What a fresh face might mean for the November presidential election.
When President Joe Biden announced Sunday he was dropping out of the presidential race, a chorus of Democratic Party officials breathed a sigh of relief.
In recent weeks, Democratic bigwigs ranging from Nancy Pelosi to Barack Obama had been ratcheting up a pressure campaign to get Biden to step aside. Back in 2022, former Obama adviser and current political pundit David Axelrod was one of the first prominent Democrats to suggest Biden should withdraw. But yesterday’s news left him with mixed emotions.
“When I got the news yesterday, I was very, very sad,” Axelrod told Today, Explained co-host Sean Rameswaram Monday morning. “I thought he was a tremendous asset in the White House. Always enjoyed being with him, always appreciated the points that he was making. I think history will be a lot kinder to him than voters are right now, for the things that he’s accomplished.”
Listen to Sean Rameswaram’s full conversation with Axelrod and follow Today, Explained on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, or wherever you find podcasts. Below is a transcript of their discussion, edited for length and clarity.
You were part of this mounting call for [President Biden] to step aside. Did you think that was actually in the cards? Did you think the party was capable of what it’s going through right now?
I thought it was almost inevitable after the debate. The debate kind of crystallized what had been a big and growing problem, which was doubts about his fitness to serve another four years. Those were not just magnified, but calcified by the debate.
And then you had the bookend of Trump and the assassination attempt. And his preternatural marketing instincts to find the precise spot to take the hero pose. The two things read weakness and strength, which was the essence of the Trump message that the world was out of control. “Biden is not in command. He’s weak. Trump is strong. Vote for Trump.” That was their whole campaign.
Now they have a complication because they don’t have Biden. So, it does change the nature of the race.
A lot of the people who were calling for Biden to step aside are now jubilant, if not endorsing Vice President Harris. Your friend and former colleague, former President Barack Obama, has not yet done that. What do you think is going on there?
I don’t think he wanted to prescribe for the party what the party should do, but rather be available to be a force for pulling the party together once the party made its choice. I think what’s very clear as we sit here this morning, the day after the president made his announcement, is that Kamala Harris is going to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. I don’t think there’s any real debate about that.
She very quickly consolidated support in a way that should actually inspire some confidence, because that’s a political task and she did it.
