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The War of Democratic Succession

Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2021
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AMAC Exclusive – By Daniel Roman

Nothing demonstrates the loss of confidence in Joe Biden even among Democrats better than the spate of stories over the past weekend speculating on the succession plan for Biden in general, and the “unsuitability” of Vice President Kamala Harris in particular. “Biden-successor chatter grows and Harris isn’t scaring off anyone” declared Politico, while the Washington Post ran the headline “Harris, Buttigieg under the Spotlight amid uncertainty over Biden’s future.” There was enough truth to this speculation, or at least worry over its effects, to lead to an intervention from the White House, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki issuing a rare Sunday night tweet:

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1460070063025831936

Despite the surface appearance of Psaki backing the Vice President, the very fact that the White House felt the need to release such a statement confirms what the news headlines suggest – namely, that Democrats are thoroughly demoralized. That is probably due not only to Biden’s obviously failed performance as President, but also to the prospect that his two most likely replacements as party standard bearer are Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg. The rise of Harris and Buttigieg represents something as significant as Biden’s failures: the intellectual and demographic decay of the Democratic Party. The truly demoralizing fact for Democrats is that, even if they could rid themselves of Biden, their problems cannot be fixed by spending more money on bridges, community colleges, or whatever is in their “Build Back Better” bill. The troubles go far deeper, and nothing illustrates those troubles better than the personas of Harris and Buttigieg.

At its root, the Democratic Party has no roots. This is not to say there are no Democratic voters, but that Democratic politicians increasingly are creatures of power, not policy. They entered politics because they were inspired by the idea of being someone, not by doing something. The result was young men and women who from their start in politics set their sights on making their way to D.C., where they would mix with the powerful, seek media attention, and presumably use an impression of relevance to achieve actual relevance.

On the surface, Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg may appear to be from different wings of the Democratic Party. The former is a woman of Asian and African American descent from California, with a left-wing reputation, and who was a local prosecutor, State Attorney General, and Senator. The latter is a Midwestern boy who went to Harvard, briefly served in the military, went to McKinsey, and then returned to South Bend to run for Mayor. Both, however, share core similarities. For both, ideology is superficial. For all of her left-wing actions and votes, Harris was never trusted by the left, and with good reason. She did not seem to care, or to really believe it. It’s all positioning. When in San Francisco, Harris championed police reform and light on crime policies. As State Attorney General, with her eyes on the Senate, she reversed course. At each stage of her career, from her first interactions with San Francisco boss and CA Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, she had her eyes set on moving up. If she was a prosecutor, it was not because she cared about crime or prosecutions or reform, but because that would help advance her one rung on the ladder of power. As Vice President, she is associated with no cause or policy, and mostly seems known for trying to dodge any involvement with the issues Biden assigns her, such as the border crisis.

Buttigieg similarly seems to have plotted his road to power meticulously, doing everything a successful millennial desperate to impress Gen X/Boomer parents of millennials would do. Harvard, McKinsey, military, small-town, vague notes of bipartisanship, Fox News appearances. The only thing he seems to have overlooked is what he would wish to do as President. Like Harris, Buttigieg never showed any interest in issues, and in office has tried to argue that any important political matters which might be associated with him, such as supply chains, are not the business of the Secretary of Transportation.

Harris and Buttigieg are not unique in their vapidity. In this they represent a wider trend. The Democrats ran dozens of candidates for president in 2020, most of whom were indistinguishable. What precisely did Michael Bennet stand for? Of the candidates, only Bernie Sanders and maybe Elizabeth Warren stood for anything ideological (along with Tulsi Gabbard in a different way) and both were 70. The cast of climbers left Joe Biden, an old-time career politician who at least knew how to say the right words, looking downright empathetic by comparison. That Democrats had no one under 78 who could even effectively fake caring about normal Americans was a massive indictment of the party. That they have found no one in the last year and are now faced with Harris and Buttigieg as their only two potential stars is another searing indictment and true reason for demoralization.

If Harris and Buttigieg run for president again, it will likely not be policy that dooms them, though it won’t help Harris, who unwisely veered much too far left in the Senate. It will be that their political careers are transparently and solely based on their own visions of personal self-aggrandizement. That alone can be forgiven when someone’s self-aggrandizement resulted in building something. Donald Trump was surely not shy about discussing his achievements, but they involved multiple global brands and businesses. Buttigieg, had he risen to McKinsey CEO or management, might have something to say. But he was an analyst, a mayor, a desk officer in the military. Voters require substance to tolerate ego.

Furthermore, the vacuum created by empty careerists like Harris and Buttigieg is directly tied to the rise of extremist ideology and policy within the Democratic Party. With a class of politicians lacking in any values or views of their own, the party has been vulnerable to infiltrators, and it is no surprise that the two most influential groups pushing Democrats in disastrous directions are non-Democrats.

