After reportedly contracting COVID-19 on 17 July, President Joe Biden went into hiding, giving him the time to rest and rejuvenate for his battle to secure four more years in the White House. It is, therefore, rather coincidental that at this precise moment, chaos ensued within the Democrat party, with rumours of his stepping down quickly becoming reality. This followed a tumultuous period of uncertainty and ambiguity, with Biden already enduring the intense pressure to give way to his likely successor, Vice President Kamala Harris.
This period of self-isolation, whether due to COVID-19 or not, had conveniently provided Biden with time to contemplate his next move. However, it cast a shadow of instability over the Democratic party, with internal power struggles exerting untold pressure on the 81-year-old who has dedicated his life to serving the American people. Paradoxically, these forces, comprising factions within the Democrat lobby, including the families of ex-presidents and donors, are anti-democratic, as evidenced by their willingness to undermine the democratically selected nominee for politically motivated reasons.
During Biden’s period of self-isolation, the division within the Democratic party was stark and palpable. A power struggle unfolded between current and former Democrats and ex-presidents' families, with the Clintons and Obama playing significant and weighty roles. The Clintons supported Joe steadfastly, while Obama saw the need for his dismissal. This was evident from the passive-aggressive manner in which he mobilised his allies, George Clooney being one of them, to publicly denounce Biden’s re-election. Biden’s stoicism in the face of media torment eventually collapsed after it was ruthlessly made clear that he either had to depart the easy way or the hard way, the hard way calling for the 25th Amendment. With regret, Biden took the former and was seemingly coerced into writing a rushed resignation letter, the authenticity of which many social media users have questioned.
Suppose we suspect that the decision to resign was not of his own volition but instead cajoled by forces within the Democratic party. In that case, there are serious questions about democracy in the United States. An authentic and transparent liberal democratic system that champions free and fair elections allows its people to decide who governs. It is precisely the system that the US purports to have. After all, Abraham Lincoln was responsible for the famous maxim: democracy involves the rule of, by and for the people. So why was Biden subject to this coup d’état at this late stage? If it is because of his mental fatigue and cognitive deficiency, why did they not act at the appropriate time – during the Democratic primaries – when a suitable replacement candidate could have swiftly taken the reins?
The most convincing explanation derives from the notion that those in positions of power are programmed to think systematically, warped by a tunnel vision of electoral success. Rather than having the insight or rational mind to foresee political climaxes, their minds are built on short-termism that would not have led them to consider factors such as Biden’s age. This is why, despite it being clear to everyone that Biden would not last another four years, the backroom advisors and experts within the Democrat party believed that, as the incumbent president and having presided over a decent-performing economy, he could win as he did in 2020.
Of course, this was quickly disproven by the CNN debate, which reinforced the belief that Biden was unfit to stand as the Democrat candidate. This fact became so evident that even the left-wing US media, typically unrestrained in their critiques of President Trump, regrettably recognised that Trump was indeed the stronger candidate. However, this was not the principal catalyst for Biden’s demise. The failed assassination and subsequent influx of new support for Trump that followed convinced the party that Biden was no match and had to go.
What is it then that constitutes Biden’s resignation as a coup? Not all coups are bloody and violent. In this case, it was silent and disorganised: the rushed resignation letter (riddled with errors), a separate announcement for Biden to endorse Harris, and his stubborn refusal to step down with immediate effect all strengthened the theory that Biden was pushed out of office. If he is unable to serve another four terms, on what planet is he fit to finish his current term, particularly during uncertain times when conflict is rife in Ukraine and the Middle East?
This is by no means, as Obama and other democratic figures will try to have you believe, an honourable resignation, only highlighted by the lack of admission to his health issues. Therefore, the optics are not favourable for an organisation that purports to be democratic, nor is it healthy for US democracy. Instead, it sets a dangerous precedent in which the party machine is the true arbiter of political direction, able to depose democratically elected presidents when they become an electoral liability.
Image: The United States Senate
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