Judging by the aftermath of Thursday’s presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the media was the debate’s biggest loser, and they know it. On Friday, several left-leaning media outlets published articles floating the idea of replacing Biden, who fared worse in 1995 than Peter McNeeley did against Mike Tyson.
The debate was an embarrassing affair, especially if you happen to be a Democrat. Biden came across as frail, disappointing, and fickle, struggling to answer even the simplest questions. He certainly had some good moments, but they were just a drop in the ocean of the entire debate. To put it simply, no amount of chatter will save this disaster.
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He dragged the press with him into the abyss
Now people on the left are desperately trying to figure out what to do about their Biden problem. Time Magazine published an article on Friday saying, “Within ten minutes of the CNN-hosted event, even some of Biden’s most loyal supporters were wondering if the nomination was actually a done deal.”
Biden’s appearance did little to change this reality. The news chains among Washington Democrats dissolved into paralyzing fear over the course of the night. “The [closed captioning]” pondered a senior Democratic strategist. “That would have been the most honest thing to do.”
Politico detailed opinions from Democratic Party insiders who expressed doubts about Biden’s chances of success as a candidate.
Three strategists close to three potential Democratic presidential candidates said they were bombarded with text messages throughout the debate, with one adviser saying they received requests to put forward their candidate as an alternative to Biden.
Another adviser said they had “confronted no fewer than half a dozen major donors with a text message titled ‘disaster’ and [the] The party has to do something,” but acknowledged that “not much can be done unless” Biden resigns.
One Democratic donor described the president’s performance as “the worst performance in history” and said, “Biden has to get out. No question about it.”
Business Insider published an article that also highlighted comments from several members of the left-wing chatter class. The political adviser and former White House official said the president “seemed a little disoriented at the beginning of the debate” and suggested the Republican Party would be in “trouble” if Biden was replaced by Democrats.
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote a op-ed in which he admitted to crying alone in a hotel room after watching the debate. “I can’t remember a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in my lifetime, precisely because of what it revealed: Joe Biden, a good man and a good president, has no business seeking re-election,” he wrote.
Friedman argued: “To give America the best possible chance of fending off the threat posed by Trump in November, the president must come forward and announce that he will not seek re-election and release all of his delegates to the Democratic National Convention.”
In another piece The guard provided a list of potential candidates who could replace Biden on the ballot, including Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and businessman Dean Phillips.
While some said it was impossible to replace the president against his will, Jennifer Van Laar of RedState set the record straight.
After the DNC calls the convention, the rules governing pledged delegates make it essentially impossible for Biden to be replaced at the convention against his will. He would have to drop out. However, there is a provision that allows the DNC to replace the nominee for president or vice president after the convention in the event of the “death, resignation, or incapacity of a nominee.” From Article IX, Section G of the call:
Filling a Vacancy on the National Ballot: In the event of the death, resignation, or incapacity of any of the Party’s nominees for President or Vice President after the adjournment of the National Convention, the National Chairman of the Democratic National Committee shall consult with the Democratic leadership of the United States Congress and the Democratic Governors Association and report to the Democratic National Committee, which shall have the authority to fill the vacancy(s).
The document does not specify how this disability must be certified or who makes the disability determination, but after Biden’s abysmal performance and the panic that is setting in among the Democratic ruling class, it stands to reason that the DNC leadership will interpret this section to allow them to replace Biden. It is impossible for donors to continue to pump gigantic amounts of money into the party coffers unless there is another person at the top of the ballot.
At this point, it seems unlikely that the Democratic Party would replace its nominee at or shortly after the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to take place in August. Removing Biden just months before the end of the term would be a risky move.
In 2024, however, political junkies know it’s best to never say never. Given Biden’s performance on Thursday, Democrats may decide that even more risky to leave Biden in the race. At this point, it’s unclear what they’ll decide – but it’s abundantly clear that they have some serious issues to consider before November.
