Jonathan Allen Releases Excerpts Of Upcoming Book And Discusses It During MSNBC Appearance
Oh boy, here we go. If you thought the 2024 election cycle couldn’t get any messier, October proved it could—and would. The Democrats didn’t just trip on the political stage. They faceplanted.
Let’s start at the top: Ethel Kennedy passed away, a solemn moment in a turbulent month. But even in grief, political drama found a way to creep in. At her funeral, an intense, camera-captured exchange between Joe Biden and Barack Obama sent the chattering classes into overdrive. Lip readers later caught what Biden whispered to his former boss: “She [Kamala] is not as strong as me.” Oof.
Obama didn’t disagree. “That’s true,” he replied.
And just like that, the thin veil of unity shattered.
Biden had already been booted from the top of the ticket, replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris, who was supposed to carry the torch. But she didn’t just struggle to lead—she floundered, with Trump dominating the polls, and Harris unable to ignite the base, or much of anyone, for that matter. Every pillar of the old Obama coalition was crumbling: young voters were breaking hard for Trump, immigrant communities had shifted by 23 points, and even union workers were MAGA-bound.
Behind the scenes, the story was even more brutal.
According to reporter Jonathan Allen, Obama was not sitting idly by. He was actively working against Kamala Harris, lobbying for an open primary or a mini-convention. In private, he lacked any confidence that she could win and feared what that meant for the party's future. Allen told MSNBC that Obama wanted Biden gone and didn’t want Kamala as the heir. That’s a one-two punch straight to the gut of the Democratic establishment.
So what happened? The party ignored him—until it couldn’t anymore. When Biden dropped out, Kamala was the de facto successor. But Obama and Michelle delayed their endorsement by five days, a signal louder than words. Meanwhile, political kingmaker James Clyburn got wind that Obama was going to pitch him on the open convention plan. Sensing trouble, Clyburn moved fast, endorsing Harris before the call.
The death organs playing is nice touch. https://t.co/Zbn7xmMds6
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 16, 2024
Still, the writing was on the wall. Obama hit the trail with Harris, but it was a half-hearted effort, delivered through gritted teeth. His campaign speeches lacked fire. His words were cautious. And it showed.
To make matters worse, Biden sabotaged Harris on the way out. His final advice? “No daylight, kid.” Translation: Don’t deviate from my trainwreck agenda. For a flailing candidate already gasping for momentum, that was political malpractice.
Kamala couldn’t escape the shadow of a failed presidency, nor did she have the political instincts to carve her own path. And that’s how the Democrats ended up with a ticket that alienated independents, couldn’t excite the base, and ultimately got steamrolled by a Republican juggernaut riding a coalition Democrats thought they owned.