The Perils of Partisan Teamsmanship
By Sean Evans, Chair and Professor of Political Science
Jul 12, 2024 -
Few people were surprised by President Biden’s poor debate performance. For four years, Americans have seen Biden visibly age via verbal miscues, feet shuffling, blank stares, and more. Biden’s own White House implicitly acknowledged this through a light daily schedule, infrequent public appearances, the overuse of teleprompters and note cards, and restrictions on press interactions. His age is why 73% of Americans and two-thirds of Democrats did not want him to run for reelection. So, why are Democrats just now publicly discussing replacing Biden in the 2024 campaign?
The pre-debate rallying around Biden reflects what Princeton’s Frances Lee calls “teamsmanship.” Teamsmanship leads partisans to side with their co-partisans and leaders, even on matters on which they disagree, to bolster the party’s collective prospects in the next election. All candidates are concerned about the party brand because most people vote a straight party ticket. This explains why parties pass laws to improve their party brand and the opposition opposes and attacks the governing party to tarnish their brand.
It also means partisans do not challenge the party’s president because his performance and approval determine the party's brand. If co-partisans criticize the president, it signals independents and co-partisans that the president, and thus the party, is divided, incompetent, or ineffective. This signal may depress the vote of co-partisans and encourage independents to vote for the opposing party.
This teamsmanship is reinforced through several factors. First, intense electorate competition means either party can win the White House or control of Congress at each election which makes criticism electoral risky. Second, partisan ideological polarization means losing may result in unacceptable policy outcomes. Third, candidates rely on ideological activists and donors to win primaries and fear being punished for criticizing the president. Finally, the rise of partisan media reinforces partisan cues and attacks those who criticize the president as apostates which can lead to the candidate’s defeat.
Two years ago, major party leaders could have publicly thanked Biden for his service and then told him it was time to let the next generation take over. This public announcement would have signaled candidates that it was OK to run and for donors and voters to support someone else. This would have pushed Biden out.
Yet, teamsmanship prevented officials from speaking the obvious. They can only speak the truth off the record and in closed-door settings. But this requires partisans to give up their independent judgment to the needs of the group which is more partisan than wise. Even though their speaking out would encourage others to speak out which could set the party on a better course. Instead, the White House Press Secretary makes unbelievable claims that she “can’t keep up with [Biden]” and that videos of Biden looking confused are “deepfakes.”
This Tuesday Congressional Democrats met to discuss whether Biden should step aside. Some members called for Biden to retire. Yet, others argued that those calls undermined the party, it is undemocratic to replace the elected nominee, there is not a good replacement, or the process of choosing a replacement would be chaotic and divisive. Eventually, the pro-retirement members will back down, and an incredibly weakened Biden will remain the nominee.
Of course, teamsmanship is not limited to Democrats. From then President Trump trying to coerce Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Biden by delaying the release of military aid, lying that he won the 2020 election and instigating the January 6th riot, and keeping and obstructing the removal of classified documents, Republicans have defended or ignored Trump’s indefensible comments or behavior.
The problems of teamsmanship for the party and nation are clear. First, parties do not alter failing courses because co-partisans will not criticize the party which, ironically, leads the party to defeat. Second, partisans are more likely to believe falsehoods because trusted partisans do not challenge them. Third, it undermines the separation of powers because officials support or oppose constitutionally dubious acts depending on the president’s partisanship.
Most importantly, partisans place getting or keeping power over principle by compromising the truth for political expediency. These actions teach people that the ends justify the means which makes truth and people expendable. We need a principled politics that is moral or value-based that ultimately benefits oneself, one’s party, and the nation. Principled politics requires one to tell one’s party and nation truths it does not want to hear. Doing so may cause short-term loss, but the party and country will win in the end.
This column appeared in the online version of The Jackson Sun on July 12