Democrats will field a ‘not Trump,’ ‘not Biden’ candidate. That’s not enough to win | Opinion

Joe Biden is out, and with his departure, some very big obstacles for the Democratic Party are out, too.

Democratic leaders and elected officials no longer have to bend over backwards to hide the reality of Biden’s infirmity.

Nor do they have to pretend, as they have been for months if not years, that they have complete confidence in a man who clearly is no longer in control of his mind, let alone the nation.

But there’s a new problem: They have less than four months to market a new candidate to the American public.

Right now, that appears to be Vice President Kamala Harris, about whom most Americans know almost nothing, save one thing: She isn’t Donald Trump.

That’s not a novel approach to campaigning.

Indeed, it was enough for Biden.

That singular message helped win Biden the presidency four years ago, and it was especially resonant in the turbulent days after the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

If Trump was tumult and chaos, Biden was order and calm.

Except — that isn’t exactly how anyone who isn’t Biden’s press secretary would describe his term in office.

Stubborn inflation has made for an unstable and stressful financial reality for many Americans whose paychecks aren’t rising as fast as their grocery and energy bills.

Antisemitism, on the rise and on display on elite college campuses everywhere, has erupted into (sometimes violent) protests on America’s streets, including those of the nation’s capital.

Wars in Europe and the Middle East have cast a long shadow over international policy and left Americans anxious and wondering what level of engagement the U.S. should pursue.

There has been nothing short of pandemonium at the nation’s southern border, often little more than a sieve, as millions of unauthorized migrants flood into American cities, straining public services and deepening divisions within Democratic leadership.

The Republican presidential nominee narrowly escaped assassination and the executive branch entity responsible for his safety, the Secret Service, isn’t being held accountable.

Meanwhile the Democratic Party, typically so skilled at looking unified, has spent the last several months in disarray, on account of its fragile and failing presidential candidate.

Perhaps that is why the only salient political message it has been able to retail this election cycle is thr same old refrain: At least our candidate is not Trump, to the extent that means anything anymore.

To wit, polls show, that message no longer resonates with voters.

Trump consistently polls higher in key swing states, particularly among working class voters, many of whom lean Democratic, and who are disappointed with the direction of the country.

Biden’s shockingly bad debate performance sapped whatever confidence remained in his ability to lead and cast significant doubt over just how transparent high-level Democratic officials were being about Biden’s physical and mental state.

That’s a lot of overcome.

Still. with Biden out, Harris — or whoever secures the Democratic nomination — can claim one more positive characteristic to his or candidacy: not just being “not Trump,” but also being “not Biden.”

But will that be enough to carry an otherwise mediocre politician to the presidency?

In this election cycle, possibly.

But it shouldn’t be.

Democrats have spent the last four years casting aspersions (warranted or not) on Trump instead of building a vision for the nation they wish to continue leading.

Say what you will about Trump, but he has a vision for America and a plan to implement it.

If Harris, like Biden, makes an anti-Trump message the locus of her campaign, she will probably fail.

Even being “not Biden” may not be enough for her to win. Youth and the ability to complete sentences will only get you so far.

Harris and her party have to stand for something, not just against a man who has the support of half of the people they wish to continue governing.

With less than four months left to campaign, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether that is possible.

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