Dem nominee’s economic messaging is already doomed – it’s been unpopular, and new candidate won’t have a coherent take

[Oren, 7-21-24, Politico Magazine, “15 Experts Predict What Biden’s Dropout Means for the 2024 Election”, , Accessed 7-21-24, AMH]

The Republican Party’s transformation into one focused on workers and their families, skeptical of Wall Street and free trade, and committed to rebuilding American industry has received more attention, but the Democratic Party’s agenda has been in flux as well. The Biden administration’s embrace of industrial policy, for instance, remains deeply unpopular with the economic advisers of the Obama era like Larry Summers and Jason Furman. Even within the administration, long-running battles have raged between free traders like Janet Yellen who sought closer ties with China and economic realists like Katherine Tai who recognized globalization’s failures. Are Democrats prepared to take seriously the importance of immigration enforcement to tight labor markets that raise wages at the low end? Is Big Tech the keystone in their coalition or do they agree with FTC Chair Lina Khan’s indictment of it?

In a competitive primary process, these issues would have been litigated in public and the views of whoever emerged victorious would have earned legitimacy as the party’s path forward. Instead, the next Democratic nominee for president — whether Kamala Harris or one of the many governors earning mention — is likely to assume that title without having given any indication of his or her vision (if he or she has a vision at all), and without reference to the different set of experts who would advise each of them. Perhaps the Democrats will luck into a compelling and coherent ideology to carry them forward. More likely, they will find themselves tied to a half-baked and untested set of ideas for which they are ill-equipped to make the public case.