Biden, Harris, and the Test for American Democracy: Will We Rise to Meet the Opportunity?

Will America embrace the best version of itself and move beyond racism and misogyny? Or will this country succumb to white supremacy and self-destruction? Let's unite and fight for democracy.

America is at a historic crossroads.

Will it choose to embrace the best version of itself, become expansive and generous, and move beyond racism and misogyny?

Will the pro-democracy majority unite to support Kamala Harris, a Black Indian woman and daughter of immigrants, against a corrupt criminal and racist vulgarian who has promised to be a dictator and cares only about gaining power? 

Or, will this country succumb to white supremacy, fear and self-destruction?

These are some of the questions that will be answered in the next few months. 

However, what can be said definitively is that President Joe Biden performed a remarkable sacrifice to protect our fragile democracy that is under attack from right-wing authoritarianism by choosing not to seek re-election.

I do not embrace the cult of personality or worship politicians. I give them praise for their accomplishments, and I criticize them when necessary. In three and a half years, President Biden’s record, accomplishments and decision to not seek a second term will place him in an august pantheon of leaders who truly put the country before themselves. He will also have to contend with his moral failure and complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Both statements can be true at the same time. 

The same donors and elected Democrats who pressured Biden to step down now better rally around Kamala Harris. We’re all paying attention, especially voters of color. We keep receipts. We’re not here for any foolishness. Vice President Kamala Harris is part and parcel of the Biden ticket that inspired over 81 million people, the most ever, to come out and vote during a pandemic. His successes are hers as well. She is a former prosecutor, Attorney General, and Senator from my home state of California. She is thoroughly qualified. She has to be the Democratic nominee for President moving forward. That’s it. 

Now, Democrats need to simply team her up with a suitable partner and recreate an 80’s buddy action movie with a Black cop and White cop from different sides of the town who unite over shared values to take down the bad guy. In this case, it’s Trump, MAGA and Project 2025, all forces hostile to our democracy. 

Since everyone is giving Democrats terrible advice, such as having a “blitz primary” three months before the election or potentially bypassing VP Harris and creating a brand new ticket, allow me to throw my hat in the ring with some thoughts that might actually be useful. Historically, Democrats have been spineless and terrified of their own shadow, which is Black, the same color of their most loyal base. Now is the time to stop being afraid and embrace the fact you are a multi-racial and multicultural party with popular progressive policies. Don’t apologize for it or try to hide it, but lean into it hard. 

President Biden stepping down presents an opportunity for Democrats to unify and go on full-scale offense until November. Don’t spend a single second on defense. Not one. There’s no need. When it comes to age, attack Trump for being the oldest Presidential candidate. Question his stamina and fitness. Attack his lack of transparency with his hospital results, treatment, and diagnosis following his shooting. Always keep bringing it up - where’s the report?  When it comes to Biden’s slip ups, bring up Trump’s slip ups and obsession with Hannibal Lecter and sharks. Challenge Trump to do a 1 hour press conference on foreign policy or, really, any policy with a hostile press corps. Always stay on offense. This is, after all, the same man who is a criminal, promised to be a dictator for a day, and incited a violent insurrection.

Democrats should reframe the entire election as saving democracy from a Trump dictatorship. It’s about protecting freedoms against Trump and MAGA who will take them away. That’s it. Keep it simple. That’s why voters chose Biden- Harris in 2020 in the first place. 

Speaking of strategic voters, Democrats should lean on and reward Black leaders who have been the most loyal and staunch supporters of the Biden-Harris ticket. The Congressional Black Caucus, minus one individual, stayed united and steadfast in promoting the Biden-Harris ticket, and now they’re fully behind Harris. Black voters, especially Black women, are the strongest base of the Democratic Party. If they still have your back, then you have a chance, no matter what donors, white Congressional leaders, and podcast bros say.

Speaking of Black women, Kamala Harris should be fully unleashed now as President Biden finishes his term. She is the best one to prosecute the case against Trump and MAGA’s extremist Project 2025 agenda. Biden can govern but he can’t articulate the case in public as well as Harris, so let her do it, especially when it comes to GOP’s kryptonite: abortion and women’s rights. Trump and the GOP can’t run away from their misogyny and cruelty. With JD Vance on the ticket, they are even more exposed. Vance doesn’t even believe in exceptions for rape and incest. It’s not just Roe v. Wade, it’s also access to IVF, birth control, abortion pills, and no-fault divorce. Again, the GOP is stuck in a corner on these issues and they can’t wiggle out of them without losing their base.

