In recent months, three of my administration's decisions -- for oil drilling in the Arctic, a hefty boost for liquified natural gas exports, and extensive oil leasing in the Gulf of Mexico -- have further eroded my standing among environmentally minded voters and young voters in particular. I've been told that these decisions have disappointed many Democratic activists and seemed to show a cavalier attitude toward the climate crisis that I have repeatedly labeled as "existential."
I now believe that an open contested primary is the best path forward for Democrats as we look toward the 2024 election. I will no longer stand in the way -- which should encourage Democratic aspirants to step forward and help assure a truly open presidential primary process. Such a process of debate, and then party unity, helped us to defeat Trump in 2020. Such a process can and should do the same in 2024.
I am known for being verbose to the point of becoming stumbly and sometimes even unfathomable, so I'll leave it there. More than a year and a half remains in my presidential term. During that time, I will concentrate on doing the best job as president that I can.
It has been reported by many journalists that I am a great believer in fate. I will not deny it. But I have come to realize that fate should not be understood as fatalism or passivity. The Democratic Party will be running against an extreme MAGA Republican Party next year. It is time to discard illusions and get on with that monumental task.
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Norman Solomon is the national director of RootsAction.org and the executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of a dozen books including War Made Easy. His next book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine, will be published in June 2023 by The New Press.
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