Washington.- What happens when a politician’s interests deviate from those of his party?
That is the question facing the Democratic Party.
President Biden has survived his initial downfall after his dismal performance in last month’s debate and the animosity against him within the Democratic Party appears to have abated.
But the party’s basic problem hasn’t changed: His presence on the ticket is likely to hurt Democrats’ chances of defeating Donald Trump this fall — and could eliminate the party’s chances of controlling Congress.
Here’s the evidence: In public appearances, Biden continues to confuse the facts and struggle to make the case for his candidacy clear.
About 75 percent of voters say he is too old to be president, polls show.
Most Democratic voters do not want him to be the nominee, as polls show.
His approval rating is below 40 percent, worse than any modern president who has sought re-election.
Remarkably, in every key state where there is a Senate race, the Democratic candidate is winning and Biden is losing.
In earlier times, when the country’s political parties were stronger, Democratic officials would have forced Biden out of the race.
Those parties are now weaker, and Democratic officials appear less willing to confront Biden.
At the moment, Democrats have a nominee whom most of them don’t like and they don’t know what to do.
Near the end of Biden’s press conference last week, he gave a response that highlighted the difference between his own interests and those of the party.
It came after a reporter asked him about the possibility of Vice President Kamala Harris replacing him on the ticket.
“If your team came to you and showed you information that she might have better odds against former President Donald Trump, would you reconsider your decision to stay in the race?” Scripps News’ Haley Bull asked.
Biden replied: “Not unless they told me ‘there’s no way you can win.’ But nobody is saying that and no polls are saying that.”
That answer is worth unpacking. Biden did not say he is the Democrat most likely to win. In fact, he suggested he would stay in the race even if it helps Trump. He named an impossibly high standard — the certainty of defeat — if he quits.
The Biden of 2024 no longer represents a promise of change; he is an unpopular and visibly aging president.
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