“It will be a bloodbath“: What would happen to the Democrats if Kamala Harris loses?

In brief…

• If the Democrats lose the election, internal fractures within the party could erupt.
• It would bring an end to the weeks of high spirits after Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as presidential nominee.
• Figures like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi could get the blame for defeat and things could get nasty, The News Agents say.

What’s the story?

Kamala Harris brought a new lease of life to the Democratic party when she replaced Joe Biden as its presidential nominee.

With the Democratic nominee overtaking Donald Trump in the polls, they could be on course for a win.

But it is not done and dusted yet. So it begs the question, what will happen to the party if they don’t get the result they hope for?

‘There’s going to be a bloodbath’

The atmosphere at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was one of unity.

That’s according to the News Agents’ Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall, who have been at the event all week.

That feeling will last until the day of the presidential election on 5 November, says Lewis.

He says: “There's relief. They think they've got themselves into a far better place than they were in before. That unity will last up to and including Election Day.”

But should the Democrats lose, things could get ugly.

If this happens, Lewis predicts: “There's gonna be a bloodbath in this party, is my impression, because the way that the events have panned out is such that there will be so much blame to go around.”

He adds: “There will be real discord in this party, and there will be reason too, because what we have seen over the past few months has been so unusual, so unorthodox, so odd.

“And this week has been about papering over the cracks of that. But believe me, believe us, those cracks are there.”

Who will get the blame?

Joe Biden will be the first in the firing line, according to Lewis.

He says: “There will be such fury at Biden, not gratitude for stepping down when he did, but fury and anger that he didn't step down earlier to allow Harris to go through a proper nominating process and a primary process and to establish themselves before the public.”

It took weeks of pressure for the 81-year-old president to make way for Harris. Many speculated that his wife, first lady Jill Biden, was the one convincing him to stay in the race. 

But after the pressure from key figures in the Democratic party became too much, Biden finally caved.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is widely believed to have played a major role in encouraging Biden to step down in the aftermath of his disastrous TV debate against Donald Trump.

And she could also be in the firing line should the Democrats lose the election, says Lewis.

“There'll be anger at someone like Nancy Pelosi for moving against Biden.”

Are cracks already forming?

It is a question Jon raises.

He says: “There are all sorts of little pressures and things at play.

“The fact that Michelle Obama doesn't mention Joe Biden at all in her speech, I wonder whether someone might arch an eyebrow at that. Is there bad blood there?”

Jon also questions whether the Democrats deliberately let Biden’s speech run over, saying he gave his speech once “everyone had gone to bed”.

“It's a question you would raise to say ‘we didn't want Joe Biden to get a lot of attention’”, he says.

But for now, any potential friction in the party is being kept off Americans’ TV screens, Lewis points out.

Look out for the full discussion on The News Agents.