Democrats have always been good at presenting a united front when it matters most. The party can even count on those representing deep-red states to back a far-left agenda if the party demands it. In the 2024 election, the party seems to be rallying behind Kamala Harris, but don’t be fooled — there are plenty of high-profile Democrats who would quietly prefer to see her fall short. Here’s a look at four key figures in the Democratic Party who, for various reasons, are privately rooting for Kamala to lose next month.
Gavin Newsom
As we’ve reported plenty of times here at PJ Media, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) has been on a subtle yet unmistakable shadow campaign. Despite endorsing Harris publicly, Newsom is preparing for his future political career. Last year, he started laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign under the guise of creating a national organization to oppose Republicans in other states. Could he have been more obvious?
The problem with a Kamala victory in November is that Newsom is term-limited out of his governorships after 2026, which means that his plan to seek the presidency will have to wait until 2032 with no Senate seat ripe for the taking before then.
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton may hate Donald Trump, whom she still thinks “stole” the 2016 election from her, but does that really mean she wants Trump to lose to Kamala in November? I don’t think so.
Becoming the first woman president was Clinton’s lifelong ambition, and she even tolerated her marriage to Bill Clinton to make it happen. It’s hard to imagine that she's thrilled at the prospect of Harris claiming that title. Hillary may be awful, but she’s much smarter than Harris, and having Kamala be the first woman president would be humiliating for her.
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Gretchen Whitmer
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) is a loyal Democrat and is publicly doing what she needs to appear committed to the cause of electing Kamala, but like Gavin Newsom, Whitmer has presidential ambitions that would be put on hold if Kamala wins. Whitmer’s national profile has risen steadily over the past few years. Like Newsom, Whitmer likely doesn’t have an opportunity to seek the Senate.
The race to fill Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s (D-Mich.) seat is currently underway, and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) will likely seek reelection in 2026, which is also the last year of Whitmer’s second and final term.
If Kamala wins in 2024, she'll seek reelection in 2028, and regardless of the outcome of that election, like Newsom, Whitmer won't have the opportunity to seek the presidency again until 2032. That's too much time for her to wander in the political wilderness and remain relevant.
Joe Biden
Of course, the last one is Joe Biden. The decision to step down from seeking reelection wasn’t his. Party leaders who reportedly threatened to invoke the 25th Amendment on him forced him out. And Kamala was supposedly on board. Since then we’ve heard various reports about Biden still feeling that his party betrayed him and that he doesn’t think Harris can win.
Which, of course, is exactly why he endorsed her. I have every reason to believe that Biden wants his legacy to be that he was the only Democrat who could beat Trump, and he’ll just itching for the opportunity to rub it in Nancy Pelosi’s face that she shouldn’t have forced him out.
He's playing his role of the loyal Democrat for sure, but he's been undermining her campaign a bit more overtly lately.
Did I miss anyone?
The original article incorrectly stated that Debbie Stabenow was running for reelection. We apologize for the error.
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