You know who else has stepped up to support Biden-Harris? Progressives! Senator Bernie Sanders, AOC, Reps. Khanna and Pressley. Unleash all of them to make your case for you, and also reward them. Senator Sanders did just that earlier this week on Late Show with Stephen Colbert. AOC stepped up with her now-viral Instagram video. Harris should openly campaign against “the elites,” which includes corporate money and billionaires who are fleeing to Trump. She should campaign for the unions, the workers, women, the teachers, the poor, the marginalized, and for democracy. This will help Democrats rally grassroots organizers and voters. 

As far as President Biden, he has nothing to lose now. He still has his bully pulpit and expansive powers thanks to the recent Supreme Court ruling. He should continue advancing popular policies, such as canceling $1.2 billion in student debt loans like he did earlier this week or trying to eliminate medical debt or limit rent increases nationwide. Why not? Go HAM and go big. I also don’t think Biden should waste any more time doing interviews with corporate media. It’ll be “both sides” garbage like we saw with Lester Holt. Instead, I recommend he meet the people and do rallies with Harris. He seems to enjoy the people and feeds off their energy, and he can vouch for her in person as well.  

Meanwhile, Trump, who was already anointed King and Emperor after he and his ear survived an assassination attempt, has squandered whatever good will and corporate media manufactured nonsense of  “unity” in less than a week. That’s all it took. Anyone who has covered Trump could tell you this. We tried. But Katy Tur of MSNBC assured us Trump was a changed man - “serene” she called him. Well, in reality, he couldn’t even last longer than 30 minutes at his RNC speech before he devolved into the lying, cruel, vindictive vulgarian we knew he was.

At his Michigan rally, Trump took off the “civility” mask and the giant diaper from his ear. It was pure Trump with lies, hyperbole, relentless mockery of Democrats, and nothing but praise for violent authoritarians around the world. It won’t even make headlines because every institution, especially corporate media, has normalized his madness and thus paved the road to a future Trump dictatorship. "I don't think the speech in the RNC that he gave was 'batshit crazy'. A lot of it was just normal Trump,” said Shadi Hamid of Washington Post’s Editorial Board in an interview with Mehdi Hasan of Zeteo. Not to be outdone, CNN also gaslit the world, again, by whitewashing Trump’s misogyny in a article discussing how he’s allegedly different with women in private, as opposed to being a criminal who was held liable for raping E. Jean Carrol. Alex Thompson of Axios said Trump is moving towards “the middle.” In a perfect world, these people would all retire and find employment in another profession, but alas this is where we are right now. 

Let’s remember that Trump is the same man whom voters rejected in 2020 and who barely beat Hillary Clinton in 2016. In my caveman opinion, he has peaked. Also, the GOP is running on four very unpopular issues:

• Anti-abortion/anti women's rights

• Anti-democracy/pro insurrection

• Weakening Social Security/Medicare

• Trump

If Democrats finally choose not to be self-destructive, scared & spineless, they'll spend the remaining 3 months focusing on these issues non-stop. These four topics alone can be a boon for them and help them win the 2024 elections. I didn’t even mention Trump doesn’t believe in climate change during a record-breaking heat wave.

But the polls, Wajahat! The polls! I understand the polls. I do. But, I also know the polls overestimated GOP support in 2022 and the right-wing’s victory in France in 2024. I also know women are showing up to protect abortion rights even in red states. Professor Allan Lichtman isn’t Nostradamus, but his infamous “13 Keys” analysis has a far better track record than Nate Silver. If he’s saying that Harris on the ticket is still the best option to beat Trump, I’d pay attention to him. Personally, I also pay attention to Black Democratic organizers on the ground, and they’re all in for Harris.

Of course, there are still four months left. Anything can happen. The main goal for anyone who wants to live in a democracy is that we all unite to beat Trump and Republicans in 2024. A pro-democracy coalition that is fractured loses to authoritarians. Just see Hungary for example. We can’t let that happen here. There will be some bitterness and anger over how Biden was pressured or forced to step down, but it’s done now. 

This is an uphill battle for the Democratic Party. Historically, there is no precedent here that shows a path towards victory. The last time this happened was when President LBJ didn’t seek re-election, and unfortunately Nixon assumed power and a reign of corruption. That being said, we’ve never had a Presidential candidate like Trump who is a convicted felon and has incited a violent insurrection. We’ve also never had a Black female President who wants to protect and preserve our democracy from a dictatorship. 

Together, we can unite, vote, and make the right kind of history.