Joe Biden Is No Hero for Stepping Aside

Moreover, he has displayed unforgivable and unwavering support for Israel’s genocide, while vilifying those who stand up for Palestinian lives and freedoms.

Activists from the Uncommitted movement, a significant protest-voter group advocating to vote “uncommitted” to pressure the Democrats to stop backing Israel’s attacks, emphasize that their stance applies to any Democratic candidate.

“I believe it would be a grave error for the Democratic Party to change direction but maintain the same stance on this issue that has mobilized so many individuals in an unprecedented manner during the primaries. These individuals continue to voice their concerns and strive to be heard in a system that they perceive as neglecting them,” stated Halah Ahmad, a policy analyst and representative of Listen to Wisconsin, the state’s “uninstructed” campaign, in an interview with The Intercept earlier this month.

As Biden’s vice president and likely successor as the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris is tainted by the current administration’s unacceptable support for Israel’s atrocities, in addition to other questionable decisions such as closing the southern border to asylum-seekers. If Harris simply follows in Biden’s footsteps, serving as a symbol of unchanged Biden policies in a younger body, it would be both a significant moral failing and a strategic error.

Harris should, as her meme-worthy statement suggests, strive to be “unburdened by what has been” but aware of the challenging circumstances she has entered into. Rather than praising Biden, the focus should be on pushing Harris and the entire Democratic leadership to change course. Relying too heavily on Harris, a former prosecutor, beyond the imperative of defeating Trump, would be naive for the left. With Biden stepping out of the race, there is an opportunity to advocate for non-negotiable voter demands. A crucial starting point would be to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to U.S. funding and support for Israel’s war.