Politics
Leftists Brand Biden’s Primary Opponent As A Threat To Democracy For Participating In Democracy
A number of far-left activists, pundits and politicians have branded U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips (R-MN) as a threat to democracy over his choice to participate in democracy by running for higher office.
Phillips officially entered the race in New Hampshire last Friday after spending months lobbying for a Democrat governor to enter the race and challenge Biden. The Minnesota Democrat has largely praised Biden’s policies, though he has also argued that the president’s advanced age undermines the Democrat Party’s long-term viability.
Phillips has pointed to a number of polls indicating that Democrat primary voters are open to an alternative to Biden as motivation for his run. He has also enlisted help from former Republican strategist turned anti-Trump fanatic Steve Schmidt, who was a co-founder of The Lincoln Project before leaving the scandal-plagued group.
The new candidate has not been well received by large swaths of the Democratic Party, however, with many going so far as to label both Phillips and Schmidt as “threats” to “democracy.”
“Dean Phillips is endangering our democracy by attempting to weaken President Biden,” said former DNC committee chairman Ron Harris, who is challenging Phillips in the congressional primary.
Far-left activist and podcast host Victor Shi apologized to his followers for platforming Schmidt. “Had I known this would happen, I would’ve never given him a platform. His involvement in Dean Phillips’ campaign is unforgivable & a betrayal of democracy,” Shi wrote in an X post.
“By working for Dean Phillips, Steve Schmidt is telling us he cares more about money for himself than democracy,” said left-wing journalist Steven Beschloss. “All those strong words of his now ring hollow.”
Even Schmidt’s former colleagues at the Lincoln Project labeled him as a danger to democracy for supporting a rival political campaign. “You’re not going to win the primary, Dean. Everything you do to attack Biden is going to be repurposed & weaponized by the Republican Party at a moment when this country stands facing the worst threat to American democracy,” said the Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson.
Turns out Steve Schmidt had all of us fooled. For all his claims of doing the right thing, in the end he is just one more selfish, power hungry traitor who is trying to help Trump win in 2024.
Running Dean Phillips’ campaign is a Declaration of War against Democracy, and… pic.twitter.com/XwDctcDEzg
— Southern Sister Resister – Wordsmith #IAmTheStorm (@ResisterSis20) October 27, 2023
“You’re not going to win the primary, Dean. Everything you do to attack Biden is going to be repurposed & weaponized by the Republican Party at a moment when this country stands facing the worst threat to American democracy.” See more from @TheRickWilson:https://t.co/HAtiyI7p8D
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 24, 2023
Just back in August — rich boy Dean Phillips admitted he was “not well positioned” to run for President.
What changed? Some men will do anything for attention. Even at the expense of our democracy. pic.twitter.com/KP9jn6nkKR
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) October 27, 2023
Dean Phillips backed by the likes of Steve Schmidt is yet another dark money attempt to derail President Biden. Block and walk away. These people care NOTHING for democracy https://t.co/GRvKQ7CxRZ
— VotingBobcat🖤🇺🇸🏳️🌈 (@Lulubobcat1) October 28, 2023
Phillips is hoping to capitalize on the Biden campaign’s decision to be left off the ballot in New Hampshire in protest of the state Democratic party’s refusal to get behind the new primary calendar. Supporters of President Biden have launched a write-in campaign in response.