Dear Democratic Party, 'Ride Or Die, Sink Or Swim, I’m With Him'
The word I hear on the street—in what is already a lackluster presidential election year, although undeniably a critical one—is that there are those of us who the so-called pollsters haven’t polled.
By John W. Fountain
Dear Democratic Party, hear ye, hear ye: As a lifelong Democrat and Chicagoan of the African-American male middle-class (once underclass) persuasion, who voted twice for Clinton, twice for Obama and once for Biden, at this point in the game, ‘It’s either Joe, or No.”
Seriously. No cap.
I will not vote for Kamala. I would not vote for an Obama. And I will not vote for any elitist, political-backroom-modified version of a Democratic Presidential ticket handpicked by your undemocratic reshuffling and spurred by what amounts to your arrogance, cowardice and disloyalty.
Trust me, I won’t. It’s Joe. Or no.
Dear Party Leaders, I resent your elitism and paternalism. The arrogance of some among you who appear to be driven by so-called projection polls rather than by millions of cast votes, and who seem to have taken it upon yourselves to try and seize control of what you now fear may be a sinking ship. And by whose authority? This isn’t what democracy looks like.
Ye hypocrites. That’s right, I said it. Or should we call you Demo-crites?
Not all of you. Only those of you publicly urging swapping out the head of the democratically-selected presidential ticket amid your own fears after Joe Biden’s recent poor performance during the presidential debate that is incapable of defeating Donald Trump in the November election.
I am not alone in my staunch support of Biden. In fact, 1,400 “Black women leaders and allies” this week released to “Democratic Party Leadership” a letter of support titled, “Black Women Leaders and Allies Standing Firmly and Resolutely for President Joseph Biden’s Presidential Nomination.”
Among those signing the letter are former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun (Illinois), the first African-American woman elected to the Senate; Keisha Lance-Bottoms, former mayor of Atlanta; and Donna L. Brazile, political strategist and analyst and former acting chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Citing that 14 million Americans punched the Biden/Kamala Harris ticket, they write, in part: “The suggestion that any candidate who won their primary should simply step aside because victory appears difficult at the moment is disrespectful to the voters, unjust and undemocratic…
“History is a great teacher and has taught us that a divided house will fail. As Black women we are uniquely aware of the very real threat a second Trump term poses to our country and especially to our community. But this is not a moment to give in to fear. Instead, we must unify around our deep belief in our values and our ability to effectively engage voters and win up and down the ballot in 2024.”
“…Now is the time for the Democratic Party to stop the attacks against their own presidential nominee that ‘we the people’ voted for and focus on defeating the real threat to our democracy and that is Donald Trump.”
Amen, dear sisters. Amen.
The word I hear on the street—in what is already a lackluster presidential election year, although undeniably a critical one—is that there are those of us who the so-called pollsters haven’t polled. Those of us who call B.S. Those of us who might be inclined to sit this election out entirely if the Democratic Party would dare pull a fast one essentially forcing Biden off the ticket.
And doing so, not because of what “the people” want. Not to preserve democracy. Not because it’s about “us.” But because, in the end, it’s really all about you and your own trepidation of losing power, right?
No?
Then tell us, prove to us—rather than spouting off about so-called polls and such to mainstream news media who seem to be in cahoots these days with the powers that be and all too willing to fuel the frenzy—that your pressure to get Biden to drop out of the race truly emanates from “the people.” The news media’s reports—and my common sense and closer proximity than many of you to the streets and to those folks who dwell on the other side of the tracks—suggest otherwise.
The Associate Press reports, “Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for President Joe Biden to rethink his election bid, with former President Barack Obama expressing concerns to allies and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi privately telling Biden the party could lose the ability to seize control of the House if he doesn’t step away from the 2024 race.”
I ask, ‘Whatever happened to trusting the process? To allowing democracy to run its course? To waiting to tally votes at the conclusion of the whole matter, and running the race with faith, fortitude, fervor, hope and great expectations to see, as my grandmother used to say, what the end’s gonna be?’
Dear Democratic leaders, how do you really know Biden can’t win? Or that he won’t win?
And what do you risk potentially by usurping the will of the people expressed during the democratic primary season when voters sealed his bid to become the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee with Biden winning 3,896 delegates—nearly twice the amount needed? Or does that even matter?
Truth is, amid our two-party political system, I have often longed for a third party, for an alternative to the same old same old of casting my vote as a Black man for the lesser of the evils. Or at least for a party that gives Black folk more than lip service until it comes a whoring again for our support in a new election season. Or would that be pimping?
I have sometimes considered the Republican Party, myself being a “Christian conservative.” But I have always disappointingly concluded that Republicans, while full of conservative values, are too often devoid of compassion for Black folk.
And yet, it’s hard nowadays to see that much difference between those Democratic leaders now calling for Biden to step aside and those Republicans whom Democrats themselves raked over the coals for attempting to usurp democracy in the 2020 election.
No matter what polls show about Biden’s chances, the bottom-line ought to be that he is the presumptive Democratic nominee. In it to win it. Biden has said as much. And I pray he does not cave to his party’s pressure. He’s our best bet.
So let me make this perfectly clear: Ride or die, sink or swim, I’m with him. Hear ye, hear ye: It’s either Joe or no.
Email: Author@johnwfountain.com
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You are so right. I wish you could send this to the Democrats in the Congress and in the Democratic Party. And please encourage everyone to vote.