Outgoing White House director of communications Kate Bedingfield led President Joe Biden's messaging strategy (AFP)
The White House is pushing back against women's rights activists frustrated by the loss of abortion rights while Democrats control the White House and both chambers of Congress.
On Saturday, The Washington Post reported on the disappointment over President Joe Biden's response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade.
"For many Democrats, however, it was too little and too late, just one more example over the two weeks in which Biden and his team struggled to come up with a muscular plan of action on abortion rights, even though the Supreme Court ruling had been presaged two months earlier with the leak of a draft opinion," the newspaper reported.
The report came the same day The New York Times reported on fears of Biden's advanced age.
"Biden and his team were also caught off guard by the timing of the decision and, in the immediate hours afterward, failed to channel the raw and visceral anger felt by many Americans over the decision, The Post reported. "To many increasingly frustrated Democrats, Biden’s slow-footed response on abortion was just the latest example of a failure to meet the moment on a wave of conservative rollbacks, from gun control to environmental protections to voting rights. Some aspects of the White House reaction have felt to some Democrats like a routine response, including stakeholder calls and the creation of a task force, to an existential crisis."
The White House is pushing back against complaints over Biden's response, with White House communications director Kate Bedingfield lashing out at the woman's rights activists frustrated over the administration's response.
“Joe Biden’s goal in responding to Dobbs is not to satisfy some activists who have been consistently out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party," Bedingfield said.
Bedingfield's comment generated controversy online as activists warned that the White House was turning a policy failure on abortion into a political failure going into the midterms by depressing enthusiasm.
Here's some of what people were saying:
\u201cIf the @WHCommsDir thinks pro-choice activists are "out of step" with the mainstream of the Democratic Party (which she said) she should quit her job and learn how to read a poll. Of course, if it were true (it's not) that would justify abandoning the party, not the activists.\u201d— Tim Wise (@Tim Wise) 1657415721
\u201c@tylerpager @WHCommsDir @AshleyRParker @yabutaleb7 88% of Democratic voters approve of abortion rights\n\n and \n\n36% of Democratic voters approve of Joe Biden. \n\nWhich of those numbers looks like the "mainstream of Dem voters" to these clowns in the administration?\u201d— Tyler Pager (@Tyler Pager) 1657400976
\u201cRemarkable statement coming a day after Biden himself acknowledged these activists\u2019 frustrations and pleaded for them to vote this fall.\u201d— Eli Stokols (@Eli Stokols) 1657408816
\u201cI get that Biden\u2019s power here is limited, but to demonize and spit in the face of an energized constituency like this is idiotic, @WHCommsDir. Just arrogant stupidity.\u201d— Peter Ramsey (@Peter Ramsey) 1657412549
\u201cThis is one of the most depressing statements to come from Team Biden. It's depressing because the Democratic Party has so many vibrant, talented young leaders equipped with a moral compass and the courage to do the right thing. And they're being absolutely crushed by leadership.\u201d— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1657410395
\u201cPer 538, approvals on day 535 of their presidency: \n\nTrump: 42/53\n\nBiden: 38/56 (!!!)\n\nThis is the drag Dem candidates are dealing with in every race across the country. A little humility from the WH about their political judgment is probably in order.\nhttps://t.co/j7mZ1bdoiT\u201d— Adam Jentleson \ud83c\udf88 (@Adam Jentleson \ud83c\udf88) 1657407234
