Biden is usually right. It is 50 years of active experience. No one in our history has practiced politics actively on the national stage for longer. Even LBJ served “only” 23 years prior to being Veep and he was only Majority Leader for 6 years.
So Biden’s comments on “elites” is noteworthy and we should listen.
“I don’t care what those big names think,” Biden said after the hosts listed some prominent Democrats who’ve called for him to step aside. “They were wrong in 2020. They were wrong in 2022 about the red wave. They were wrong in 2024.”
There is more to it than that. A lot of the Dems assailing Biden are not progressives. Look at the pedigree of some of those criticizing Biden. Millionaire Mark Warner, Adam Schiff. Remember Schiff worked against his own party to ensure a Republican opponent instead of having two Democrats on the ticket. He may have cost us a couple (at least) House seats this fall. In other words, these Democratic Elites are not a friend of real Democrats and progressives the way Biden has been.
And let’s not forget who won the election in 2020 for Democrats. African American voters. Jim Clyburn was central to Biden securing the nomination, of course, but it looks like the elite-millionaire’s-wing of the Democratic party is going after the core African-American-Union Democratic base by challenging Biden. It really is the Hollywood/Silicon Valley wing of the party working with their friends in the media and in the tech media to conduct this smear campaign.
Why would they do this?
1) They think they know better. They are “elites” because they think they are better than the rest of us.
2) Power. Perhaps some of this Elite Dem crowd have been forced out of the inner circle. Unlike the Obama and especially Clinton administrations. Biden is not a DLC Democrat. He walks picket lines. (Also note I believe his 3-5 pt lead in Michigan is because he did that). They are out of power in the Biden admin.
3) Access. If they do oust Biden and elevate someone, even Kamala, she will be beholden and they will have more access than they do now.
I know we want to blame the media, Fox, the Trump campaign. But in this case, the call is coming from inside the house. This is self-inflicted, and this has been done by a group of elite Democrats seizing an opportunity to take back power from a truly progressive President who is not easily played and doesn’t have time for their malarkey.