Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) has written an op-ed in which he predicts that former President Donald Trump will not win the election, and that American democracy will continue to function. The Bangor Daily News published an article on Tuesday with the headline “Donald Trump is going to win the election and democracy will be just fine.” In the op-ed, Golden described President Joe Biden’s performance in last week’s debate as “poor.” However, he clarified his view that Trump is likely to win in November because of the country’s economic troubles more than any other factor.
“After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the party’s nominee,” Golden wrote. “Biden’s poor performance in the debate was not a surprise. It also didn’t rattle me as it has others, because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I don’t plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And I’m OK with that.”
“There are winners and losers in every election. Democrats’ post-debate hand-wringing is based on the idea that a Trump victory is not just a political loss, but a unique threat to our democracy,” Golden went on. “I reject the premise. Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system.”
After his debate performance, President Biden has come under scrutiny for his inability to complete sentences, hoarse voice, and stiff gait, causing Democrats to be on the defensive. In response, a number of liberal pundits, media outlets, and even some Democratic lawmakers have suggested or explicitly stated that Biden should drop out of the 2024 race. However, the Biden campaign and some of his allies have either confirmed that he will remain on the ticket or are reportedly encouraging him to stay in.
Golden stated that January 6th was a “dark day” for the country. However, he emphasized that despite this, the election certification process was completed and the American system survived any threat it faced that day. He also mentioned that if Trump wins, he will work with the former president to deliver for his constituents and ordinary Americans. “This election is about the economy, not democracy,” Golden wrote. “And when it comes to our economy, our Congress matters far more than who occupies the White House.”
As for the general election, Biden’s weak debate performance has certainly hurt his standing. According to a recent survey conducted by St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, the debate between him and Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, potentially influenced the state’s voters. The survey of 1,700 registered voters suggests that the debate may have shifted support from Biden to Trump. According to the poll, Trump now holds a two-point lead (44%-42%) over Biden. The results indicate a remarkable shift from the previous St. Anselm survey in December. At that time, Biden was leading by a significant 10 points.
Recent evidence suggests that Biden’s performance in last week’s debate might have contributed to the shift in voter sentiment. However, there is also evidence indicating that the electorate was already trending towards Trump. Fifty-four percent of the debate-aware voters believed that Trump had won, while only 6% thought Biden had prevailed. Nevertheless, 81% of respondents stated that the debate would not impact their decision at the ballot box.
Neil Levesque, the director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm, said the poll shows “that New Hampshire is really a competitive state in the presidential election.” He added: “Events like a presidential debate like we saw last week are pivot points in politics, and at this point, with the amount of change we’ve seen with the presidential contest, certainly the debate had an effect.”
