The case against Democrats bed-wetting over Biden

Plenty of Democrats are freaking out over President Joe Biden's chances of winning reelection. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) offered the case for panic in Thursday’s West Wing Playbook.

But should they just chill the F out? Yes, says Patrick Dillon, a Democratic strategist whose wife, Jen O'Malley Dillon, is the president’s deputy chief of staff. In an interview, he presented the counter argument to the bed wetters. It’s been slightly edited for space.

Why are Dems constantly hand wringing? 

I think it’s a constitutional imperative of being a member of the party. To be a Democrat is to be a worrier. 

Does the Biden panic feel any more intense than past cycles? 

Honestly, no. I don’t think so. Every time it’s like this. D.C. is full of people who are quite sure how they would run and win a presidential campaign. 

So what do you tell the panickers? 

There’s a serious facts-based thing, and then there’s a more tongue-and-cheek thing. 

I worked on Obama’s reelection in 2012. I remember every single poll in 2011 that had Mitt Romney up [by] 1, 2, 3, 4. We knew then, and we should know now, how not really predictive or useful off-year polls of large samples of just adults or registered voters are. 

But it’s like therapists say: Anxiety has a real evolutionary purpose to keep you on your toes and watch out for danger. But too much anxiety is a disorder. When it paralyzes you and you spend all your time ruminating and worrying, that’s not healthy. 

What about the people worrying Dems aren’t taking Trump seriously? 

Anybody who didn’t expect this to be a close, tough race has got their head in the clouds. That’s how presidential elections in the 21st century go. They are close. They are tough. 

One of the most ridiculous things in the whole discourse right now is the idea that somehow Joe Biden and the people on the Joe Biden team — the people that have actually run against and beaten Donald Trump — don’t take him seriously enough. It just sort of defies belief to me. 

Isn’t Biden’s age driving all the anxiety? 

Democrats find something to worry about no matter what. And I think the threat of Donald Trump is a scary enough threat, a real enough threat, that they would find something to be scared about no matter what. 

Does your argument change a bit if we’re not talking about a Biden-Trump rematch? 

No, I don’t think it does. 

For one, I can’t get over the premise. I don’t mean that as attacking your question, but I believe Donald Trump is going to be the nominee. I just don’t see any scenario where that doesn’t happen.

That’s the whole thing. You can panic, and you can worry, be anxious. Or you could deal with reality and deal with where we are and what we’ve gotta do.

Do you view the recent Washington Post-ABC poll as an outlier?

It’s absolutely an outlier. Although, if you average it in with the others, you get to a pretty reasonable average that says it’s sort of a one- to two-point race, one way or the other. 

Are you concerned about a last-minute Biden challenger on the Dem side? 

No. All of the people whose names get thrown about are all sitting there saying they’re supporting the president. That’s it. Period. End of story. 

Just curious, why do you respond so often to the social media panic? 

[Chuckles] 

People think there’s some grand strategy to my tweeting. It’s a way of blowing off steam and being in the conversation with each other. 

Nine times out of 10, it’s me sitting in a dark room waiting for my five-year-old to fall asleep so I can actually leave the room.

Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook newsletter.