Jewish Dems Praise Biden’s Decision to Drop Out

The anxiety suffered by Jewish Democrats in Atlanta since President Joe Biden’s abysmal performance in the presidential debate on the night of June 27 abated somewhat on the afternoon of July 21 when Biden abandoned his quest for re-election.

At the same time, they began to embrace the likelihood that when the Democratic National Convention convenes Aug. 19 in Chicago, Vice President Kamala Harris will become the party’s standard bearer in the November election.

The news that the 81-year-old Biden had withdrawn and subsequently endorsed Harris injected a measure of hope and enthusiasm in a campaign that was lacking in both since that dismal debate night.

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On the same day, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provided Democrats with a reality check, releasing a poll that showed former President Donald Trump holding a five-percentage point lead over Harris. The survey of 1,000 likely Georgia voters was conducted July 9-18 by the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs. In the same poll, Trump held a three-point edge over Biden. The poll’s margin of error was 3.1 percentage points.

Doug Emhoff would be the first Jewish spouse of a president if Kamala Harris receives the Democratic Party’s nomination and wins the election // Photo Credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

With 107 days until the general election on Nov. 5, Jewish Democrats locally praised Biden’s decision and the pivot toward Harris.

Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Pres. Biden’s record and decades of service to the country are extraordinary and historic. Thank you, @POTUS. Vice President Harris is now absolutely the right candidate to defeat Donald Trump and unite our country. @KamalaHarris is prepared, ready to win, & has my full support.”

Michael Rosenzweig, a board member of the Democratic Majority for Israel, said: “President Biden acted courageously and put the nation’s interests above his own . . . Ever since the debate, all attention had been focused on him, and the question whether he was still fit for office, rather than on the truly terrifying prospect of another Trump presidency. Biden understood that wasn’t going to change, that the relentless scrutiny of his every word and gesture would have continued, distracting voters from who and what Trump is. By stepping aside, he ensures that the campaign will now focus on the stark binary choice voters must make.”

Rosenzweig praised Biden’s endorsement of Harris, “which gives the Democratic Party the chance to unite quickly behind her rather than have another month of intra-party drama that would continue to keep the spotlight off of Trump. While it’s too early to know whether the party will embrace that opportunity, one hopes that we’ll see all the other potential candidates quickly rally around Harris, so that the focus for the rest of the campaign can be on Trump and the existential threat he poses to our country.”

Democratic state Rep. Esther Panitch shared her support for President Biden and Vice President Harris

Democratic state Rep. Esther Panitch said in a statement: “President Biden has led with integrity and character and has been the most successful President in recent memory. I am grateful for the Biden-Harris administration and their unwavering support of Israel and the American Jewish community. This is the only ticket that will preserve the rights of Jewish women. I support Vice President Harris for President and look forward to seeing second gentleman Doug Emhoff make history as the first Jewish spouse of a president.”

Former Fulton County Commission Chair John Eaves agreed. “His decision to step down and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee is a testament to his commitment to unity and progress. This endorsement is particularly important for the Jewish community as Vice President Harris has shown strong support for Israel and has a proven track record of advocating for equality and justice for all,” Eaves said.

G. Scott Rafshoon, the Georgia chair of J Street — which describes itself as “pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy” — echoed other Jewish Democrats. “Like J Street, I applaud President Biden’s selfless decision to abandon his quest for reelection. President Biden has been an outstanding president — standing up for democracy at home and abroad and championing issues that represent the values and beliefs held by most Americans, including most American Jews. He has been a tremendous friend to Israel while at the same time standing up to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s anti-democratic reforms and advocating for the humanity of Israelis and Palestinians. President Biden understands there is no greater imperative than defeating Donald Trump and his decision was clearly made to boost that effort.”

Sam Olens, former Georgia attorney general, said Harris will energize the Democrats’ traditional base.

Sam Olens, a Republican and the first Jew to win a statewide partisan race, said he expects that Trump and his vice-presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, “will follow the same playbook, attacking the vice president for the open border and inflation.” Harris will energize the Democrats’ traditional base, including young voters, he said. Olens, who was elected Georgia’s attorney general in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, suggested that Harris needs to select an experienced running mate, such as Kentucky Sen. Andy Beshear or Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. “A strong start is essential,” he said.

Harris and Emhoff already have a personal connection with Atlanta’s Jewish community. On Oct. 7, 2021, Emhoff nailed a mezuzah on loan from The Temple into the front doorpost of the vice president’s official residence, the Naval Observatory House, in a ceremony led by Rabbi Peter Berg, senior rabbi of The Temple.

At the time, Berg told the AJT: “It was a small private ceremony, a really personal moment,” that included just Harris, Emhoff, and Emhoff’s parents, Barbara and Michael Emhoff, who had not seen their son throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “They had never seen him in this role in person. That’s why the service was so emotional. The Jewish parents standing there, shepping naches [Yiddish for “deriving pride”] for their son, the second gentleman.”