Don't tell me Democrats didn't watch Trump's rally in the Bronx on Thursday and feel a huge wave of panic. How could they not? Democrats were so panicked by the rally that they literally couldn't help but mock and try to downplay it.
"This is an attempt to, I think, trick some of our folks here, but I think the Bronx knows better," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who represents the district the rally was in, said Thursday. "I think it’s important that we understand that there's, you know, there’s a lot of folks that may be at this park that are not from New York City, that may be from surrounding or different areas, and we just want to make sure that folks are staying safe given all of that ruckus that can come in.”
She wasn't the only New York Democrat to poo-poo the rally.
"Well, I’ll tell you what won’t make a difference at all, Jake, and that’s for Donald Trump to be a ringleader and invite all his clowns to a place like the Bronx," Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) said. "New York will never, ever support Donald Trump for president. We know him better than anyone and that means we understand what he’s all about. He’s just for himself. So, this state will go solidly behind Joe Biden for president as it has in the past. So, if he wants to spend his time doing these made-up, fake rallies and pretending there’s support here, be my guest, because while you’re doing that, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s out there on the other side making sure he’s delivering for all Americans."
Those are strong words from a Democrat who was reelected in the deep blue state of New York by less than six points.
A recent Siena College poll shows Trump polling within single digits of Biden in New York. That's a huge swing from his 23-point victory there in 2020. New York will likely go to Biden in November; if I were betting money on it, that's certainly the bet I'd place. The last time New York voted for a Republican for president was Ronald Reagan. But the issue here really isn't how New York will ultimately vote.
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And if such a dramatic swing can happen in New York, what does that say about Biden's chances in the battleground states? The anti-Biden swing in the electorate isn't happening in a vacuum. Does anyone think that Biden could get a rally of that size in a deep-red area of a red state? Heck, does anyone believe that Biden could get a rally of that size in a deep-blue area of a blue state?
We've already seen how Biden can't generate a fraction of the same enthusiasm Trump can on his own political turf. It's embarrassing for Biden, and you better believe that Democrats are privately shaking in their boots. Even now, less than six months before the election, talk of replacing him on the ballot is still taking place.
"If Biden is still struggling in August he needs to consider stepping aside," famed pollster Nate Silver said in a post on X/Twitter on Thursday. "It's not a great situation for [Democrats] either way, but you have to do due diligence on the question. It's an important election, obviously. It shouldn't be taboo to talk about."
That it's a topic of discussion at all at this point is a reflection of the panic on the left. Why? Because after Election Day, no one is going to be obsessing over the fact that Donald Trump didn't win New York; they're more likely to be talking about how many battleground states he won and how the voters gave him a mandate.
