Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore | Flickr
Following Joe Biden’s debate debacle, some vulnerable Democrats are now doing the unthinkable – acknowledging the reality that former President Donald Trump might well win back the White House this November, and that it won’t be the end of the world if he does.
As soon as Trump announced his 2024 campaign two years ago, the media and the Democrat Party kicked into high gear, claiming that a second Trump term would be “the end of democracy.” However, with Biden in an apparently terminal political decline and Democrats in utter disarray, many members of the liberal party are slowly beginning to start the conversation about how they might work with Trump rather than hysterically insisting he will become a fascist dictator.
The first bombshell came from Maine Democrat Jared Golden, who released an op-ed entitled, “Donald Trump is going to win the election and democracy will be just fine.”
“Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system,” Golden wrote. “In 2025, I believe Trump is going to be in the White House. Maine’s representatives will need to work with him when it benefits Mainers, hold him accountable when it does not, and work independently across the aisle no matter what.”
In an interview with a local TV station, Democrat Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington also predicted a Trump victory.
“About 50 million Americans tuned in and watched that debate,” she told KATU News. “The truth, I think, is that Biden will lose to Trump. I know it’s difficult, but I think the damage has been done.”
Notably, both Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez represent solidly red districts. In 2020, Trump won Golden’s district by about seven points, and he won Gluesenkamp Perez’s district by four points. Gluesenkamp Perez won her seat by just under 3,000 votes in 2022, while Golden won by a more substantial 20,000 votes two years ago.
With Trump on the ballot again, these two Democrats are some of the most endangered House members in the country. They undoubtedly recognize that the historically unpopular Biden will only act as a political anchor in their own re-election bids, and are trying their best to distance themselves from the president.
But in doing so, Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez may have unintentionally shattered the central 2024 left-wing narrative; namely, that Democrats must defeat Trump at all costs because a Trump victory would be the end of America as we know it.
With no major policy wins to speak of and Americans deeply unhappy with the direction of the country under Biden’s leadership, Democrats’ best argument for a second Biden term appears to be that the alternative – a second Trump term – represents an existential threat to the republic. But now that some Democrats are acknowledging, even implicitly, how absurd that narrative is, the left’s entire house of cards is collapsing.
In the weeks ahead, more Democrats, especially those from battleground districts, may publicly express a similar sentiment, attempting to save their own political skin – dooming Biden in the process. If Biden stays in the race, these vulnerable members will likely start moderating their attacks on Trump and instead focusing on what issues they can work with Trump on to deliver wins for their constituents. Like Golden, they will surely make it clear that they are not voting for Trump but concede that the best their party can hope for is working with the GOP when he wins in 2024.
A growing number of congressional Democrats – some from deep blue districts – already privately appear to be having such conversations. As one House Democrat told CNN, “There’s a large and increasing group of House Democrats concerned about the president’s candidacy, representing a broad swath of the caucus. We are deeply concerned about his trajectory and his ability to win.”
Six House Democrats have publicly called on Biden to withdraw from the race, in effect acknowledging that the president stands little chance of beating Trump this November. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first earlier this month, saying that he hopes other Democrat members “will be calling the White House and voicing their private concerns if they can’t join me publicly.” Four other House Democrat leaders have also reportedly had private discussions about publicly urging Biden to drop out of the race, citing his slim chances of victory.
It seems clear that pressure on Biden to drop out will only continue in the coming days and weeks. But even if Democrats do replace Biden as their nominee, Trump still holds an edge over every one of the most likely candidates to replace him.
Democrats may then already be stuck looking at a second Trump term no matter whose name is at the top of the ticket come November 5. The only thing left to do is make peace with that reality.
Andrew Shirley is a veteran speechwriter and AMAC Newsline columnist. His commentary can be found on X at @AA_Shirley.
I’ve spoken to neighbors in my rural area and some of them STILL believe the Russia hoax, Steele dossier stories because no MSM outlets ever corrected their false stories! People believe Trump is guilty of 34 counts of some crime, even though no one can say what it is. If conservative news doesn’t get the truth out, Trump may not win because people will leave their votes blank, rather than vote for a guy they dislike and have been told is the most evil person on the planet. Correct that belief or else.
AMAZING NOT! Usual tactics used by those threatened to LOSE their precious office and authority. Tone down the rhetoric until they are safe then go back to their usual antics. Hopefully, the voter should be well aware of these tactics and dump those that need to go and put in a more trusted representative. Only the November election cycle will show the results of which way the nation will go. The real problem will be if the GOOD wins, will the nation fall back asleep and let EVIL make a comeback.
This gaslighting by the democrats is absurd that a Trump victory will be the end of democracy. First of all, not one democrat has given any examples of what Trump will do. The media does not ask these democrats to give examples. It’s just a scare tactic for those who are uninformed. However, it’s the Democratic party that is destroying democracy. A few examples: Forcing us to buy electric vehicles, placing regulations that new housing/remodels must go all electric. I thought this is a country that you can make choices without government interference, but, the democrats are incrementally erasing your choices. Then, there’s the DOJ who made it a point to go after their political enemies. This is how banana republic run their country. Finally, the SupremeCourt ruled that Biden does not have authority to forgive student’s loans. Despite the Supreme Court ruling he went ahead with forgiving some loans. Now you tell me who is a greater risk to democracy.
