As the Biden presidency dissolves, one House Democrat has raised alarm over the lack of Democratic challengers to the wildly unpopular leader’s bid for a second term.
In a recent interview on Face the Nation, (Rep. Dean Phillips, D-MN) pointed to a recent poll showing that 55% of Democratic voters want Biden alternatives, especially voters under thirty. Only 45% of participants would back a Biden second term.
Phillips explained that, per the poll results, Democrats want a “competition,” not a “coronation.”
And with Biden’s approval numbers lingering in the low 40% range, competition may be the only hope the Democrats have at retaining the White House.
While Phillips said Biden is an “amazing man” and that he has “led the country through extraordinarily difficult times,” he feels that the Democrat party is doing the American people a disservice by not offering challengers in the upcoming election cycle. He points out that Republicans have twelve challengers, while his own party only has two possible contenders.
The first challenger is Marianne Williamson, an author of self-help books and a public speaker. She is also Oprah Winfrey’s spiritual adviser.
Williamson barely made a blip in the 2020 election cycle, largely due to a lack of funding. She has lost several of her campaign staff, who accused her of having a fiery temper and fits of uncontrollable rage. Williamson blames the issue on the fact that she is a woman, claiming that only women are held accountable for being direct and outspoken.
Williamson faces the same money troubles that plagued her 2020 presidential bid but refuses to use the Hunter Biden scandal to her advantage. With poll numbers far lower than Biden’s, however, Williamson will need to come out swinging, even if it means taking down Biden’s son in the process. Williamson’s current poll ratings stand at under 9%, and Democrats are largely discounting her entire campaign.
The second challenger is environmental activist and attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He has received more than $6 million in donations, receives constant media attention and carries the weight of the Kennedy name. Even so, he trails Biden with a dismal 14.2% poll rating.
But Democrats are taking Kennedy a bit more seriously, attempting to tank his chances at the White House in every conceivable way. They are quick to label everything the potential political rival says as “disinformation” and have called him a “conspiracy theorist” for speaking out against COVID vaccinations and masking requirements.
Running on a campaign of ending state and corporation mergers, the environment, and true government transparency, RFK Jr. may have the Kennedy bankroll but not the Kennedy support he would need to defeat Biden.
Democrats, however, are committed to stopping this underdog, a sure sign that RFK Jr is, on some level, a threat to Biden.
Another threat to Biden comes from Senator Joe Manchin III (D-WV), who, while not yet officially declaring his intention, has been courted by No Labels for a run as a third-party candidate. He has made several appearances, stoking fears among Democrats that he is considering a run at the White House, which would take support away from Biden.
Manchin has plagued Democrats with his refusal to toe the party line in Congress, and a common-sense approach to politics that frequently thwarts the progressive agenda. He, along with RFK Jr., represents a more moderate choice for Democrats.
Manchin is a threat I light of recent polling results that found just under half of voters would support a third-party candidate. Three out of ten participants would vote for a so-called “fusion ticket” that consisted of both a Republican and a Democratic nominee, regardless of which party was at the top of the ticket. In another July poll, 16% of voters would support Manchin over Biden.
Despite the DNC committing its full support to a second Biden-Harris term, Phillips is calling for those who are “well-positioned, well-prepared, have good character and competency” to jump in because, as he explains, Democrats and the country need competition. Phillips seems to be voicing concerns shared by other Democrat leaders who are skeptical about Biden’s chances for reelection.
With over half the country agreeing that a second Biden term would be disastrous, it seems “Uncle Joe” is a liability in the Democratic quest to maintain the party’s power. Democrats shouldn’t worry, though- as the 2020 “election” proved, there are always ways to drag him across the finish line.
