The opportunity presented entails a change in rhetorical strategy. However, before explaining the method and philosophy, the rationale for the change requires some background.
There was a time when being the member of any given political party entailed holding a very cogent and often universal commitment to certain key policy goals and governing philosophy. The natural egoism associated with those who seek power to deviate from those goals and that philosophy were more often than not blocked by strict seniority rules in legislatures and party boss politics within each party. When campaign finance laws changed, wresting away the financial vise-grip of bosses in favor of individual candidates and seniority rules were relaxed to prevent a handful of legislators from holding all the committe chairs, each individual politician became their own party, policy think-tank, and power center. Every politician seeks now not only to create a campaign apparatus that runs independently of the traditional power structure, but also to create a persona conducive to creating a culture of personality.
The changes affected both major political parties in this country. However, the nature of the political policy Left/Right paradigm makes this effect on the parties assymmetrical: Generally speaking there are fewer options for how to maintain the status quo; i.e., vote conservatively, and an infinite number of ways to change it; in other words, be a liberal. The well known expression, “Democrats fall in love — Republicans fall in line” is a cliché, but also a truism illustrative of this assymetry.
In fact, outrageous personality cult magnets whose antics undermine traditional sources of power like Trump and MTG would not have been tolerated until recently. Less flamboyant but nevertheless effective charismatic figures have come to the fore in Democratic politics. Clinton's brilliant use of triangulation succeeded in keeping power himself fortwo terms plus attaining most of his own pet policies, but undermined the likelihood of a successor to maintain those policies. Carter's focus on a moral government in conflict with his own party led to opposition by another charismatic leader (Ted Kennedy) and assured he could not even achieve a second term. this defeat to Reagan instead led to the obliteration of most of his accomplishments. In 2006, Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy showed promise in establishing a strong bench for future Dem Party candidates, but the Obama team chose a loyalist who readjusted the party focus to support the top of the ticket almost exclusively.
This failure to promote party building by Dems led to Republicans’ success in using the 2010 census results, along with its REDMAP Plan, successfully to implement a massive gerrymandering of legislative districts thereby creating a stranglehold on state governments likely to last a generation or more.
The “Every Man For Himself” dynamic in modern politics has led on the right to once decent conservatives being cowed into submission by a warped manchild, and on the left to existential panic that a decent and capable man, always known for being verbally flustered, suddenly stutters.
I have hoped for too long that those decent people on the right would take courage and place country over self-preservation to stop Trump and his ilk. That ship has long since sailed with no chance of returning to port.
The Democrats have a shot here, however. It does not require blind adherence to a Biden Cult of Personality. So many here have suggested rallying around Biden would become a recipe for failure. They are not titally wrong so long as the emphasis is merely on Biden, the man, and not Biden, The Leader of The Democratic Party. The key is allegiance to what it means to be “Big D” Democrat as well as a “small d” democrat.
In the 1990s, Newton Gingrich with his influential “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control ” led the Republicans in a successful strategy to define falsely what it meant to be a Democrat. Democrats can use the same basic strategy to tell the truth about what a MAGA Republican is, without extraneous invective. Some, like Katie Porter, Eric Swallwell, President Biden, Vice-President Harris, do this effectively. If you listen, you hear them say the right words:
Republicans care about the wealthy — Democrats care about everyone
Republicans want a tax cut for billionaires — Democrats want an economy that works for everyone
Republicans believe America is a hellscape — Democrats believe America is the greatest country on the planet and is growing stronger
Republicans support overseas dictators — Democrats believe in democracy
Republicans want to control your body- Democrats want you to make your own Healthcare decisions
Democrats created (Fill in the blank: Social Security, Medicare, Affordable Care Act) and Republicans have opposed it every step of the way and STILL want to abolish it.
You get the idea.
The pols listed above have excellent solo acts. What is missing is the chorus and the production numbers (before and beyond the Democratic Convention).
Notice what is missing in my phrasing. It is about policy, not personality. Sure, candidate can insert their own name there, or Biden's or anyone else, but the key is repetition of the words “Democrats” or “Democratic Party” plus a specific achievement or specific attainable goal.
The opportunity presented is to develop the idea in the body politic that the 2024 election is NOT about personalities but about the team behind a coherent and successful governing philosophy. The underlying message is not Joe Biden is the only guy who can beat Trump. The message is you are voting for a Team of People, like Kamala Harris, Like Anthony Blinken, like Pete Buttigieg, etc. in the executive branch, like Ruben Gallego, Sherrod Brown, Jackie Rosen, Tammy Baldwin, (Fill in the name of any given Senate or House Dem).
A subtext, not part of the overt sales pitch, is it doesn’t matter if Biden loses a step, even two. No successful president, unlike Trump, has ever claimed “I alone can do it.” Even were Biden to have to step down, the team would be in place to carry on. Some editorial will eventually observe, “After President Kennedy died, look at what LBJ was able to accomplish!”
Here is hoping Democrats figure out they have more to gain by working in one direction for a change. They have astoundingly powerful ammunition and will succeed if they can avoid the usual circular firing squad.