Spotting BS is in New Yorkers’ DNA. Since the worst presidential debate performance ever seen on television it’s filled my news feed, social media and inbox. President Biden’s campaign officials telling top supporters “there was no viable alternative and Democrats needed to stay focused on the threat posed by Mr. Trump.” A campaign email trumpeting that Biden leads other Democrats in a head-to-head match against Donald Trump — a “lead” of 1-2 points based on pre-debate polls you have to squint to see.
Their arguments add up to sunk cost fallacy. We’ve invested too much in reelecting Biden to consider any alternative, even if it would improve our chances of defeating Trump. Even those who disagree seem resigned that only Biden can take himself off the ticket.
Malarkey.
Fifty million Americans saw that Joe Biden doesn’t have the strength to be a winning candidate. Post debate polls show that Trump’s narrow lead is growing. What happens next shouldn’t be dictated by Biden’s family and inner circle. New York can save the Democratic Party from itself.
An incumbent president is powerful. He may be able to ride out the chattering class of doubters like myself sitting safely on the sidelines. But he cannot continue a campaign without financial and political support. He needs donors to fuel his operations, and he needs political support to ensure necessary resources from state parties, labor, and grassroots advocates. Without them, Biden would be running a campaign entirely on his own, a challenge he is obviously not up to.
New York has more financial power than any other state. In 2020, more than 15% of Biden’s donations came from New York, second only to California. This year, New York has contributed nearly 10% of donations. Our former mayor, Mike Bloomberg, has already given more than $20 million. If New York donors unite in refusing to support Biden’s candidacy any further, the campaign cannot continue.
New York has more political power than any other state. We have the benefit of being represented by the two top Democrats in Congress — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Schumer and Jeffries could go to the president together and offer him a choice: withdraw from the campaign or lose their support.
Republicans in Congress confronted President Nixon when his political problems imperiled their electoral chances. When Trump was president, Democrats rightly shamed Republicans for failing to stand up to him. Should we expect less from our own Democratic leaders?
Democratic Senate candidates are outperforming Biden in most states. House races depend on a strong presidential nominee to win. If Schumer wants to hold the Senate and if Jeffries wants to be speaker, they have an obligation to their members to get the best candidate at the top of the ticket. And they have an obligation to listen to New Yorkers who elected them. If you believe Biden can’t cut it anymore, don’t stew in silence. Call Schumer, Jeffries and any other Democrat that represents you to demand they speak up.
The reality may seem harsh, but it’s necessary. I’ve been a Democrat my entire political life. I believe Biden has had one of the most impressive first terms in history. I’ve always believed from afar what is obvious to most who meet him: while the president may have missed a step, he is ultimately a good and decent man.
But even decent men may struggle to let go of power once they have it. That’s why New York must do the hard and heavy lifting that former presidents and aspiring presidents are avoiding. Biden announced his candidacy for reelection on the premise that he was the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump. But the man on that debate stage was not our best candidate. A nominee who is consistently behind in the polls but won’t — or can’t — actively campaign and engage with the media isn’t even a competitive candidate.
If his campaign could honestly argue why Biden — despite these weaknesses — is our best candidate, I’d listen. It’s the one argument I haven’t heard over the last week. Instead, New York Democrats, like all Democrats, have been told we have no other choice but to donate our time, money, and political power to a campaign that isn’t being honest about the limitations of their candidate.
Senator Schumer, Leader Jeffries, donors of New York — don’t let your influence be assuaged by BS. Others may talk, New York must act.
Wing runs the New York-based communications and marketing consultancy Wingspan.
