build upon our huge victories winning back the House in 2018 and the Presidency in 2020.
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Here are ten important ways in which Republicans have already disadvantaged themselves as they head toward the November 2024 elections, making our victory more likely:
- They are resolute in their opposition to a woman’s right to control her own body.
- They protect AK-47s and AR-15s religiously in the face of massacres across America.
- Choosing Putin, they are increasingly against military aid to Volodymyr Zelensky and freedom seeking Ukrainians.
- Unable to elect a Speaker of the House, they have sapped the institutional strength of the Congress at a critical time. Every day of the week, they demonstrate a lack of leadership.
- Several of their leaders are dedicated to shutting down the United States government a month from now.
- Many of them are unwilling to recognize that they lost the 2020 Presidential election, even though their conspiracy claims have tattered the flag.
- They refuse to acknowledge that there have been 14 million new jobs created since Joe Biden took office.
- Their leading candidate to date has been charged with felonies in four separate cases and will be a convicted felon by the time the election is held.
- Many countenanced an insurrection against the United States government on January 6, 2021.
- They continue to support tax policies that comfort the comfortable, increasing the wealth gap in America.
Painfully, here is the most important way in which Democrats are already disadvantaging themselves as they head toward the November 2024 elections.
- Resolving to select the current successful president Joe Biden as their presidential candidate.
There is no question that Joe Biden deserves our everlasting gratitude for defeating Donald Trump by seven million votes in 2020. He has served ably. Working with narrow majorities in both the House and Senate, he enacted into law major changes in how this country fights the enormous threat of climate change and reverses the deterioration of its infrastructure.
Joe Biden has performed well on the international stage. More than any other person, he is responsible for the expansion and strengthening of the NATO alliance and the development of the coalition of nations supporting Ukraine, which otherwise would have been conquered by Russia.
Nonetheless, it is time for Joe Biden to complete his more than four decades of service. This is not even an issue of his electability. Despite his low voter approval at this point, he could win the presidency, especially matched against Donald Trump, whom independent voters have deserted.
The issue is Joe Biden’s health and age. Were he elected, he would be sworn in at 82 and be serving at 86, the oldest President in U.S. history. Performing the incredibly rigorous demands of the presidency would be impossible, not only for Joe Biden, but for anyone of this age. Even more concerning is the distinct possibility that he would become incapacitated or even die during the four years of his second term, or even during the campaign.
President Biden having a heart attack or stroke during the 2024 campaign season would deliver the election to the Republican candidate.
Mortality data backs up this concern. More than 30% of 80-year-old males in America will pass away prior to their 86th birthday, and others will suffer a considerable loss of function. The ravages of aging are inexorable. These are the unavoidable facts of life. This is too big a job and too important a campaign year for Joe Biden’s party to bet on his future health.
Even if millions of Joe Biden’s most grateful supporters wished to accept these dangers, the American voter will not. Three quarters of American voters think he is too old to run, including nearly 70% of Democrats.
It is time for a generational change. It’s happened before. John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were all the youngest major candidates in their presidential primaries. Strong younger candidates abound. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is 52, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is 54. California Governor Gavin Newsom just turned 56 and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is 63. Sure, none is as well-known as Joe Biden, but all are a generation younger, fresh, able, and experienced. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is 50 and Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker is 58. Maryland Governor Wes Moore is a huge emerging talent and he’s 45!
There are political analysts who believe that Joe Biden intends to withdraw from this race, that he is waiting until near the end of the year after Congress goes home to shorten the period that he will be a lame duck. Others believe that even as we speak, internal discussions are taking place as to how to convince Joe Biden to step aside if he will not do so on his own. Perhaps they are right. Even those of us who deeply admire Joe Biden must help to make it so. Let’s do these three things to increase our chances in 2024:
| 1) Call Congressman Dean Phillips Immediately | |
 | Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips is not going to be the next President of the United States. However, what he will do over the next two weeks is of great consequence. Phillips is the Democratic elected official to date most intent on budging Joe Biden away from running. Phillips has made overtures to New Hampshire Democrats and will need to decide in the next two weeks whether to be a candidate. This is exactly what is needed to give more of our leaders the freedom to talk about the dangers of Joe Biden running, and the opportunity to field an alternative. It will draw considerable press attention, make the 2028 Democratic wannabees take notice, and advance their own preparedness in case Biden reconsiders. It is nothing but a good thing. Dean Phillips is former chair of the gelato company Talenti and is the grandson of advice columnist Abigail Van Buren (sister of Ann Landers). He has stepped down from his House leadership position and is fully focused on this matter. He heads back to Minneapolis frequently. Call his Congressional campaign office at 952-426-1766 and tell his aides you need him to run for President. |
2) Contact Your State Party Chair | |
 | Even if you are in a mainstream Democratic state, this is a situation in which state party leadership matters. State party chairs and representatives to the Democratic National Committee are just as worried as you are that voters are overwhelmingly concerned about Joe Biden’s age. Track down their emails and tell them it is time for them to act on their worries. |
3) Watch No Labels Carefully | |
 | At this point, it is difficult to figure out the organization No Labels. Their announced intent is to get beyond bitter partisanship and elevate bi-partisan solutions, including centrist candidates. It is possible that No Labels could do something that would change the entire makeup of the election, and even spur the value of Democrats having a new presidential candidate. Early results are unpromising. The joint appearance by former Utah Republican Governor Jon Huntsman and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin left the policy positions of No Labels indistinct, or perhaps nonexistent. |
There’s just a little more than a year to go before the next presidential election. There’s plenty of time to get the right candidate if we get going.
David Harrison
Bainbridge Island, Washington
