Marianne Williamson 2024 Bid Being Met With Eyerolls by Democratic Establishment
21:23 GMT 03.03.2023 (Updated: 22:28 GMT 03.03.2023)
© AP Photo / Andrew Harnik
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As the first Democrat prepares to launch their 2024 presidential campaign, party leaders don’t seem to be very enthusiastic, even as things remain uncertain about President Joe Biden seeking reelection.
Best-selling self-help author Marianne Williamson, who formed part of the left wing of 2020 Democratic Primary race, recently told US media she would be running in the 2024 race as well. She is expected to officially launch her campaign at a Saturday event in Washington, DC.
“I wouldn’t be running for president if I didn’t believe I could contribute to harnessing the collective sensibility that I feel is our greatest hope at this time,” Williamson said.
She has championed major left-wing causes such as calling for a “Medicare-for-All type system,” an anti-poverty initiative, and a “US Department of Peace” to counteract US militarism. She has also campaigned for the release of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who faces 18 felony charges from the US Department of Justice.
However, the 70-year-old author has scarcely turned heads in Washington with her announcement.
24 February 2023, 04:15 GMT
“I hope and expect they will completely ignore it,” Matt Bennett, a co-founder of the Third Way think tank and veteran of past Democratic campaigns, told US media on Friday. “She is not a credible candidate in any respect. She certainly isn’t going to be challenging to win the nomination.
“If that’s the only primary challenge he faces, Joe Biden can rest very easy until the general election,” he added.
Despite numerous insinuations that he is likely to run, the 80-year-old leader still has yet to do so. Last week, first lady Jill Biden said the issue was the timing of the announcement.
However, Biden would also be battling negative public opinion. A poll conducted last month found just 37% of Democrats want Biden to seek a second term - a precipitous decline from 52% a few months ago.
It’s unclear who else might seek to challenge Biden. US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), once a bitter rival of Biden’s, has indicated he would support Biden in a 2024 run, and others once viewed as potential candidates, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, have already bowed out of the 2024 race.
The Democratic National Committee hasn’t commented on Williamson’s announcement, but when asked last August about the possibility of a Primary challenge to Biden, DNC executive director Sam Cornale said, "We're with Biden. Period."
28 February 2023, 22:27 GMT
The DNC also passed a resolution last month expressing their "full and complete support" for a second Biden-Harris term.
There’s little love lost between Williamson and the DNC, though.
"How can the Democratic Party present itself as a champion of democracy and do something as undemocratic as overtly engineering the primary schedule to make sure that their chosen candidate would win it?" Williamson said last month. "That is spitting in the face of democracy."
Still, the president could face more rivals on his left, ranging from former House candidate Nina Turner to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). He could also face a right-wing Democratic challenge from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. On the GOP side, several candidates have emerged, including former US President Donald Trump, New York businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.
