Some want President Biden to take a harder line to quell the protests, while others are urging him to defend students’ freedom to protest against Israel.
WASHINGTON—Some Democrats are concerned that the ongoing college protests may jeopardize President Joe Biden’s chances of winning a second term. And there is an ongoing division within the Democratic Party over how to handle these demonstrations.
Some want President Biden to take a harder line to quell the protests and combat anti-Semitism on college campuses, fearing that failure to do so could bolster former President Donald Trump’s electoral standing. Some progressives, on the other hand, are urging the president to defend students’ freedom to protest against Israel and demand a cease-fire. Some have even expressed concerns that the turmoil of the Vietnam War era may flare up again.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recently likened the current protests to those in 1968. He warned that President Biden’s support for Israel could sink his presidency, much like how the Vietnam War brought down Lyndon Johnson’s presidency.
“This may be Biden’s Vietnam,” Mr. Sanders told CNN on May 2.
In March 1968, President Johnson decided not to seek reelection because of the growing public anger over his handling of the Vietnam War.
“Lyndon Johnson, in many respects, was a very, very good president,” Mr. Sanders said. “Domestically, he brought forth some major pieces of legislation. He chose not to run in ’68 because of opposition to his views on Vietnam.
“I worry very much that President Biden is putting himself in a position where he has alienated, not just young people, but a lot of the Democratic base, in terms of his views on Israel and this war.”
The current crisis bears some similarities to the Vietnam War era, as both involve protests and division within the Democratic Party. However, many argue that there are significant differences between the two situations.
“In the 1960s, much of the opposition around the country was based upon the draft. It was based upon so many American soldiers going over to Vietnam. This is not the case in the Middle East at this point,” historian David Pietrusza told The Epoch Times.
By Emel Akan
