Emily Gorcenski, a data scientist who was assaulted by white supremacists while participating in the counter-protests against the infamous Unite the Right fascist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, has called it “unconscionable” for Joe Biden to continue his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination:
I do not agree with Gorcenski in regard to whether Biden should or shouldn’t continue his campaign; I am not calling for Biden to end his presidential bid. However, at the same time, I acknowledge that Biden’s political modus operandi completely and totally defies modern political common sense. It is virtually impossible in the modern political environment in this country, with relatively few exceptions, for Democrats to try to work with Republicans on major political compromises. The Republican Party of today, which is the Republican Party of Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, at its core, is a fascist political party that does not believe in democracy, human rights, or the rule of law.
Joe Biden has tried to have it both ways in regards to white supremacy. In his campaign launch video, he openly decried the public display of white supremacy in Charlottesville in 2017 and decried Trump claiming that there were “very fine people” on the side of white supremacy. However, at the same time, he has openly praised working with white supremacists of the past, while calling for “civility”, which, while I absolutely oppose political violence of any kind, is commonly used by conservatives and moderates as a code word to perpetuate bigotry against progressives. Democrats cannot afford to nominate a both-sides candidate for president like Joe Biden, however, I would prefer that Biden be defeated for the Democratic nomination by a more progressive candidate rather than be forced to drop out of the race altogether, as that would send the ultimate message that both-sides political thought is unacceptable in today’s Democratic Party, the only major political party in America that supports democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.