Member-only story
The Answer, For Now, Has To Be Joe Biden
By and large, the Democratic National Convention went well. Barack Obama gave a powerful, news-making address that excoriated Donald Trump in a way we hadn’t seen Obama do before. Joe Biden’s speech was well-received, a coherent appeal to America based around Trump’s threat to democracy and Biden’s bona fides to replace him.
The most notable information we garnered about how the Democrats will approach the general election was the “big tent” philosophy. Much has been made in recent days of the effort to cast a wide net, stemming from the DNC’s inviting a diverse ideological collection of people. Republicans like John Kasich and Colin Powell spoke alongside Bernie Sanders and Stacey Abrams.
The goal was clear: court as many voters as possible, and convince anyone who’s (somehow) undecided that Trump presents an existential threat. The framing of this election as a crucial, landmark historical moment by the Democrats is smart and accurate.
Many people on the left had trouble with the DNC inviting people like Kasich. Republicans created the problems we have now and this country needs solutions that aren’t going to be accomplished with a conservative mindset. But, as you’ve surely heard by now, the cost of letting Trump go another four years exceeds the benefits of a new liberal coalition right now. If it is politically…