I'm going to be completely honest here. I have zero sympathy for the Democrats and what they're going through right now. They deserve all the panic and anguish they are experiencing because they knowingly nominated and elected a cognitively impaired man as president, spent years telling us that claims he wasn't all there were conspiracy theories and lies, and finally admitted it only when they couldn't hide it anymore.
They deserve everything that is happening to them right now.
But, I also can't help but empathize with Joe Biden. According to multiple reports, he feels betrayed, and he certainly has every right to feel that way. Everyone who his calling on him to drop out now was all part of the charade. They aren't calling on him to drop out because they give a hoot about Joe Biden the man; they care about the election. The numbers point to Biden's defeat, and they are trying to salvage the election. Everyone who has propped Joe Biden up was in on it, and I can't blame Biden for feeling as though he's been stabbed in the back.
Let's face it. He has been.
This resentment, particularly toward Barack Obama, might drive Biden to stay in the race. Sources reveal to Axios that Biden’s lingering regret and anger from being pushed not to run in 2016 are fueling his determination to stay in the 2024 race. Several sources close to Biden say his bitterness toward former President Obama and Democrats in Congress who are now turning on him is strengthening his resolve to continue his campaign.
The report makes it clear that Biden believes he could have beat Donald Trump in 2016, and feels guilty and bitter about it. This unresolved guilt and anger from 2016 are mirrored in the current situation, where Biden’s determination to stay in the race is partly fueled by his conviction that he is the most electable candidate against Trump. According to Axios, Biden aides believe that if Obama "directly pushed Biden to not to run this time [...] it could make Biden even more resolved to remain the nominee."
Related: Have You Heard the Latest Report About When Biden Will Drop Out and Why?
"Obama already used that chit in 2016 when his team lobbied him against running," a former Biden aide said. "You don't get to do that more than once."
Biden’s inner circle believe that 2024 is like 2016, and that makes Biden extremely reluctant to cave to the pressure again. A Biden aide told Axios, "There have been countless moments during which we're counted out by Washington and a wide range of Democrats, only to deliver unprecedented successes."
Obama’s current influence over Biden is, however, limited by his lack of close relationships with most of Biden’s inner circle. White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients is Obama’s strongest connection, but Zients isn't as personally close to Biden as other top aides are. Additionally, Obama isn’t in frequent contact with Biden anymore. The tension extends to the First Family, with Michelle Obama’s friendship with Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle adding another layer of complexity. But, past reports suggest that Biden has suspected Obama has played a role in the current efforts to get him to drop out.
Biden’s memories of the 2016 discussions with Obama’s political team are undoubtedly marked by skepticism, regret and anger. His mistrust in the advice given to him by Obama's inner circle continues to influence his decision-making now. Despite Obama’s aides insisting that there was no deliberate effort to block Biden’s candidacy, Biden feels very differently, and that's informing his actions today.
And he may just claw his way to the nomination because of it.
