The Democratic Party Wasnt Ripe for a Takeover – The Atlantic

To grasp the difference between the two parties, compare Biden with the 2016 Republican contender whom, on paper, he most resembles: Jeb Bush. Like Biden, Bush was closely associated with his partys last president. Like Biden, Bush led in early polls. Like Biden, Bush struggled in debates. Like Biden, Bush performed horribly in Iowa, where he came in sixth, and New Hampshire, where he came in fourth. And, like Biden, Bush staked his candidacy on a comeback in South Carolina.

Bushs strategy in the Palmetto State was similar to the one Biden employed last month: He made himself the defender of his partys old guard. At a debate in South Carolina one week before voters there went to the polls, Bush drew a contrast between the insurgent Donald Trumps nativism and former President George W. Bushs more welcoming message. The great majority of immigrants, Jeb declared, are coming to provide for their families. And we should show a little more respect for the fact that theyre struggling.

Jeb also went out of his way to defend his brothers response to 9/11. At the debate, when Trump accused George W. Bush and his advisers of having lied when they said there were weapons of destruction in Iraq, Jeb struck back. While Donald Trump was building a reality-TV show, he replied, my brother was building a security apparatus to keep us safe. And Im proud of what he did.

The younger Bush, The New York Times noted, seems to be embracing his inner dynast, joking about his family in speeches, pointing out relatives in his crowds and going out of his way to speak with pride about his fathers and brothers achievements. Two days after the debate, he brought his brother to South Carolina to campaign. Standing with Lindsey Grahamthe states Republican senior senatorGeorge W. told a North Charleston crowd that, If serving as president of the United States makes me part of the so-called establishment, I proudly wear that label.

Biden did something similar this year. Although he failed to secure Barack Obamas endorsement, Biden made his relationship with the former president the centerpiece of his South Carolina campaign. His surrogates reprised Obamas campaign chant, Fired up, ready to go. The former vice president referred endlessly to the Obama-Biden administration in speeches and used Obama as a battering ram against his opponents. One Biden ad accused Bernie Sanders of trying to destroy Obamas legacy by replacing the Affordable Care Act with Medicare for All. Another slammed Sanders for having considered challenging our first African American president in a primary in 2012. And just as Jeb Bush leaned on an endorsement from Graham, Biden touted his support from Jim Clyburn, the long-serving Democratic representative from South Carolina.

The results could not have been more different. Bush lost to Trump in South Carolina by 25 points, and quickly dropped out of the race. Biden beat Sanders by 29 points and, buoyed by a new series of high-profile endorsements, went on to beat him in a slew of other states last night.

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The Democratic Party Wasnt Ripe for a Takeover - The Atlantic