Despite having one full term remaining as sitting president, Joe Biden has yet to formally announce his plans for a reelection bid, which is somewhat unusual. However, a primary challenger has emerged, which may force him to declare his candidacy or state his decision not to run for reelection in 2024.
Marianne Williamson, a former 2020 Democrat presidential candidate, is reportedly set to launch a primary challenge against Biden this weekend. This news could be detrimental to Biden’s campaign, not because he is likely to lose to her, but because incumbents who face primary challenges often struggle in the general election.
Williamson, in an interview with Politico, said she intends to follow former President Donald Trump’s approach to gain momentum, and her plan may prove successful, given that she believes he resonated with voters on a deep level when he first ran in 2016.
Marianne Williamson is expected to announce her 2024 presidential run on the Democratic ticket.
A glimpse into her decision and why she thinks Biden isn't the right person to lead the party ⬇️https://t.co/s2GzsyOj6J
— POLITICO (@politico) February 17, 2023
“Apparently Biden’s going to run on a message that the economy is getting stronger. I think that speaks to the disconnect between the analysis of party elites versus the struggle of everyday Americans,” she told Politico. “We’re being asked to limit our political imaginations — to just accept the low unemployment and low inflation rate, that that is sort of the best that we can get. But that is a hollow victory.
“The majority of Americans are still struggling to survive. If Build Back Better had passed, that would have been quite extraordinary. But there’s a lot of sleight of hand here,” she went on to say. “For instance, there is more money in the Inflation Reduction Act given to green energy investment, all of which is good. But on the other hand, once again, there are more drilling permits than even were given under the Trump administration.
“How can the Democratic Party present itself as a champion of democracy and do something as undemocratic as overtly engineering the primary schedule to make sure that their chosen candidate would win it? That is spitting in the face of democracy,” Williamson noted.
“My strategy would be to tell the truth as I understand it. Did Donald Trump in 2016 have a strategy? I don’t think he had a strategy. He hit a nerve. The problem is that those in power do not have the solutions, and those with solutions do not have the power,” she continued.
“It’s almost heartbreaking to see all the people in this town, who work for NGOs who work for humanitarian organizations, who are talking about green energy, regenerative agriculture, climate change, carbon sequestration, peace building — the most they can get is a returned phone call,” she said. “That is not the way to run a government.
“I’m certainly not anti-science. I’m not anti-vax. I’m not the crystal lady. I didn’t tell people they got sick because they didn’t pray enough. Basically, I’m not stupid,” she said of how she believes that fellow Democrats will attack her.
