This changes everything

I have been a conservative political activist for almost 40 years. I am a Republican, but as I have shared in my column, I am not a MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporter. In all those years, I have never experienced a political season like this one. There have been several times when I have said, “This changes everything!”

For some time, Republicans had been questioning President Biden’s health, mental acuity, and general fitness for the presidency. Of course, Democrats circled the wagons in denial. According to Democrats, Biden was fit as ever and ready for a second term.

Then came the June debate. Biden gave a horrible performance. He seemed confused and didn’t appear to be keeping up with the discussion. At one point during the debate, Trump said, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.”

Biden’s team did their best to explain away his debate showing. The excuses ranged from having a cold to jet lag. Still, it wasn’t enough to stop the growing chorus of Democrat voices openly discussing replacing Biden on the ticket. This changes everything!

Even after the debate, Biden steadfastly declared that he intended to be reelected in November. Then, on July 13, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a would-be assassin shot at Donald Trump, grazing his ear. A spectator at the rally was killed, and two others were critically injured. As he was being whisked to safety by the Secret Service, a photographer captured a picture of Trump with his fist in the air yelling. “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

The contrast could not have been starker. In the debate, you had a doddering Biden compared to a strong and defiant Trump. Even Democrats knew there was no way Biden could beat Trump in November. There was even concern that Biden could cost the Democrats both the House and the Senate. This changes everything!

As if these events weren’t enough, on July 21, Biden announced that he was dropping out of the race! There was a brief question about who the Democrat nominee would be, but Biden threw his support behind his vice president, Kamala Harris. Harris eventually got the support of Jimmy Carter, the Clintons, and the Obamas. She was formally nominated but the Democrat National Convention. This changes everything!

Talking to Republicans, I get the impression that many don’t understand just how much the race has changed. Before Biden dropped out, many Republicans (me included) believed that she would not be a very strong candidate. When Harris ran for the nomination in 2020, she failed to gain meaningful support among Democrats. Her campaign didn’t even make it all the way to the Iowa caucuses. One of the reasons she is the candidate is that as part of the Biden-Harris ticket, she is the only Democrat who could tap into the Biden campaign war chest.

Republicans seem to think that Harris’ failure to make a difference in the 2020 primary will result in her not having strong Democratic support in 2024. They are wrong!

Harris may not have been anyone’s first choice, but I think Democrats were so resigned to Biden losing that they are thrilled to have someone else on the ticket. Of course, the Harris campaign is probably still in the ‘honeymoon’ phase so we will see what unfolds in the next month, especially in the upcoming debate!

So far, Democrats have been overlooking the fact that Harris was not really a contender in 2020. She has backed away from some of her more liberal positions (defunding the police, single-payer health care, mandatory assault rifle buybacks), but Democrats don’t seem concerned.

Most Democrats I know seem excited and invigorated about a Harris-Trump matchup. While I wonder whether it is excitement about Harris or simply relief that it’s no longer Biden, ultimately, it doesn’t matter.

David Chung is a Gazette editorial fellow. david.chung@thegazette.com