Recall that almost no Democratic elected officials or left-leaning groups called for Biden to step down. So why did this become a national debate? In my view, left- and centrist columnists and commentators at the Bulwark, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, Pod Save America, and The Washington Post were particularly key. They created a kind of feedback loop: when these experts expressed concerns about Biden in the immediate aftermath of the debate, Democratic politicians, donors, and staffers anonymously contacted them, urging them to continue to voice these concerns, and the experts echoed the private comments of key party officials.
Biden’s terrible behavior in the debate was on full display for all to see. But I was shocked to see people like MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, a Biden staunch supporter, and Jon Favreau of Pod Save America, who worked with Biden in the Obama administration, openly admit what happened. I often worry that the left-wing (and right-wing) media essentially serves as a weapon for the two political parties. That didn’t happen in this case.
Why are these media organizations so important? Because they are one of the most important institutions influencing the Democratic Party. Scholars who study political parties argue that partisanship is stronger than it has ever been in America, but the parties themselves are very weak. National and state Democratic chairs once had substantial influence but are now often staunch supporters of the president or state governors. Labor union membership is declining, and workers do not have as much power in the Democratic Party as they once did. There are many groups that claim to represent women, African Americans, and other left-leaning constituencies, but they often do not have large memberships.
As other centers of power weaken, the media’s influence becomes immense. CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post aim to reach people across ideological lines, but their readership is far greater among Democrats than Republicans. Democratic activists and officials avidly read and watch these outlets. MSNBC and Pod Save America are openly aligned with the party, and party leaders appear frequently on both shows, where coverage is almost always favorable.
The Bulwark is essentially an outlet for “Never Trump” Republicans, and Democrats see it as a useful guide to winning over the independents and swing voters the party needs to win elections.
It was powerful when prominent voices from these six media outlets were sending out the same message: Biden may not win the election.
I don’t think this is just a pundit revolt against Biden, more pundits and Democratic Party officials using their pundits to cast doubt on Biden’s campaign and have fewer tools to challenge Biden.
What happens next? I would bet that Biden remains the nominee. But I’m not sure. I never would have imagined that we would have George Clooney, James Carville, and Michael Bennet (a middle-aged white guy who is not left-wing) on the anti-Biden side and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Bernie Sanders in the pro-Biden camp. This is a confusing time for the Democratic Party and those of us who are watching it (at least for now).
