WASHINGTON—Some Democrats are concerned that the ongoing college protests may jeopardize President Joe Biden’s chances of winning a second term. And there is an ongoing division within the Democratic Party over how to handle these demonstrations.
Some want President Biden to take a harder line to quell the protests and combat anti-Semitism on college campuses, fearing that failure to do so could bolster former President Donald Trump’s electoral standing. Some progressives, on the other hand, are urging the president to defend students’ freedom to protest against Israel and demand a cease-fire. Some have even expressed concerns that the turmoil of the Vietnam War era may flare up again.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recently likened the current protests to those in 1968. He warned that President Biden’s support for Israel could sink his presidency, much like how the Vietnam War brought down Lyndon Johnson’s presidency.
“This may be Biden’s Vietnam,” Mr. Sanders told CNN on May 2.
In March 1968, President Johnson decided not to seek reelection because of the growing public anger over his handling of the Vietnam War.
“Lyndon Johnson, in many respects, was a very, very good president,” Mr. Sanders said. “Domestically, he brought forth some major pieces of legislation. He chose not to run in ’68 because of opposition to his views on Vietnam.
“I worry very much that President Biden is putting himself in a position where he has alienated, not just young people, but a lot of the Democratic base, in terms of his views on Israel and this war.”
The current crisis bears some similarities to the Vietnam War era, as both involve protests and division within the Democratic Party. However, many argue that there are significant differences between the two situations.
“In the 1960s, much of the opposition around the country was based upon the draft. It was based upon so many American soldiers going over to Vietnam. This is not the case in the Middle East at this point,” historian David Pietrusza told The Epoch Times.
“A further difference is that in 1968 you had viable opposition to Lyndon Johnson’s nomination, first in the person of Eugene McCarthy and then of Bobby Kennedy. This situation does not exist today.”
Will History Repeat Itself?
As in 1968, the Democratic Party will convene in Chicago this August to select its presidential nominee. Some Democrats are anxious that the violent events more than five decades ago could be repeated in 2024.Despite that the Democratic Party controlled the White House and Congress, 1968 was a turbulent year for the party. Having championed the Great Society programs, Democrats found themselves in disarray before the election, with President Johnson unwelcome in Chicago.
Reflecting on the aftermath, President Johnson expressed profound disappointment that his party had abandoned him.
“I’ve never felt lower in my life,” President Johnson said. “How do you think it feels to be completely rejected by the party you’ve spent your life with, knowing that your name cannot be mentioned without choruses of boos and obscenities?”
University police are confronted by protesters at the University of Chicago campus as they move to break up a pro-Palestinian encampment in Chicago on May 7, 2024. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
During that year’s Democratic Convention in late August, there were widespread protests against the Vietnam War and the political establishment. Amid riots and violence on Chicago’s streets, Vice President Hubert Humphrey received the presidential nomination, highlighting deep divisions within the party.
“It’s certainly possible, and perhaps even likely, that we will see significant demonstrations at this year’s Democratic National Convention,” Mr. Pietrusza said. “I suspect the police reaction this year will not be as controversial as that of the Chicago police in 1968, however.”
In the 1968 general election, Mr. Humphrey lost the White House race to Republican nominee Richard Nixon. Some attributed this defeat to voters’ frustration with Democrats for their perceived inaction in restoring law and order.
Given these historical parallels, many have said that President Biden is currently attempting to thread a needle on current protests, aiming to retain the right to free expression while reminding students that the United States is a nation governed by laws.
When it comes to the Israel–Hamas conflict, the president has also attempted to strike a balance between support for Israel and sympathy for Palestinians who are suffering in Gaza.
Following weeks of pressure from critics, however, President Biden made a strong statement on May 7 about the “ferocious surge” in anti-Semitism on college campuses and beyond. Hatred of Jews “continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people,” he said during a Holocaust remembrance speech.
“Too many people are denying, downplaying, rationalizing the horrors of the Holocaust.”
He said that people have already forgotten the terror unleashed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
“It’s absolutely despicable, and it must stop,” he said.
A Political Gift to Trump?
