Why are left Democrats supporting Joe Biden?

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and AOC, the member of Congress from the Bronx and Queens, don’t want him to leave. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez believes it is “crazy” to think the Democrats can drop Biden and preserve their momentum in November.

On Instagram Live, she supported the President and thought an open convention would lead to trouble. She believes party leaders show a “lack of thought” on how to confront legal challenges associated with replacing the nominee.

She called it “disturbing” that wealthy donors and social media “groupthink” are driving the debate. It could bring charges that would weaken the support that Biden has from union members and older Americans.

Obviously, Sanders and AOC don’t think Biden is perfect, but they also know that in many areas the Democrats are accepting left ideas. The President’s power to appoint is also the power to set policy. Government agencies under Biden have opened policy debates that would die with a Trump presidency, and whose fate would become uncertain with a new presidential candidate.

The National Labor Relations Board is willing to listen to workers’ complaints about unfair practices from bosses. This is big plus for unions. The Federal Trade Commission has started anti-trust actions that will need years to resolve. A new President might go in a different direction. Even if that direction is a positive one, the change in policy would harm the initiatives started by the Federal Trade Commission.

For the first time, federal agencies are discussing caps on rent for landlords receiving government tax breaks. The agencies are considering a limit on rent increases for those corporations receiving the tax benefits. It’s the first time the federal government has considered an activist policy to curb rent hikes. Traditionally, that has been a local matter. A federal restriction would benefit millions of families.

It’s not just abortion where the Biden administration has done a good job. Rents, restrictions on the power of Google, and assisting unions trying to organize workers have benefited from Biden’s influence.

It is no wonder that AOC thinks that the involvement of big donors spells trouble that might harm these Biden programs. It is unlikely that big donors want to make life easier for union organizing or to have rent increases restricted. By focusing on Biden’s infirmities, they could be laying the groundwork to rejuvenate conservative Democrats.

Sanders and AOC are being prudent and perhaps clairvoyant, but elections are almost always laced with judgment calls, and 2024 is no different. We don’t know what November will bring.