Conservatives are dragging their feet to get the Real News out..they have no one to blame but themselves..agree..what went on in the last election can and are planning on doing the same. Communism is here and will intensify unless the Republicans act..NOW!
“The disloyal Rats are abandoning the, ……. well you know, the thing.” Joe Biden
OK, suggestion for the moderates and independents, vote according to what your Representatives and Senators did over the last 3 1/2 years. Any of the Democrat rats that promise to work with the presumptive winner, Donald Trump, are desperately trying to save their derrieres.
Worried about a government where all three branches are controlled by the Republican Party? Not to worry, when was the last time in the last century that the Republicans ever showed backbones? Most of these Republicans will reluctantly work with Trump to reverse the awful Democrat outrages imposed on the American people in the name of socialism.
I’m a registered Republican who resides in New York State. I keep hoping that the Republicans can find a candidate as charismatic as Ronald Reagan, and have the vision of Abraham Lincoln. Alas, the primaries only consist of more blowhards who make empty promises.
I would forecast an easy Trump win but any creature that the Democrats nominate for their Presidential candidate will have the reliable votes of the mentally defective liberals, taxsuckers, illegal aliens and the dead people. Even Joe Biden has a chance of receiving a tie braking extra ten million mail-in votes on November 5, 2024 again. I’ll wager that the print shops are already printing up ballots complete with chicken scratch signatures on the mail in ballot envelopes.
When the Demorat administration and their electorate “mob” had out their pitchforks and torches, spewing our tax dollars to their acolytes for “woke” projects, they disdained Trump and any of his supporter. Now that they are faced with loosing their protective shield of unfettered Demorat apparatchiks who are in vast majority in government, they finally “come out” of the closet as “reasonable”. My question would be – “Where were you when the Biden criminal enterprise was plundering our country”.
As surprising as the press overnight flip-flop on Bidens mental decline evidenced on national TV: NOT! They know Biden will lose… and that’s all they care about. Keeping Trump out of office and them in!
I guess many people have short memories. Trump was president for four years and didn’t destroy democracy, or become a dictator. Reason and common sense are lacking among democrats.
Trump will have to win at least 60-40 to cover the dims’ cheating!
CYA! That’s all this is. They will NEVER work with the GOP. They are just hoping to save their backside from losing when the time comes. They will still vote against anything and everything Trump tries to get passed even if it would be beneficial to their constituents. Lies, lies and more lies. It is all they are capable of doing.
This is about the USA & what is best for the country as a whole . This country was run very well by DONALD J. TRUMP … We have been bankrupted by JOE BIDEN . I want free speech , religion choice , good schools, closed borders , parents rights in other words TRUMP !
We’ve all noticed that the “Democrats” have dug themselves into multiple lies about both President Trump and “President” Biden.
Though neither group of lies about each candidate is defensible, these dirty players will keep providing some flavor of attempted misguidance… because that is all they know… and they think it takes way too much work to provide value in governance by stimulating the economy, and addressing street crime, illegal immigration, and many other aspects of our current situation that they helped create since Mr. Trump’s last term.
The “Democrats” only responses to this disparity in their performance have been to lie, cheat in elections, and try to falsely prosecute and incarcerate President Trump.
Have I missed something? Did Moses inscribe a message on a stone tablet saying, “Democrats Shall Not Function” ???!!!!
Let’s stop calling the democratic party far left progressive, etc. Let’s call them what they really are. Socialist, Marxist democrats.
As an unashamed conservative for 60 years, I have NEVER voted for ANY DemocRAT, liberal, “progressive”, or “woke” candidate for ANY elected office whether local, state, or federal, and I’m not about to start now! You’re welcome……….
No one with any moral fortitude would run for office on the “Democrat” platform, which is fundamentally dishonest.
It’s one thing to promote one’s strong policies, but, quite another to completely mischaracterize one’s opposition, amidst literally buying the public vote with schemes that increase our national debt, such as student loan forgiveness. That money is still owed to the taxpayers, many of whom repaid their student loans OR worked and paid their own way through college (like myself).
The “Democrat” party is not worth a real citizen’s time, and many of their office holders, like “President” Biden, belong in prison.
Rats always end up eating their own.
I don’t know exactly how it might be done nor the timing (probably later rather than sooner), but I a see a decent chance of the Dems switching to RFK Jr. as a “better than Trump” ballot option. They wouldn’t even have to have him on the ticket but would just instruct their voters to vote for him or write him in. Despite his antics and some of his pronouncements, his politics aren’t that far from Biden’s and he’s tolerable to the lefties. He already has considerable appeal to the “moderates”. The Dems just have to sell the hard left on the idea that it’s better to wait on a few of their priorities with RFK Jr. at the helm than to have them go the other direction under Trump.
There is hope. Some Dems have political insight!!!
As they should!
After there demonstration of disgust with his MAGA Policies that were ment to improve our American way of life.
Plus his vetting of individuals seeking citizenship in our country.
Trump 2024!
Just switch the coat and play musical chairs Many had survived using that tactic
meh they will never work with him nor will republicans.