Democratic columnist A.B. Stoddard is one of the primary inspirations for One Daily Link. At the time I stumbled across her writing, I was on a steady news diet of the right attacking the left and the left attacking the right. The commentary was brutally unproductive, each side’s complaint being that the other side wasn’t more like them. When I read Stoddard’s column, in which she chastised Democrats for moving too far to the left on an issue, a lightbulb went on. “This woman has an actual dog in this fight. Her criticisms aren’t meant to attack. They’re meant to improve.” I’ve followed her ever since. Her column today warning Biden off a 2024 run is proof you should, too. 

As with the piece that won me over years ago, Stoddard has a dog in this fight. She’s interested in actually strengthening her party. That means viewing the midterms and Joe Biden through an honest and critical lens. I won’t repeat Stoddard’s points here — she makes them better than I ever could. I will say, though, despite directing her words at Democrats, Republicans should take note. For one thing, the GOP stands to benefit from the kind of introspection Stoddard advises. For another, if Democrats conduct a meaningful inventory and Republicans don’t, they will have no one but themselves to blame for what happens in 2024.