During a debate between three Democrats vying for the newly redrawn 12th Congressional District of New York, a moderator asked a simple but straightforward question:
“Do you believe Biden should run again in 2024?”
It would seem like a simple home run question all teed up as a way to praise Biden while simultaneously supporting his re-election, something that you’d think Democratic primary voters would want to hear.
That’s not exactly how it went:
Attorney Suraj Patel: “Yes”
Rep. Jerry Nadler: “Too early to say, doesn’t serve the purpose of the Democratic Party to deal with that after the midterms”
Wait, what? Nadler tried to sidestep the question by calling out moderators for a “gotcha” kind of question. Nadler still, however, refused to say whether Biden should run again in 2024 instead choosing to offer his word salad response.
Then it came to Rep. Carol Maloney, the only truth-teller in the group who said what Nadler was too chicken to say out loud:
Do you believe Biden should run again in 2024?
“I don’t believe he’s running for re-election,” @CarolynBMaloney answers.
(Check out face @surajpatelnyc makes in response. Clip from @NY1 @WNYC NY-12 debate. H/t @errollouis @brigidbergin) pic.twitter.com/C1LgCWCbZR— Emily Ngo (@emilyngo) August 3, 2022
Upon further clarification when asked about their answers, both Nadler and Maloney offered their full support for Biden if he decides to launch a re-election campaign in 2024:
After the debate, however, Maloney in a statement said she “absolutely” intends to support Biden should he choose to run in 2024.
“I absolutely support President Biden,” Maloney said. “He has shown exemplary leadership, and I am thrilled by the historic legislation announced last week which makes investments to tackle climate change, lower healthcare costs and addresses inflation by requiring corporations to pay a 15% corporate minimum tax. If Biden chooses to run for President again, I absolutely intend to support him.”
In a statement to The Hill Wednesday morning, Nadler emphasized that while he is supportive of the president, he believes any conversation not related to the upcoming midterm elections is a “distraction.”
It should come as no shock that many Democrats know deep down that Biden shouldn’t run in 2024 for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most obvious would be his age, but that sounds rather ageist to suggest.
Biden’s performance as president helping to propel the country to the highest inflation rate in 40 years while also now presiding over an economic recession are among the more pertinent reasons for Biden to step aside.
All three candidates on stage knew it but only one of them was willing to give an honest assessment of the situation. Nadler clearly didn’t want to get caught in some trap of supporting a Biden re-election campaign which speaks to the delicate position Democratic candidates now find themselves in.
For all the talk about Republicans tip-toeing around Donald Trump, here are two sitting Democratic members of Congress unwilling to say that the current sitting Democratic president, the titular head of their party, should run for re-election in 2024.
A great follow-up to make ’em squirm should’ve asked about Kamala Harris running instead.
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