Are Top Democrats secretly preparing to flip on Biden?
In recent public appearances, President Joe Biden has been the subject of increasing speculation regarding his potential withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. This topic gained momentum following an event on Saturday where former President Barack Obama was seen assisting the 81-year-old President off the stage at a Los Angeles fundraiser. Similarly, during a Juneteenth celebration at the White House, Biden stood still for an extended period, causing concern until Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, stepped in to support him.
Despite White House spokesperson Andrew Bates dismissing the incident as a manipulated video, the debate over Biden’s candidacy persists. The theory suggests that the Democratic Party might replace Biden with another candidate before the 2024 election.
Nate Silver, a renowned pollster, highlighted this issue on social media, questioning if Biden’s continued run is riskier than dropping out. Silver pointed out Biden’s historically low approval rating of 37.4 percent and noted that voters’ concerns about Biden’s age are justified, as the President’s age could impact his effectiveness and appeal.
Columnist Mark Leibovich recently dubbed Biden “Ruth Bader Biden,” alluding to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who faced criticism for not retiring during Obama’s presidency, which eventually allowed President Trump to appoint a conservative justice. Additionally, political strategist James Carville openly stated that Biden should not have sought re-election.
In a strategic move to quell internal party doubts, Biden’s team has scheduled an early debate on June 27, aimed at demonstrating Biden’s capability. However, the plan carries risks. A strong performance could unify the party behind Biden, but a significant mistake might amplify calls for his replacement. Mark Penn, former Clinton advisor, believes this debate will be crucial for Biden to prove his fitness for office.
If Biden falters during this debate or if his approval ratings continue to decline, it may take intervention from top Democratic figures such as Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer to persuade Biden to step aside. One Democratic strategist likened the complexity of replacing Biden to navigating a massive container ship through a narrow passage, emphasizing the potential difficulties and high stakes involved.
Some party insiders believe that with careful planning, a candidate swap could succeed. Political columnist Joe Klein suggested that a dynamic young candidate could rejuvenate the party with a powerful convention speech, similar to Obama’s 2004 address, uniting both Democrats and moderate independents.
Such a transition would require public endorsement from Biden and other Democratic leaders, including convincing Vice President Kamala Harris to support the new nominee. However, this strategy carries risks for the replacement candidate, whose political future could be jeopardized by a loss to Trump.
The Democratic Party faces tough decisions ahead, especially as Biden has framed the 2024 election as crucial for American democracy. If the party believes Biden cannot win, they may resort to drastic measures to secure a favorable outcome.