As President Joe Biden’s campaign struggles to calm anxiety over the president’s dismal debate performance, Democrats in Congress are growing increasingly angry at those around them and increasingly pessimistic about his reelection chances and their chances of taking control of the House and Senate.
There are already discussions about a strategic shift, with some Democratic lawmakers and many deep-pocketed donors looking at ways to check Donald Trump’s second term in Congress if Biden continues to compete.
“Here’s how I tell my donors: The House is the last firewall, folks. We have “Flipping the House,” a front-runner House Democrat told Playbook last night. “Ninety-nine percent of the people I talk to can’t get their credit cards out fast enough.”
Such secret discussions could eventually degenerate into a clear campaign to get Democrats to block Trump’s presidency, much like Republicans did in 1996 when Bob Dole almost lost.
The Democrats aren’t there yet. The party’s top leaders are ready to continue to support Biden as the party’s best choice for November, as they did on the Sunday show circuit yesterday. Part of it is a collective action issue. No one wants to be the first, and potentially the last. And part of it is the belief that if enough people speak out, Biden will dig deeper.
But make no mistake: The desperation and frustration is real, and it’s seeping up from within the party. Front-line members—the swing-district Democrats who are the cornerstone of any majority—felt it keenly. Donors were on the phone over the weekend, and some were urging the release of a group letter calling for a new candidate, an idea some had discussed over the weekend.
“The leadership needs to go to the White House and knock on the door and say, ‘It’s time,’” said an adviser to a major Democratic donor. “Anyone who tries to prolong the inevitable here is basically just putting us on a giant fucking death march to the end.”
That anger has been palpable among rank-and-file Democrats, many of whom accuse Biden and his family of hiding the reality of his condition. House Democrats lamented that they had been advocating for the president on the campaign trail despite receiving political advice, and on Thursday they learned just how bad things were.
“It’s just his selfishness and the support of his family,” the person said. “Of all people, Jill (Biden) sees him every day. She’s the only one who can end this train wreck. … This was supposed to be a one-term presidency.”
Many senior Democrats have not given up hope that Biden will change his mind after new polls show massive internal bleeding. They are ready to argue that a graceful exit, rather than an insult to his legacy, is one of his greatest and most selfless acts to save democracy.
“There’s tremendous affection and respect for the president, but no one thinks this is sustainable,” a senior Democratic aide told Playbook.
Meanwhile, Republicans are gearing up to paint Democrats as helpers of an incompetent president.
Over the weekend, NRSC teased a new strategy aimed at getting Democrats to eat their own words by downplaying concerns about Biden’s fitness for office. In Pennsylvania, Republican David McCormick released a new ad that ping-ponged incumbent Sen. Bob Casey’s expression of confidence in Biden’s leadership on the president’s interrupted debate performance.
The screen read: “Casey knew about Biden’s condition.”
According to a new memo obtained by Playbook, the NRCC has compiled a similar document, with the intention of “weaponizing the silence of vulnerable House Democrats to exploit Biden’s political collapse to expand the map and expand the House Republican majority.”
The memo continues, “House Democrats have allowed and enabled this crisis through their own irresponsibility and loyalty to their party over the people of this country.”
DCCC spokesman Viet Shelton dismissed the GOP threat, saying, “House races have always been about the power of the candidates, coupled with the fact that when Democrats are in power, they get things done, while far-right Republicans tend to sow chaos.” He also noted that Democrats move faster than their GOP rivals.
What they didn’t say: They also have a significant lead over Biden. But if recent history is any guide, that could easily change.
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