Republicans see the protests gripping U.S. college campuses as a winning election issue for them. They are broadly in agreement on the war and exhibit strong support for Israel. They’ve called for President Biden to send in the National Guard to end chaos on campuses.
On April 30, pro-Palestinian demonstrators took over an academic building at Columbia University. The incident happened after the school began to suspend students who refused to vacate the protest encampment. It wasn’t just Republicans who were furious with the pro-Palestinian protesters, though.
Larry Summers, a Democrat who served as treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, expressed his frustration on social media platform X, criticizing the leadership of universities.
New York delegates hold 'Stop the War' banners in protest at the United States' continued involvement in the Vietnam War, on the third day of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 28, 1968. (Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
“As a strong supporter of President Biden and the Democrats, I am very aware that Ronald Reagan launched his political career running against those who allowed chaos at Berkeley,” he wrote on April 29.
“Academic leaders at many of our leading universities are giving a political gift to Donald Trump and his acolytes.”
Pro-Palestinian protests have been popping up on U.S. college campuses since mid-April, with police arresting more than 2,000 protestors so far. In some cases, police forces used rubber bullets, chemical irritants, and pepper balls to remove protesters.
“I think that it’s important for us to protect freedom of speech and that we’re setting a dangerous precedent when we criminalize young people for standing up for peace,” Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told reporters.
“And we have done this before. And we have seen that they were on the right side.”
When asked about the turmoil at Columbia University, she said: “I think it’s complicated. You hear young people who’re saying enough is enough.”
While protesters’ demands have varied among universities, a majority of demonstrators have called for universities to cut ties with businesses that support Israel.
David Carlucci, a Democratic strategist and former New York state senator, disagrees with those who try to draw parallels with 1968.
“Comparing these protests to the Vietnam anti-war protests is like comparing apples to oranges,” he told The Epoch Times.
Mr. Carlucci also criticized Republicans for attempting to make the protests appear as if the country is in chaos.
“The truth is, President Biden’s response to these protests has been nothing but strict. Until Republicans can completely link these protests to Biden, which is false, I do not see these protests as a political liability for him,” he said.
“He may lose support from far-left young voters due to his support for Israel, but these voters will not go to Donald Trump. It is important to remember that there will be 41 million Gen Z eligible voters for the 2024 election and those protesting are a tiny fraction of that number.”
(Top) Demonstrators try to block arriving guests outside the venue for the White House Correspondents' Dinner, in Washington on April 27, 2024. (Bottom) Pro-Palestinian protestors demonstrate in Washington on April 27, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images, Andrew Thomas/AFP via Getty Images)
Recent polls indicate that young voters, a key pillar of the Democratic Party’s base who played a crucial role in electing him in 2020, are drifting away from President Biden.
According to a recent CNN poll conducted by SSRS, the president is 11 percentage points behind President Trump among voters aged 18 to 34 in a head-to-head match.
Biden’s Dilemma
Willa Folmar, 31, recently went to the New York University protest to support the students. She said she is concerned that the campus protests are hurting President Biden’s chances of regaining the support of younger Americans.“The Democratic Party really has to do something to show they are listening to the youth because that’s the future of the party and the future of the country,” Ms. Folmar, a Brooklyn resident, told The Epoch Times.
However, only 2 percent of respondents to a poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School in April ranked “Israel/Palestine” as the top issue, far behind other topics, such as the economy (11 percent), inflation (8 percent), abortion (6 percent), and the environment (5 percent).
A recent YouGov poll also found that 53 percent of adults thought college administrators’ decision to suspend and deport some pro-Palestinian protesters was “about right” or “not harsh enough.” For individuals older than 65, that number rises to 68 percent.
While President Biden aims to appeal to young voters, he is cautious about alienating others, especially those who strongly support law and order.
Manhattan resident Lance Bennet, 72, recognizes this and explains the dilemma the president is currently facing.
“I’m a Democrat, and if Biden loses this [youth] vote, he’s in trouble,” he told The Epoch Times.
“It’s almost an impossible situation. Whichever side Biden takes, he’s going to get protests from the other side.”
Juliette Fairley and John Haughey contributed to this report.