On the Left, the Democrats have faced infiltration by the sort of Marxist, anti-American elements even George McGovern would have shied away from. But if Buttigieg and Harris have no commitment to American support for Israel except in terms of it being needed for their careers, then how can they lead any sort of counter-attack against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and their cronies? If neither has any real opinions on what should be taught in school, then they, like Terry McAuliffe, give off the impression that even if they don’t personally care for CRT, they care even less whether it is taught or not, or what is taught, or even if anything is taught in schools. Whatever their party’s base wants, they are perfectly happy to say. The Sanders-ite left has thus taken over the party because while the socialists actually have strong core beliefs, the likes of Harris and Buttigieg have none of their own with which to resist them. Thus we got Democrat presidential debates in which all of the candidates looked around at each other before unanimously raising their hands to pledge that their government healthcare plans would cover illegal aliens.

On the other end, Neo-Conservative former Republicans such as the Lincoln Project, who left the Republican Party largely in protest of his criticisms of the Iraq War and Bush years, have provided the new Democratic Party with their nation-building foreign policy and affection for an overbearing national security state. While AOC and the Sanders left are responsible for “Defund the Police” and extremist domestic policies, the decision to go all in on Russian/Ukraine conspiracy theories and pursue two impeachments against Donald Trump was driven by Republican defectors determined to use the Democratic Party to settle their personal scores. Once again, careerist Democratic politicians like Harris and Buttigieg went happily along for the ride. As Virginia and New Jersey showed, there is little evidence actual Democratic voters, especially Latinos or African Americans, cared in the least for this entire endeavor. It was all the Rick Wilsons, Bill Kristols, and Stu Stevens of the world.

The succession fight for Joe Biden’s vacant throne should indeed be demoralizing to Democrats because it will solve nothing for their party. The very fact that the left is now engaged in this conversation is a testament to the failure of Joe Biden’s presidency, and the two apparent candidates to replace Biden demonstrate the vacuous nature of the party. America needs a liberal party which stands for more than careerism. Otherwise, we have three more years of mediocrities fighting over the deck chairs on the Titanic.Daniel Roman is the pen name of a frequent commentator and lecturer on foreign policy and political affairs, both nationally and internationally. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

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H L Howell
H L Howell
2 years ago

Kamala Harris’ mother is from Indian (not native american) decent and her father is Jamaican. here’s a dollar, go buy a clue.

Mario Capparuccini
Mario Capparuccini
2 years ago

When you believe in nothing or no one but yourself, then you can support the butchering of unborn children for the sake of political expediency. No issue defines our society better than the 60 million plus children murdered since 1973. This is the American Holocaust.

Laynee8
Laynee8
2 years ago

Wow! Excellent article! Thanks, Mr. Roman!

Steve
Steve
2 years ago

When I share an article, it doesn’t share the article, but just a pitch for AMAC. ???

Becky
Becky
2 years ago

The democrat party gave up all ‘issue concerns’ back in the 80s. They decided their role would be attacking republicans and America.
They’ve worked very hard and deserve every bit of enmity and blowback they can get.
I will never get over their dumping out America’s mental institutions, then using the homeless THEY CAUSED to browbeat the GOP. May they all rot in hell.

Morbious
Morbious
2 years ago

The dems are arguing over whether to destroy the country quickly or slowly. Thats all.

Jim Jolly
Jim Jolly
2 years ago

Another reason for term limits so offices do not end up in a carrear. As far as Biden, Harris and Buttigieg, it is a total waste of tax dollars. Oh I forgot any thing that goes wrong, and there are many, is not their fault and can be blamed on Trump or some other unsuspecting soul or country. Pipeline cancelled, other drilling restricted and now going to China and Russia asking for help is repulsive and created. The Green Deal and 100% sticks including children is what they will stand on. Sounds weak to me and doesn’t do a thing to resolve the problems.

Texas Resister 64
Texas Resister 64
2 years ago

Sanders is 80 years old; Warren is 72 or thereabouts. Mayor Pete is, what? sixteen?

Wanda
Wanda
2 years ago

Puerto Rican is NOT AFRICAN AMERICAN…she is about as African American as one woman Democrat is Native American.

Rosalee Cavanaugh
Rosalee Cavanaugh
2 years ago

Buttigieg’s name has something to do with “chickens” in Maltese which is his heritage.

Barb
Barb
2 years ago

One is just as bad as the other, only worse. Which incompetent one do you want to be your leader?
Oh, and the 3rd in line is just as bad…

Lynn
Lynn
2 years ago

To our side, Harris and Butthead are both self serving, intellectually dishonest and plain old too lazy for their jobs. But the younger kids who are brainwashed think they are fine because they are woke.
The younger folks don’t really care who delivers the woke message to enlighten us neanderthals.

David Spade
David Spade
2 years ago

Cat fight!

Harris and Buttigieg should be the first ones out the door. Neither are focused on anything but themselves. The American people know that, and the voters will not forget. Who really cares what happens to them, politically? Watching the Marxists Democrats fight is like going to a professional boxing match….beat each other up in prime time for entertainment purposes.

