Despite weeks of dire warnings of impending doom from panicky pundits, politicians, big-money Hollywood donors, and the New York Times editorial board, President Biden seems less likely than ever to drop out of the race for the Democratic nomination. Not because he’s an obstinate old man (apparently he is), but because he understands where his power comes from: working-class families, especially Black voters, who supplied Biden’s margin of victory four years ago and are prepared to try and repeat the trick again.
While the Times was calling on Biden to step down, the president was arranging a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus, whose 58 members represent areas Democrats need to win in November. “We spoke with President Biden directly, and we’ve been speaking with all of the stakeholders, including Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries, which is a very important part of the equation,” Representative Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn, the group’s first vice-president, told me. “Right now, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus as individuals have stated, for the most part, that they are supporting the Biden-Harris ticket.”
That support is crucial. Four years ago, Biden narrowly won........