Open primary would have led
to stronger nominee
As the Trump transition moves forward at a frenetic pace, the knives are out in the Democratic Party over who to blame for Kamala Harris’ stunning loss on Election Day.
Democratic leaders — from Nancy Pelosi to Bernie Sanders — have been publicly backstabbing one another, rather than speaking out about why Vice President Kamala Harris lost so badly to Donald Trump, and how the party plans to resurrect itself going forward.While there’s certainly plenty of blame to go around in Democratic circles, it’s President Biden who should be held the most accountable.
Here’s why:
- Biden previously made a promise to the American people that he would be a transitional one-term president.
Biden’s pledge to refrain from running for reelection dramatically failed to materialize until it was too late.
Open Primary Needed
Had Biden kept his promise of one-term only, then the following five benefits would have accrued for Democrats to vastly improve their chances of beating Trump.
- Potential Democratic contenders would have had time to seriously consider entering the primary process.
- An open primary process would have led to fair and transparent competition with the strongest candidate emerging, per the will of voters.
- An open primary would have allowed candidates the necessary time to introduce themselves to the American people and make the case for their selection.
- The Democrats would have come out of the party primary united behind a single candidate chosen by the voters in a democratic process, per traditional procedures.
- The Democratic presidential nominee selected by voters would have had the necessary time to campaign against Trump — which was not the case with Harris.
A compressed presidential campaign with an anointed candidate spelled doom for Democrats’ chances of keeping the White House.
Other Democrats
Democrats have a long list of 23 governors, including some from red states, who may have jumped into an open presidential primary to compete against Harris.
This impressive group included Governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Gavin Newsom of California, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Wes Moore of Maryland, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Andy Beshear of Kentucky.
Other potential Democratic contenders may have included former First Lady Michelle Obama, business titan Mark Cuban and celebrity moguls like Oprah Winfrey.
But, in the end, Biden waivered on his pledge of one-term only until was too late for an open primary.
Final Thoughts
Rather than the presidential election being a referendum on Trump, as Democrats had presumed, it became a referendum on the Biden-Harris Administration instead.
It’s likely that a stronger and more popular Democratic nominee would have emerged had Biden reiterated his promise during 2023 of only serving one-term. That would have permitted an open primary process, according to traditional standards.
Harris would have had the freedom to compete in a transparent and democratic process where Democratic Party voters decided the presidential nominee instead of by party decree.
Trump’s landslide victory now leaves Democrats stuck in the political abyss to wonder what could have been, if only Biden had stayed true to his word.
PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons
- Will Senate Republicans Buckle to Trump on Recess Appointments? – by David Grinberg - November 19, 2024
- Why Biden Deserves Blame for Kamala’s Loss – by David Grinberg - November 19, 2024
- Why the Media Should Have Trashed Trump’s Garbage Truck Stunt – by David Grinberg - November 3, 2024