October 27th 2023.
The Hall of Failed Presidential Candidates, Incumbent Challengers' Wing, is a unique testament to the political ambitions of those who have dared to challenge their own party's incumbent president. The room is filled with polystyrene statues of those who have tried and failed, from 2020's trio of challengers, Bill Weld, Mark Sanford and Joe Walsh, to Pat Buchanan in 1992, and Edward Kennedy in 1980. The most historically significant of all the statues is that of Eugene McCarthy in 1968, who despite not winning the nomination, was instrumental in pushing the incumbent out of the race.
These courageous challengers all shared a common goal: to set the political and policy agenda right, and to force the incumbent president to justify their candidacy to the voters. This long-held tradition has been broken by Dean Phillips, a three-term representative to Congress from Minnesota, who has thrown his hat in the ring against President Joe Biden in the Democratic primaries.
What sets Phillips apart from other challengers is his unwavering admiration of Joe Biden. Phillips has always referred to the president as a "wonderful and remarkable man" with an "extraordinary legacy". He has voted with Biden in Congress 100% of the time and had high praise for his address to a joint session of Congress in April 2021. Despite this, Phillips insists that it is time for the country to “turn the page” on Biden and for the president to “pass the torch”.
When asked by Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press" if this was due to age, Phillips denied it, saying that it was all about how people feel, referring to Biden's “historically low approval numbers”. Phillips believes that Biden should be replaced because of his low approval numbers, even though no other Biden-supporter with presidential ambitions such as California Governor Gavin Newsom or Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer are willing to enter the contest.
Phillips' slogan of "A Vote For Me Is a Vote For Joe Biden, Only You Get Me, Not Joe" is unlikely to win him many votes. He also fails to explain how he would be in a better position to improve Biden's approval numbers than Biden himself, or what policies he would pursue if he were to take Biden's place on the ballot.
Running against an incumbent president has always been a risky venture, usually undertaken by those with a strong ideological agenda and the hope of pushing their party in a new direction. This is not the case with Phillips, who seeks to replace Biden, not because of his policies, but simply because of his low approval ratings. This lack of political fortitude means that beyond his brief campaign, Phillips has nothing to gain from this venture.
It remains to be seen what the outcome of this challenge will be, but one thing is certain: Dean Phillips is sure to find himself a place in the Hall of Failed Presidential Candidates, Incumbent Challengers' Wing.
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