ATLANTA — For the second time in four years, the Democratic presidential primary pitted the expanding progressive movement against an eventually victorious establishment. But as the party gathers virtually this week to nominate Joe Biden for the presidency, the possibility of President Donald Trump’s reelection has become Democrats’ unifying and energizing force.
“Nobody fits neatly and tightly into any one bucket,” said Georgia Democratic Chairwoman Nikema Williams. “What we all fit into is knowing that right now we don’t have leadership in our country, and it’s hurting all of us.”
That’s an important shift from 2016, when Hillary Clinton struggled to build a coalition between her supporters and those who backed Sen. Bernie Sanders, who again finished as runner-up this year. It reflects both the work Biden has done to court the left and the urgency among Democrats to defeat Trump, which has only intensified amid the coronavirus pandemic, economic turmoil and a national reckoning on racism.
Still, the party’s ideological splits haven’t vanished. There are disagreements over how to achieve universal health care, make higher education affordable, overhaul law enforcement practices and reengage with countries that are questioning America’s role in the world.