\u201cAs a(n) (apparently) rare young(ish) supporter of the president, I am baffled by this statement. What kind of straw man are we setting up here? Who are these out-of-step activists? What do they want that he won\u2019t satisfy? This is so weird and dumb.\u201d— Devin Driscoll (@Devin Driscoll) 1657408382
\u201cIf you\u2019re surprised by Biden deciding to just openly shit on Democratic voters, wait till you find out about his entire 4,000 year career in the U.S. Senate\u201d— David Sirota (@David Sirota) 1657410377
\u201cThe White House, clearly frustrated w activist/liberal Dems who have been trashing their abortion response, fires back in a \ud83d\udd25 statement to us \ud83d\udc47\u201d— Ashley Parker (@Ashley Parker) 1657402362
\u201canyway, if it were me, I'd consider maybe positioning the six justices who are going to overturn a whole ton of laws as being out of the mainstream and not the people who've spent a ton of sweat equity defending those rights in that way, just a thought\u201d— Jason Linkins (@Jason Linkins) 1657406436
\u201cRepublicans fight like wild boars to be able to indoctrinate kids and teens so they can ensure their party has a legacy. The dems want to kill off the new growth to preserve the rot. Absolute loser shit\u201d— Extra Sauce Queen Li\u2019l \ud83c\udf33 (@Extra Sauce Queen Li\u2019l \ud83c\udf33) 1657407043
\u201cEven assuming this statement is meant as a Sister Souljah, it's still an own goal. The frustration with Biden's fumbling reaction is coming from the mainstream of the party. Normies who feel outraged in the wake of Dobbs will, reasonably, think the WH is talking about them.\u201d— Adam Jentleson \ud83c\udf88 (@Adam Jentleson \ud83c\udf88) 1657409675
\u201cFighting for basic human rights is apparently \u201cout of step with the Democratic Party\u201d as per WH?\n\nThen I\u2019ll proudly be out of step till my last breath @WHCommsDir\n\n#RoeVsWade #HumanRights\u201d— Nadine van der Velde \ud83c\udf3b (@Nadine van der Velde \ud83c\udf3b) 1657412251
\u201cPeople will not fight for you if you spit in their face and say it\u2019s beneath you to fight for them. Democrats won because of women. And we are getting spat on.\u201d— Amanda Marcotte (@Amanda Marcotte) 1657406072
\u201cThe President doesn\u2019t get it.\u201d— Josh McLaurin (@Josh McLaurin) 1657406366
\u201cThis is a wildly tone deaf response, and it\u2019s frankly stunning that it was approved by a Democratic White House for release.\u201d— Matt McDermott (@Matt McDermott) 1657407961
\u201cMake no mistake, he\u2019s talking about the very people who put him in office.\u201d— Danielle Campoamor (@Danielle Campoamor) 1657408359
\u201cI understand that people get defensive but \u201csome activists who have been consistently out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party\u201d is a hell of a zinger for the White House comms director to throw around right now\u201d— dan solomon (@dan solomon) 1657410459
\u201cThere is a lot of thoughtful, compassionate, pragmatic, and committedly feminist leadership in the progressive movement advancing meaningful responses to our current crisis of reproductive rights. Unfortunately, exactly none of that leadership is coming from the White House.\u201d— Moira Donegan (@Moira Donegan) 1657405245
\u201cThe good thing about being an \u201cactivist \u201c \u201cout of step\u201d \u201cwith the mainstream of the Democratic Party\u201d is that we\u2019re kind of used to the mainstream of the Democratic Party telling us to go jump in a lake. \n\nThe \u201cnevertheless she persisted\u201d energy is strong with us. :)\u201d— Elie Mystal (@Elie Mystal) 1657409355
\u201cI can\u2019t believe the comms director for a man who had to be dragged into the land of repeal Hyde a whole four years after his party\u2019s platform had changed is calling *us* out of step with the mainstream Democratic Party. That\u2019s some revisionist history right there.\u201d— Renee Bracey Sherman (@Renee Bracey Sherman) 1657408730
