For the Democratic Party, any murmurs of an anti-Biden insurgency after the June presidential debate seemed absurd. Now, several House Democrats are urging Biden to suspend his presidency ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August to make room for a new candidate and nominee.
The panic is understandable and inescapable in the wake of Biden’s abysmal debate performance that yielded a two-point swing toward Donald Trump in the polls. But Democrats should know better than to try to push the president out of the picture.
In October, Democrats slammed Republicans for removing then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his post in a struggle for leadership visions. Ten months later, they employ the same tactics with the land’s highest office. Democrats should consider the political ammunition the move gives Republicans. More important, they should consider the potential effect of neglecting voters’ choices.
If Democrats are smart, they’ll remain steadfast with Biden for political messaging that goes beyond the ballot box.
The non-subtle and sizable shift against Biden signals the Democratic Party is in a leadership crisis with costly repercussions. If the party forces Biden to step aside, it would make this cycle’s Democratic primary process null. Internal uprising and disloyalty in the ranks will have canceled millions of votes cast for a “winning” candidate.
This disenfranchisement by the party machine would certainly affect voter turnout for Biden’s replacement and, ultimately, the presidential outcome. With such political risk, the Biden “bait and switch,” aimed at resolving the candidate’s issues, could alienate everyone they worked three years to convince. Whether Biden remains the nominee is a litmus test for consistency, but his optics and pathway to the presidency become more clouded with each dissent. This noise adds to voter frustration in an era of normalized political drama.
All of these backroom discussions are held at the populace’s expense. Whether a candidate should hold office is the right of the people to decide — an aspect fundamental to any constitutional republic. Replacing Biden without the citizenry’s consent further undermines trust in the federal government. Moreover, the move signals that the elites do not trust themselves enough to run, win and govern. The elites command the government’s outcomes out of goodwill or self-interest, while the typical American spectates until Election Day. Biden sees that and has called them out for his own protection.
With all the uncertainty, the Republicans watching from the sidelines are having a field day.
If California Gov. Gavin Newsom or Vice President Kamala Harris were to replace Biden, Republicans would denounce their arrivals as symptoms of an unstable establishment lacking transparency. In fact, any last-minute candidate — regardless of their quality — would give Republicans a roadmap going forward: capitalize on confusion, suggest ulterior motives for the change, and undermine the replacement’s legitimacy.
Most Democrats fear the social repercussions of what a Biden-less ticket would create this late in the cycle, possibly because it would prove Republicans’ suspicions correct. Biden recognizes this tactic and remains committed to running to create less fodder for his opponents.
Biden’s age is an issue. However, Democrats should look at the bright side. Amid Republican suspicions that Biden would be “pumped up” on drugs for the first debate, the 81-year-old’s presentation seemed both — for better or worse — sober and authentic. Biden was able to recite some statistics, and he touted his administration’s record. Yes, his delivery was woeful, but at least the essence of a substantial dialogue was present.
If the Democratic Party wishes to extol the virtues of choice, responsibility and proper governance, they must let Biden continue to run. Let the masses mold the government, not the few. Let civil discourse, not selfish discord, influence vote intention. If Democrats want to beat Trump in November, they need to silence the calls for regime change that are blaring from their own backyard.