Blueknight
Blueknight
2 years ago

No one ever mentions (Beatlejuice’s) elephant in the room!! He is an openly gay man promoting homosexuality. Is this the kind of elected official you want representing the USA???

dJames
dJames
2 years ago

Patriots, My sincere prayer is that these fourth string demon o crats implode before we completely lose America. There is a glimmer of hope for Democracy but only if true Americans stand in mass against these Socialists.
Pray for America and Republicans to come forth with courage.

PaulE
PaulE
2 years ago

Let’s just cut through all the noise here and discuss the obvious, real successor that most Democrat voters really, apparently want. That is the socialist Bernie Sanders. In 2016, Bernie was mopping the floor with Hillary in the primaries, until the Democrat Party not only put its thumb on the scale, but pressed down hard with its full hand on the scale to ensure Hillary, the anointed choice of the DNC, got the nomination. In 2020, Bernie was once again pulling away from the anointed Joe Biden in the primaries, until the DNC got Jim Clyburn to publicly give Senile Joe a leg up and the nomination. What the DNC wanted was a public face that they could sell to a gullible public as “moderate”, while still enacting openly socialist policies. I guarantee you that if you asked most Democrat voters today who they would vote for, they would say Bernie Sanders.

Fast forward to today. The DNC and the MSM are still pushing the Biden administration as being “moderate”, while virtually all the policies and personnel choices have been largely Bernie Sander’s socialist policies. There have been no policy failures. There have been no unintentional consequences. The puppet Joe Biden is doing what he is told to do and these are the logical outcomes to the socialist policies being enacted. In plain English, this is what implementation of socialist policies looks like in real life. So the issue isn’t who will take Biden’s place, but rather that whoever the DNC decides to put forward, the same socialist policies will be at the heart of everything they do. Understand this is what heading into pure socialism looks like. The puppet chosen to stand before the TV cameras and mouth the words and sign the bills isn’t as important as the policies being enacted. The Democrats could replace Biden with anyone and the socialist policies would be the exact same.

Bob L.
Bob L.
2 years ago

There isn’t a single person in the democratic line of succession worthy of occupying the White House. If there’s going to be a shakeup, I fear what will result.

anna hubert
anna hubert
2 years ago

Democratic succession? Where are the democrats?

Vilas Gamble
Vilas Gamble
2 years ago

For over fifty years I have held the opinion that no matter what Democrats say in campaigns after they get elected their policies do things to Americans instead of doing things for Americans and America. Not since JFK has a Democrat president done what President Trump did and that is “Promised made…. Promises kept”. Now as we see all that is taking place in our country, we need someone who is strong enough to buck establishment Republicans and socialist Democrats and tell Americans here is what I want to do to restore our freedoms and then do it!

Herman
Herman
2 years ago

Biden wanted to be president for a long time. Looking back, the “Deep State” or whoever is controlling the Dem party could not believe Trump won the 2016 election. All the polls showed Hillary was a “shoe in”. As you know, the Dems did every thing they could to reduce the effectiveness of the Trump administration. Right then a conspiracy was put in place to make sure Trump did not win again. The pandemic played right into their hands with un-lawful election procedures and fraud. They promised Biden he could win the election, BUT, he would have to do exactly what the Deep State, leftwing activist, and “green wing” socialist dictated. There is no way Biden as an American would consent to destroying America except for his “dream” of becoming the President of the USA. That’s my nickel’s worth today.

Deborah Myers
Deborah Myers
2 years ago

This was a great article and many of us could see what a tragedy was coming with this administration. Union people wanted a Democrat in office and voted only on this issue. Biden, Harris, nor Buttigieg are capable of doing what is right for our country or our citizens. Voters need to research the candidates. I heard over and over how Biden has been in government for all of these years but they couldn’t understand that during those years he accomplished nothing; that he plagiarized and lied . They didn’t take into consideration his son Hunter’s dealings and drug use or his relationship with China and Ukraine. I believe Biden does know of Hunter’s dealings. Us citizens were not informed for nearly a year so where is the transparency ? Many of these illegals may have the privilege of voting and they will say Biden helped them so of course they will vote likewise. No one should should vote who has not become a citizen and with over 52 countries coming across our border they don’t understand our system, the candidates, or speak English. A citizenship exam should be taken by anyone before they are permitted to vote. I am sickened by what this administration has done to our country and now Beto may win Texas.

Philip Hammersley
Philip Hammersley
2 years ago

How anyone who has a job or wants a job can vote DIMM is beyond my comprehension. If you are a leech at either end of the financial spectrum, DIMMs love you! Illegals and tech billionaires!

Splish_Splash
Splish_Splash
2 years ago

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF HOW PATHETIC THE LEFT IS~ THE QUESTION IS WILL THIS NATION SURVIVE THIS LEVEL OF INCOMPETENCE?

AT THIS POINT WITHOUT DIVINE INTERVENTION, NO! THE PROBLEM IS WE ARE IN THE BEGINNING PHASE OFA JUDGEMENT PERIOD OF GOD! HE CAN DO ANYTHING BUT JUDGEMENT ONCE BEGUN, NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED!

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
2 years ago

Hooray more divide in the Dems Party Bravo

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