\u201cJust a reminder - if you've been frustrated by the administration's lack of response to Roe, that's because you are, once again, out of step with the mainstream of the party. \n\nSo just go fuck yourself, and remember - vote in November!\u201d— Josh Olson (@Josh Olson) 1657408840
\u201cYour reminder that abortions rights are --and have been --incredibly popular with ALL voters, at a percentage FAR higher than Biden's dismal approval rating. The only people who oppose abortion rights are the fundamentalist Catholic and evangelical factions that Biden serves.\u201d— Heidi N. Moore (@Heidi N. Moore) 1657404981
\u201cHello, @WHCommsDir \u2014 am I the type of \u201cout of touch\u201d loyal democratic activist you dismissed?\n\nYour statement today was crushing.\u201d— Jennifer Taub \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Jennifer Taub \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1657412210
\u201cWho wants my primary vote in 2024? Up for grabs if this keeps going, @WHCommsDir.\u201d— Anthony Michael Kreis (@Anthony Michael Kreis) 1657404407
\u201cSo according to the WH, Mitch McConnell is a \u201cman of honor\u201d but democrats demanding the President unapologetically stand up for a woman\u2019s right to chose are \u201cout of step\u201d\u2026 \n\nPlease make it make sense\u201d— MichaelStarr Hopkins (@MichaelStarr Hopkins) 1657404085
\u201cYikes. \n\nBy \u201cactivists\u201d do you mean the majority of Americans?\u201d— Zack Hunt (@Zack Hunt) 1657402790
\u201c"Siri, why do the Dems suck at winning elections?"\u201d— Jonathan Ballew (@Jonathan Ballew) 1657407656
\u201cThere is a serious leadership void in the Democratic Party today \u2014 and it\u2019s entirely the result of the old guard refusing to get out of the way and working to ostracize up and coming progressive leaders.\u201d— Walker Bragman (@Walker Bragman) 1657410216
\u201cImagine deciding that the overturning of Roe is a chance to attack your own party rather than the Republicans. Just appalling.\u201d— Robert Cruickshank (@Robert Cruickshank) 1657409517
\u201cAnd he probably won't be around when our country splits into two again because of this inaction. A century and a half of mediocre progress wiped out before our eyes because of this inaction.\u201d— Ibraheem Samirah (@Ibraheem Samirah) 1657408974
\u201cliterally the only possible strategy I can conjure behind this is some 3d chess bullshit to try to get people excited for Harris 2024, but it is way more disgustingly plausible that they really just decided to point at their own foot and pull the trigger\u201d— Margaret McDeadlines Owen (@Margaret McDeadlines Owen) 1657409473
\u201cTruly impressive how the Biden Administration goes to great lengths to alienate progressives while asking them to vote harder.\u201d— Russ McNamara (@Russ McNamara) 1657409147
\u201cAfter making backbreaking efforts to offend no part of the Dem base for over two years, this quote is \ud83d\udc40\u201d— Maggie Haberman (@Maggie Haberman) 1657416230
\u201cThis has to matter. Public comments mocking activists who are fighting for their lives in the streets is NOT what the country needs, it's NOT helping motivate those folks to support you strongly, & it IS doing the GOP's work for them. Act like you need us as much as we need you.\u201d— Mark Hughes (@Mark Hughes) 1657411297
\u201cEither you really mean it or you don't. If you DO, then you should oppose divisive de-motivating insults & fighting & false allegations no matter where they come from, but especially when it's from those in power & directed at voters you are trying hard to help turn out.\u201d— Mark Hughes (@Mark Hughes) 1657411297
\u201cBeing pro-choice is as "mainstream" as it gets for Dems. Hope the median voter sees this, bros \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\u201d— Emily Crockett (@Emily Crockett) 1657415876
\u201cextremely clarifying and telling that Biden sees people who are incandescent with rage over denying bodily autonomy as being \u201cout of step with the mainstream democratic party\u201d\u201d— Rafi Schwartz (@Rafi Schwartz) 1657415696
