As Kamala Harris is set to become the Democrat Party’s nominee for president after they forced Joe Biden to withdraw from the ticket on Sunday, there is discontent with the very undemocratic process. On Tuesday, after securing enough commitments from party delegates to be awarded the nomination, Black Lives Matter (BLM) issued a scathing statement opposing the “installation” of Harris. Instead, the group demanded an “informal, virtual snap primary across the country prior to the DNC convention.”
In their statement, BLM outlined grievances with the Democrat Party’s tactics during the primary process, including the refusal to hold debates despite voter demand, which might have highlighted Biden’s cognitive decline in 2023. The activist group also criticized changes to the primary schedule that disadvantaged non-Biden candidates, preventing them from appearing on the ballot and paving the way for the incumbent. BLM alleged that party elites and wealthy donors “bullied” Biden out of the race after a single poor debate performance, undermining the voices of millions of Black voters who participated in the primary.
Even BLM can spot a coup!
— Eddie (@Eddies_X) July 24, 2024
Black Lives Matter: “We do not live in a dictatorship. Delegates are not oligarchs. Installing Kamala Harris as the democratic nominee…without any public voting process would make the modern Democratic Party a party of hypocrites.” pic.twitter.com/FWdwxNbXkc
A leader in the BLM movement, D’Zhane Parker, said:
Let us be clear: This is about the Democratic Party following a process that protects the legitimacy of any future Democratic president following this unprecedented moment. Installing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and an unknown vice president without any public voting process would make the modern Democratic Party a party of hypocrites. It would undermine their credibility on issues related to democracy. Imagine our first Black woman president not having won some sort of public nomination process. The pundits would immediately label it as affirmative action or a DEI move, and any progress made by a President Harris would be on shaky foundations. If Kamala Harris is to be the nominee, it must be through a process that upholds democratic principles and public participation.
BLM further accused the Democrats of “manipulating Black voters” by “anointing” Harris and an unknown vice president without voter participation, stating:
Now, Democratic Party elites and billionaire donors are attempting to manipulate Black voters by anointing Kamala Harris and an unknown vice president as the new Democratic ticket without a primary vote by the public. This blatant disregard for democratic principles is unacceptable. While the potential outcome of a Harris presidency may be historic, the process to achieve it must align with true democratic values. We have no idea where Kamala Harris stands on the issues, now that she has assumed Joe Biden’s place, and we have no idea of the record of her potential vice president because we don’t even know who it is yet.
…
We do not live in a dictatorship. Delegates are not oligarchs. Any attempt to evade or override the will of voters in our primary system—no matter how historic the candidate—must be condemned. We demand an informal, virtual snap primary now that the incumbent president is no longer in the running.
BLM also highlighted Democrats’ hypocritical rhetoric about “saving Democracy,” writing:
For the past few years, the Democratic Party has proclaimed that “democracy is on the ballot” in an effort to persuade Black voters to participate in the upcoming general election. They have presented this as the most serious election for democracy in our lifetimes. However, democracy isn’t just an ideal to be protected against Republicans; it must also be safeguarded from erosions within the Democratic Party. Calls for “unity” cannot come at the expense of democracy. The Democratic party, which has been the loudest in defending democracy, is now poised to commit some of the most undemocratic maneuvering to avoid listening to the will of the voters.
Timeline of Events
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) July 23, 2024
Sunday
•Joe Biden drops out.
•Kamala Harris announces campaign with Biden endorsement.
•Kamala Harris says she is going to work hard to earn the nomination.
•Kamala Harris makes calls to party delegates.
Monday
•Kamala Harris continues making calls to… pic.twitter.com/ZxzyxegZin
