Democrats’ ultimate dilemma: who will be to blame?

By Lev Tsitrin

The New York Times recently published a detailed report on who wants Biden out. The roster is long and distinguished. Headed by Obama, it boasts the names of Schumer, Jeffries, and Pelosi. And Biden is not taking it graciously, to judge by the report’s title: “Secluded in Rehoboth, Biden Stews at Allies’ Pressure to Drop Out of the Race.”

The question on everyone’s mind is, will he bow down and throw in the towel? The New York Times — an early and ardent supporter of this idea, pushing for it in every op-ed and editorial — is hopeful, reporting that by now the writing on the wall has become too clear for Biden to ignore, and the announcement is merely a matter of timing: “Advisers believe that Mr. Biden would not want to do it before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel visits Washington on Wednesday at the initiative of Republicans to address Congress, unwilling to give the premier the satisfaction given their strained relations lately over the Gaza war.”

I personally am a little less sanguine, for a very simple reason: what’s there for Biden to lose? If Biden drops out, he loses. Ditto If Trump wins. So why make definite what is merely possible? It is like committing suicide on hearing a bad diagnosis — instead of giving the doctors a chance to do what they can.

And then, there is a less obvious, but equally interesting dynamic that should boost Biden’s decision to stay in the race — the dynamic which resulted from Democrats’ infighting itself: if the party does get defeated in November, who is to blame? While the lower-level democrats will blame Biden for not stepping down, Biden will put the blame on the lower-level democrats for not uniting behind him. Each side will have a point — and each side will be satisfied with it, blaming the other.

For Biden, this erases the dilemma, and the doubt. Being shielded from the blame for the outcome, why would he quit? There is a great pleasure in proving the naysayers and opponents wrong — and Obama et al are by now no lesser opponents of Biden than the Republicans and Trump. Having nothing whatsoever to lose, and being pushed against the wall by the erstwhile friends and allies, why would Biden surrender given that he can blame them for the defeat? It makes no sense at all.

So it will be interesting to see what will eventually be in the “Biden stew” headlined by the New York Times. I may be wrong — for the complete stop of donations to the Biden campaign may force his hand since even he cannot run just on fumes, without gas — but short of that, I doubt he’s going to quit. And even if he does, the successor would hardly have a better chance. And then, the only question for the democrats will be, “who to blame?” — a question that each faction of the Democratic party will be able to answer to its satisfaction — but what’s the use?