\u201cShocked to learn that I\u2019m \u201cconsistently out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party\u201d when 88% of Dems oppose (and 56% of Americans in general) #Roe being overturned. Actually kinda feels like activists are the ones in the mainstream. \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\u201d— Jesse Mermell (@Jesse Mermell) 1657412830
\u201cOMFG Biden Administration, these activists aren\u2019t outside the mainstream of the Democratic Party. They\u2019re not even particularly out of step with Americans more broadly. They\u2019re people rightly demanding health care protections and an adequate response to an extremist judiciary.\u201d— Miranda Yaver, PhD (@Miranda Yaver, PhD) 1657412960
\u201cDemocrats can & must do better for the women of this country.\n\nAs for the moderate vs left talk, a majority of Democrats support taking steps to codify Roe & protect reproductive rights including expanding SCOTUS.\n\nThe \u201ctepid\u201d response is not mainstream.\u201d— Sarah Klee Hood for Congress NY-22 (@Sarah Klee Hood for Congress NY-22) 1657413995
\u201cBiden flat out insulting reproductive rights activists who have criticized his response is certainly a thing he decided to do.\u201d— Noah Berlatsky (@Noah Berlatsky) 1657409066
\u201cAh yes nothing says out of the Dmocratic mainstream like\u2026Planned Parenthood? Even I can\u2019t believe they could ever say something so crass about THEIR OWN FUCKING PEOPLE.\u201d— Aaron Freedman (@Aaron Freedman) 1657415573
\u201cBy this logic Debra Messing is out of touch with the mainstream of the Democratic Party. Debra Messing. lol.\u201d— \u212eoin Higgins (@\u212eoin Higgins) 1657404073
\u201cBecause mainstream Democrats have always done a terrific job\u201d— Thor Benson (@Thor Benson) 1657404322
\u201cReally hard to imagine a worse, more nonsensical statement if I tried. To what is she even referring? What steps being sought by \u201csome activists\u201d are \u201cout of step\u201d with the Democratic Party \u201cmainstream\u201d?\u201d— Chris "Subscribe to Law Dork!" Geidner (@Chris "Subscribe to Law Dork!" Geidner) 1657406414
\u201cThe full quote is even worse because:\n\n*biden\u2019s actions have NOT delivered help, that\u2019s the main criticism\n*pushing voting assumes they\u2019ll keep the House in Nov\n*human rights shouldn\u2019t depend on polling but damn I bet \u201cmainstream\u201d Dem view has shifted in the past two weeks\u201d— susan rinkunas (@susan rinkunas) 1657406538
\u201cApparently Joe Biden thinks Manchin and Sinema are the mainstream of the Dem Party, and the 61% of Americans who support abortion aren\u2019t respectful enough\u201d— Aaron Stewart-Ahn (@Aaron Stewart-Ahn) 1657407473
Just a numbingly stupid thing to say. If anything, Biden’s ConservaDem positions are out of the party’s mainstream. Absolutely gobsmacking level of tone deaf-ed-ness.
— Jamie O’Grady (@JamieOGrady) July 9, 2022
\u201cThen again, this on-the-record comment is so messed up maybe they were being charitable. \n\nWhich activists exactly are "out of step with the mainstream" for worrying too much about abortion?\u201d— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org \u262e\ufe0f (@Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org \u262e\ufe0f) 1657407626
\u201cWhen you're doing comms, your comms are designed to have an audience. So I want to know who the intended audience was for the White House's tweet disparaging pro-choice activists as "out of touch with the Democratic mainstream." Who was it for?\u201d— \ud83d\udd77Dante Atkins\ud83d\udd77 (@\ud83d\udd77Dante Atkins\ud83d\udd77) 1657408223
\u201c...and people wonder why voters become disillusioned. Who the fuck is the mainstream Democratic Party and are they just the wealthy donors because that's not a broad coalition it's just an oligarchy\u201d— Ilana Masad (@Ilana Masad) 1657408303
\u201cGiven what we've seen from the mainstream of the Democratic Party, this isn't the critique he thinks this is.\u201d— Anthony F. Irwin (@Anthony F. Irwin) 1657408525
