Democrats wanted a ‘normal’ president to beat Trump. They are paying that price

Democrats picked Joe Biden because they believed he was the best candidate to beat Trump but that meant nominating a true institutionalist, writes Eric Garcia

Joe Biden during the welcome ceremony for his visit to Israel (Getty)

Over the weekend, Kate Bedingfield, the outgoing White House communications director, had a few pointed words for progressive activists who were frustrated with what they viewed as president Joe Biden’s lacklustre response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade.

“The president has been showing his deep outrage as an American and executing his bold plan, which is the product of months of hard work, ever since this decision was handed down”, she told The Washington Post. That may seem like an unexpected broadside, but it’s a sign of how delicate Biden’s relationship with activists is.

Throughout the 2020 Democratic primary, many of Biden’s competitors proposed a left-wing wish list on everything from Medicare for All to the Green New Deal as a means to mollify more progressive activists. Biden, by contrast, didn’t pivot and famously said “I’m with Barack” when talking about supporting Obamacare instead of single-payer healthcare.