Rigging the Primaries for Biden/Harris Has a Serious Drawback
Iowa and New Hampshire get sidelined in the cause of propping up Joe Biden
The Iowa Caucuses are today with Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis vying to see which one of this undynamic duo will “win” by coming in a distant second to Donald Trump. Meanwhile, nothing is happening on the Democratic side. The same is true next week, when New Hampshire goes to the polls. The DNC is refusing to recognize the NH primary; Joe Biden isn’t even on the ballot.
The first primary that matters according to the DNC is South Carolina on 2/3, followed by Nevada on 2/6 and Michigan on 2/27. These states are supposedly more representative for the Democratic Party than Iowa and NH, meaning they are more racially and ethnically diverse, though to my mind any candidate running for president should be seeking to put his or her best foot forward in all fifty states. No matter. Apparently, the DNC believes this is the best way to shore up support for the Biden/Harris ticket.
Perhaps the DNC is right, but their plan has a serious drawback. If the DNC had kept the old schedule of Iowa and NH, and Biden performed poorly in both states, it would allow the DNC more notice and time to pivot, or perhaps to craft a message more appealing to voters. Privileging states that are expected to support Biden, in contrast, may breed overconfidence that his support remains strong and his candidacy remains viable against Trump.
If you really want to defeat Trump in November, you need the most rigorous vetting process for the Biden/Harris ticket. Rigging the primaries for Biden by deleting Democratic rivals from the ballot, as the DNC has done in Florida, North Carolina, and elsewhere, while effectively throwing out results in Iowa and NH, may ensure both that Biden/Harris win renomination and lose the general election in November.
At which point the DNC will likely blame Jill Stein, RFK Jr., Susan Sarandon, Vladimir Putin, and white supremacists.
Trump is not to be underestimated. The time to discover that Biden/Harris just don’t have it is now, not in October. If Trump is THE existential threat to democracy that the Democrats claim he is, why are the Democrats rigging the field to put forward what may prove to be a weak and losing ticket against him?
Why is the DNC supporting a weak, ineffectual Biden/Harris ticket and blocking a truly democratic vetting process? Because they don't give a damn about the American people, only their donors. And they could care less if they lose to Trump. Their primary objective is to ensure continued plutocratic rule and to prevent any progressive (dare I say socialist-leaning) candidate from challenging the neocon/neoliberal vice-like control over the National Security State.
I think it's a mistake to think there is some logical connection between the Biden's campaign words (saving democracy) and what the DNC does. It's like those people who fight wars while claiming they are doing it for peace. Which, as it turns out, they are also doing.