A central Democrat argument for 2024 goes something like “our American dEmOcRaCy iS aT sTaKe.” With Trump pulling ahead in national and battleground polling, Save Jerseyans, the Left’s possible last hope is for a court-based intervention – at the criminal level or from the Supreme Court – to save the day by sidelining the former president.
That second avenue for salvation became a little less likely on Monday when SCOTUS ruled 9-0 that Colorado didn’t have the authority to bar Trump from the ballot, a right which the justices unanimously (!!!) believe is reserved to Congress.
It’s a narrative killer. Democrats have somewhat successfully run against SCOTUS by making an issue of Roe v. Wade’s demise, so they were prepared to rail against the “Republican court” if the justices had voted 6-3 or 5-4 against Colorado. Consequently, the Left’s reaction has been… mixed. Muted, aangry, deflated, a bit confused and, in more than a few instances, totally unhinged.
“The Supreme Court has betrayed democracy,” tweeted Keith Olbermann. “Its members including Jackson, Kagan and Sotomayor have proved themselves inept at reading comprehension. And collectively the “court” has shown itself to be corrupt and illegitimate. It must be dissolved.”
Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries posted only that “[t]he fate of our nation is on the ballot in November. Vote.”
Here in New Jersey, Congressman and U.S. Senate hopeful Andy Kim struck a similarly melodramatic tone to his chamber’s top Democrat:
I will never forget what I saw and felt the day President Trump led an insurrection on our nation's Capitol. We must prepare for Trump to be on the ballot again this November and be ready to defend our democracy at the ballot box. https://t.co/S4EUvmWmjd
— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) March 4, 2024
North Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. must’ve missed the 9-0 part, blaming the “Republican Supreme Court” notwithstanding the fact that all three Leftist judges joined their conservative colleagues in swatting down the Colorado decision:
https://twitter.com/BillPascrell/status/1764676250482651333
The immediate problem for Democrats is clear: they need to win an election in eight months which – at the moment – they appear to be losing.
At the heart of that struggle, however, is the messaging problem: how can you be the “party defending democracy” when you’re relying upon the courts to save your ass by imposing a one-party election on the American people? Through the disqualification of the opposition candidate?
Their task is obviously complicated by the fact that it was a 9-0 decision. Winning 2024 by court order is now officially a fringe position.
I wish them the best of luck in sorting it out!
