By any measure, this has been a momentous year. For all Americans. But especially for the political world. And most especially for Democrats.
The Presidential election has dominated much of the news this year. Trump’s legal troubles on the Republican side have been counterbalanced by Biden’s continuing difficulties in shaking off concerns about his mental status.
Events concerning Trump have been dominated by developments in the courts, his conviction for campaign and tax fraud, his civil conviction for sexual assault, and his other indictments for election interference and inciting insurrection.
The surprising aspect of his legal travails has been their negligible impact on the loyalty of his MAGA base. They view his criminal prosecutions as evidence of conspiracies by the Biden government to weaponize the justice system against Trump. And therefore worthy of no concern.
Developments in the courts themselves, in particular the Supreme Court, have eclipsed somewhat his alleged criminal misdoings. Their impacts are already visible. The immunity decision has had a significant impact upon two courts, the federal court in Florida handling the documents case and the New York court handling his fraud and tax convictions.
The Democratic world became super active after the first Biden-Trump debate. Biden’s terrible performance threw Democrats into a panic about his ability to win in November. Expressions of concern became a cascade of entreaties to him to withdraw from the race.
Which he now has done. Citing the need to defeat Trump this fall, and putting the interests of the nation and the party ahead of his own, he withdrew. And immediately endorsed Kamala Harris to succeed him as the party’s candidate.
Biden’s decision, without question, has broken many hearts. Many Americans have watched his political career, spanning over 50 years, with great appreciation. For many that appreciation has grown into love, for his basic integrity and decency.
That love has been essentially personal. But it has had a political dimension. His Administration has achieved, largely through tenacious bipartisan effort, more substantive achievements than any President since Lyndon Johnson. Objective observers give him great credit for that.
Yet with him out of contention, the spotlight has shifted immediately to the question of who succeeds him. Many believe it should be Harris, while many others favor an open process. They purport not to be hostile to her, but believe her candidacy would be strengthened if it came from a competitive process.
Ironically – and these developments are occurring as this is being written – several of her supposed competitors are endorsing her. Six Democratic governors have endorsed her. How this selection process will ultimately work out is unknown at this point
Notwithstanding that issue, the salient fact is that the post-debate logjam has been broken. Whoever the candidate is, there is a new infusion of energy to help that person defeat Trump.
This is the view from the Democratic side of the world. It will continue to evolve. But it is clear that this election will be like no other in our lifetime.
Stay tuned.
Col Owens is a retired attorney and a law professor. He is author of the Bending the Arc Toward Justice.