Skip to #4 if you’re in a hurry.
1) He could cost us the Senate. Turnout is everything. Motivating the electorate, attracting new voters — that wins elections. Who voted in record numbers to crush the GOP last year? Young people, women, and people of color. So by all means, let’s nominate an elderly white male. Yes, Joe probably beats Trump (although see below). But we need a nominee who will not just win, but will bring along a horde of inspired Democrats that will obliterate the GOP up and down the ballot. And flip three Senate seats in the process.
2) He is The Establishment Candidate. The safe candidate. People feel comfortable with Joe. You know, like we did with Al, John and Hillary. In this millennium, Democratic Establishment Candidates have underperformed badly.
3) He is a moderate. Normally, that’s not a bad thing. Bill Clinton, Barack Obama — these moderates became pretty good presidents. But the Party of Trump, emboldened by the McConnell Rule, has turned democracy inside out and dumped it down the sewer. They’ve used a simple majority to create the most radical Supreme Court since Jim Crow, a gang of five that is threatening to overturn Roe v. Wade. We can and must fix this. Several progressive candidates have said they are open to expanding SCOTUS. Would Joe do that? I sincerely doubt it.
4) He is weird with women. Seven women have accused Joe of inappropriate touching. If Biden is our nominee, Republican operatives will be scouring the planet to find more victims. How many more will it take to start losing women voters? Three? Six? Fifteen? Suddenly the presumptive victor becomes the underdog, and the archaic electoral college gives Trump — gulp — a second term.
2020 is shaping up to be a phenomenal year for our party. Let’s not blow it by choosing a flawed and risky candidate. Anybody But Biden.
Crosby King, Baltimore