In a surprising turn of events, Politico [1] has assigned a team of five reporters to cover the “full-blown freakout” happening within the Democratic Party over Joe Biden’s chances of being reelected. The anxiety is not just confined to party strategists and officeholders but has also spread to the highest levels of the party.
Despite the Democrats’ joyless and exhausting grind through the 2024 election year, anxiety has now permeated their ranks, as expressed by over a dozen party leaders and operatives. The gap between what Democrats publicly state and what they privately acknowledge has been growing as concerns over Biden’s prospects intensify.
Good morning. Democrats are in a “full blown freakout” over Biden’s election prospects.
“A pervasive sense of fear has settled in at the highest levels of the Democratic Party over President Joe Biden’s reelection prospects, even among officeholders and strategists who had… pic.twitter.com/SOG69ydhyN [2]
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) May 28, 2024 [3]
A glance at the polling average reveals that Biden has only managed to lead in one out of the last eight polls, with just a one-point advantage according to Quinnipiac. This slim margin falls far short of the three to four-point lead typically necessary for victory in the electoral college.
Although Democrats are aware of these unfavorable poll numbers, no one wants to be the person who publicly admits it. “You don’t want to be that guy who is on the record saying we’re doomed, or the campaign’s bad or Biden’s making mistakes. Nobody wants to be that guy,” confessed a Democratic operative close to the White House, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.
The persistence of Biden’s poor polling and the high stakes of the upcoming election have led to a sense of panic within the party. The concern is palpable, and Democrats are beginning to lose their composure.
However, what truly has Democrats on edge is not just Biden’s lagging poll numbers due to his tumultuous tenure as president. Their lawfare strategy is also facing potential failure. It’s not only the possibility of a conviction backfiring that worries them; there is yet another catastrophic outcome on the horizon.
Several months ago, it was argued that people were not considering what would happen if Trump were to avoid a conviction in his New York criminal trial. With the weakness of the case presented by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, it is now a distinct possibility, despite the efforts of a far-left judge. The trial took a turn for the worse when the star witness admitted to grand larceny on the stand.
The potential for a hung jury is not out of the question either, leaving Democrats feeling the pressure and cracking under it. The realization that their supposed “lay-up” case failed to deliver the expected outcome has created a prevailing sense of fear. It was never intended for the race between Biden and Trump to be this close. Democrats had relied on their lawfare strategy as their ace in the hole, with the assurance of convictions in every case.
With their backup options limited, given the unlikelihood of the other three criminal cases reaching a conclusion before the election, and Biden lacking a record to campaign on, the Democrats are left with the desperate hope of replacing Joe Biden during the DNC convention. However, this scenario seems highly improbable, especially considering that Jill Biden will likely prevent any such attempt.
Who will Democrats replace Biden with?
— General™️ (@TheGeneral_0) May 28, 2024 [4]
Though circumstances may change in the coming months, as of late May, Democrats have every reason to be experiencing a “full-blown freakout.” Politico, a left-wing publication, has allocated a significant number of reporters to cover this story, indicative of just how dire the situation has become within the party.