Joe Biden Demonstrates Why Democrats Face Leadership Dilemma [Opinion]


Vice President Joe Biden came to Capitol Hill earlier this week to preside over an emotional bill in the memory of his late son Beau Biden. But the news dominating Tuesday’s cycle wasn’t about a ceremonious and emotional return for Joe Biden to the U.S. Senate, or the $1.8 billion cancer research bill the body passed.

Instead, Joe Biden used the opportunity to put his foot on the brakes of what was the political equivalent to a farewell parade. As the VP left Capitol Hill Monday, Joe Biden told reporters that he was considering one more run in 2020 to become the U.S. President.

While some media reports suggested Joe Biden made those comments in jest, the fact the VP uttered the words shows that he — like other leaders of the Democrats — still doesn’t understand why the balance of power in Washington, D.C. shifted so suddenly. In leaving his options open for future political runs, Joe Biden demonstrated that the Democrats aren’t seeking out or elevating rising stars.

Instead, the party’s political elites continue to grip tightly to their leadership positions and power at the expense of the Democratic party’s overall good. Even party members have resigned to the fact, coalescing around the idea that promoting Joe Biden now is better than forging ahead with future quality candidates. NBC News reported that many Democrats want to keep the popular Joe Biden atop its party heading into the 2018 mid-terms and the 2020 race for the White House.

“But one thing is clear — [Joe Biden] is greatly adored by his fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill, and they want him to remain a leading figure in the party over the next four years. ‘I doubt that there is any member of the caucus that would say if you’re making alist of the top three people he’s just about at the top of that list,’ said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland.”

Joe Biden is hardly the only example of this geriatric power struggle defining the future of the Democrats. Nancy Pelosi presents the same issue for Democrats as the Californian Congresswoman successfully retained her party’s top post in the House of Representatives for a seventh consecutive term. In fending off Ohio’s U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, Nancy Pelosi held onto her post by beating a fellow Democrat 33 years younger than she is, the Bowling Green Daily News explained.

“[Tim] Ryan, 43, and his supporters argued that despite Pelosi’s years of experience and prowess as a fundraiser and legislative strategist, the Democratic leadership was long overdue for a change… Ryan and the large number of colleagues who voted for him actually get it. They want their party to succeed and win elections and they also want to get their party more in the mainstream.”

Leading up to the general election, media pundits and even members of the Republican party called the GOP the “old white man’s” party. Talk of how Donald Trump and Mike Pence further cemented that designation led to discussions about what the Republican party would do to attract younger members and voters after the damage Donald Trump would do to the party’s image.

Yet it’s the septuagenarian aristocrats within the Democratic party that should be looking in the mirror instead of across the aisle at their sudden age crisis, according to a report in New York magazine. Joe Biden — a spry 74-year-old man — is hardly the oldest of the bunch; Nancy Pelosi holds that distinction at 76. Sandwiched between Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi is former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, 75.

While younger members of the Democratic party are in office, few members wield significant power or clout before being old enough to qualify for Medicare. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is 66, and the popular left-leaning Elizabeth Warren is 67. Diversity in age it seems should become a priority for the Democratic party.

Age didn’t affect the outcome of this year’s presidential race as both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are baby boomers. The ability to have voters turn out did, however. PBS Newshour suggested Donald Trump won by getting more rural area voters out to the polls than Hillary Clinton and the Democrats could churn out inner-city votes.

Although Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump by more than 2.7 million votes in the popular vote, one major contributor to her failure was Donald Trump’s ability to energize his voters and create a sense of urgency. As a seasoned politician, Hillary Clinton could not use the rising star status that even a 70-year-old first-time candidate like Donald Trump was able to employ.

Donald Trump didn’t present any fresh, new ideas — he was the fresh, new idea. Donald Trump supporters voted for change while Democrats offered very little. The Democratic party — as is the case in any organization — needs to promote new managers in order to see different results in 2018 and beyond. Democrats like Joe Biden must be willing to relinquish their positions of power within the party in order for its future success, a task easier suggested than made.

Joe Biden and fellow Democrats don’t have to look far to see examples of leaders stepping down gracefully as new figures emerge, giving the new blood time to concentrate on leading instead of worrying about the pecking order. Just last month, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo masterfully demonstrated this in a speech propping up rookie Dak Prescott as the team’s new captain. As CBS Sports reported, Tony Romo explained the pain he felt in relinquishing his role as a starter.

“If you think for a second that I don’t want to be out there, then you’ve probably never felt the pure ecstasy of competing and winning. That hasn’t left me. In fact, it may burn more now than ever. It’s not always easy to watch.”

Joe Biden and other blue bloods in the party are uneasy watching the final chapters being written about their legacy. But now the VP and fellow Democrats need to step back and allow other members to take their place atop the party, heeding Tony Romo’s comments about being a supportive role player for rising stars.

“For every high school kid out there and college player, there’s greatness in being the kind of teammate who truly wants to be part of the team. Everyone wants to be the reason their winning or losing. Every single one of us wants to be that person, but there are special moments that come from a shared commitment to play a role while doing it together.”

Joe Biden returned to his old political stomping grounds this week for pomp and circumstance, receiving the send-off fitting of a veteran politician who spent portions of five different decades serving in the U.S. Senate. It was a celebration of an individual who exemplified courage and public service time and again.

Now, Democrats should privately be calling on Joe Biden to show that same dedication to public service and step down as one of the party’s top figures. In doing so, Joe Biden can demonstrate the courage and leadership his party needs now — making room for the next generation of public servants.

[Featured Image by Mark Makela/Getty Images]

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