In the finger-pointing that naturally follows a stunning loss, a handful of Democratic officials and operatives are putting the blame squarely on Joe Biden. The president, they told Politico, doomed Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign by staying in the race for too long, even as others say that Harris and the party as a whole have no one but themselves to blame.
Before his disastrous debate performance against President-elect Donald Trump, polling indicated widespread concern over Biden's age and mental acuity, which helped tank his approval rating. Even after the debate poured gasoline on the fire, Biden and his allies spent a month resisting calls for him to step aside, leaving Harris with just over three months to define her candidacy.
