The Dark Brandon meme is trending again as observers who excoriated Joe Biden for failing to immediately quit the presidential race after his woeful debate performance are beginning to credit the wiley old pol for a dash of mastermind strategic wisdom.
Why did Biden wait so long to withdraw his candidacy, despite pushes from the likes of Rep. Adam Schiff, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and even movie star George Clooney?
At first the fraught Biden detractors desperate about the Democrats’ chances in November blamed Biden’s allegedly colossal ego, savaging the President as an old man putting himself first and democracy at risk — no better, it turns out, than his opponent, the nefarious narcissist Donald Trump. Or so the story went.
But now those same chatterers are pushing a different, heroic narrative: Biden waited in order to take the incoming fire for his governing partner Harris, to let the Republican National Convention aim all its media-amplified vitriol at him and his age and his feebleness, while Harris remained under the radar during the media extravaganza.
Haha, Dark Brandon is BRILLIANT. pic.twitter.com/RNAjnmgZvg
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) July 24, 2024
According to this ‘Dark Brandon’ narrative, Biden knew exactly what he was doing and when — and he decided to take one for the team, shielding Harris while making the Republicans squander their bountiful coverage, incendiary rhetoric and donor money on bashing a candidate who ultimately wasn’t going to run.
STRATEGY of Dark Brandon!
“Joe Biden remains a master of politics. Not one word was leaked. He timed his decision so Donny & the Republicans spent the entire convention running against the WRONG CANDIDATE! & the pièce de résistance ” Jeff Tiedrich
He Screwed the Media!
1/3 pic.twitter.com/Wu9KwR3rse
— ShyannBluewave (@BlueskyShyann) July 22, 2024
[NOTE: Trump has reportedly been infuriated by the move and the money he spent attacking Biden’s age and acuity, especially as the 78-year-old GOP nominee is now the oldest presidential candidate in history.]
Trump is also on the record as saying, just last week: “I hate when people laugh at me. I hate it.”
Very online people are suggesting that a Biden who is not a candidate — but instead a lame duck — may be put to use by the Harris campaign trying to get people to do just that. The clip below, of Biden in April, is circulating today with the Dark Brandon tag.
Joe’s got nothing to lose now baby.
Look out Don Felone.
Dark Brandon is unleashed.
Game on.pic.twitter.com/vZRVyiamLM
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) July 24, 2024