“It was a failed administration”: A Democratic primary after Biden dropped out would have been better, says George Clooney

George Clooney has again voiced his belief that the 2024 Democratic presidential race was mishandled. He said that a primary election should have been held after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, and it makes a lot of sense. It was as if Democrats were being forced into a choice they didn’t really make; they wanted Biden, and so it gave President Trump a boost in the election.

His comments, made during an interview with CNN, come as Democrats grapple with their losses in both the presidential and Senate races in 2024 and seek to strategize for 2028. Clooney said, “How they were running was that it was a failed administration.” Clooney said that former Vice President Kamala Harris inherited “the lead” of the campaign after Biden immediately threw his support behind her.

“You can’t run against yourself, right? And that’s why that was a difficult campaign. It’s hard to run against yourself and say, ‘Well, I disagree with all this.'” He argued that running a campaign against the previous administration’s record, effectively running against themselves, made it exceptionally difficult to gain traction.

Clooney claims that Democrats should have opened up another primary

Clooney’s involvement in the lead-up to Biden’s withdrawal is significant. He authored a New York Times op-ed advocating for Biden to step aside, a move he described to Tapper as a “civic duty.” This piece, published shortly after Biden’s poorly received debate performance against Donald Trump, was seen as a watershed moment, contributing to the mounting pressure on the President, which ultimately led to his decision to forgo re-election.

While Clooney quickly endorsed Harris after Biden’s withdrawal, he maintained that a primary should have been held, allowing other potential candidates to emerge and compete for the nomination. He highlighted several potential candidates who, in his view, could have offered a stronger alternative.

There were democrats like Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Among these, he singled out Moore, praising his handling of the Baltimore bridge collapse as an example of effective leadership. Instead, the party was given a candidate, the running mate. However, many wanted Biden, not his running mate.

Clooney’s preference for a primary reflects a belief that a contested race would have better prepared the party for the general election. This would have allowed for a more robust vetting of candidates and a clearer articulation of policy positions. His view implies a broader critique of the party’s decision-making process in 2024, highlighting a perceived lack of responsiveness to concerns about the President’s fitness for office.

Further insight into the backstage drama surrounding Clooney’s actions is provided by Chris Whipple’s book, Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History. Whipple details Clooney’s alleged fury at an MSNBC segment suggesting that former President Barack Obama may have influenced his decision to write the op-ed.

To be fair, Clooney isn’t a politician, and Harris was very close to winning. Delaying a frontrunner for the Democratic party may have hurt more than it helped. At this point, Biden dropping out may have been the primary factor in the loss, but it is all speculation.