Democrats are now gagging to replace Biden. This is how they could do it… but, warns DAN MCLAUGHLIN, after leaving it so late, they may only have one disastrous option
The last-minute panic the left-wing media whipped up over President Joe Biden is laughable.
“God Help Us,” read the headline of a New York Times article that canvassed the opinions of 12 columnists and contributors following Biden’s disastrous performance during Thursday night’s debate.
The least morbidly pessimistic comment of the bunch: “This was a disaster.”
After months of refusing to acknowledge reality, the thunderous drumbeat now coming from liberal America – from the fainting ‘Gray Lady’ to the most misguided redoubts of Biden defenders at MSNBC – is that weak and confused old Joe must resign out of the race or the Democrats will be doomed.
Well, I’m here to say: Sorry, Democrats. It is now too late to switch for another candidate.
You have saddled yourselves with this dead horse. You will have to drive him to the losing line. And there are plenty of reasons why that’s the cold hard truth.
The last time a major party unseated a sitting president campaigning for re-election was in 1856.
Excuse me, Democrats. It’s too late to trade for another candidate now.
Democrats dumped President Franklin Pierce at their party convention in favor of James Buchanan, who later won the presidency. But back then, presidential candidates were chosen by power brokers in smoky back rooms where favors were traded and fortunes were made.
More than 150 years later, America’s leaders are chosen by voters. And that makes things a lot more complicated.
The only way – in modern political history – that a major party candidate is replaced is if he or she voluntarily steps aside.
President Harry Truman declined to seek re-election in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War. His wife, Bess, wanted to return to a quiet life.
President Lyndon Johnson withdrew from the race in 1968 because of the Vietnam War. Lady Bird Johnson also urged her to do so because she was concerned about the health of her ailing husband.
Could Joe Biden choose to step aside? Perhaps more importantly, would Dr. Jill Biden encourage him to do so?
All signs point to no.
Joe has been running for president for so long that in 1976 he endorsed Jimmy Carter because he was not yet old enough to become president himself.
President Lyndon Johnson withdrew from the 1968 race, as the Vietnam War raged, after being similarly urged to quit by Lady Bird Johnson, who was concerned about her ailing husband’s health.
President Harry Truman declined to run for re-election in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War. His wife, Bess, wanted to return to a quiet life.
And running he did in 1988… and then again in 2008… 2020… and now, 2024.
Moreover, Dr. Jill might enjoy being First Lady as much as Joe enjoys being President.
And without the First Family’s consent, it would be virtually impossible to replace them.
In 1974, Republican Party leaders staged an intervention to convince beleaguered President Richard Nixon, who was facing impeachment over the Watergate scandal, to resign.
But with Jill and a few old Delaware hands – all of whom have no future without “the Big Guy” – tightly controlling access to Joe, could the big poobahs of the party actually get a meeting?
And who would Joe listen to? The Senate colleagues he once respected are all long dead.
The Clintons? The Obamas?
There are tensions with both camps. Michelle Obama is reportedly refusing to campaign for Joe because of the Biden family’s treatment of Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, Michelle’s close friend, during her bitter divorce from the First Son.
No, Joe isn’t going. And there’s no way to make him.
In the current Democratic primary system, voters elect state delegates to represent them at the national party convention.
The candidate with the most state delegates supporting him wins the nomination. And in the 2024 primaries, Biden won 99% of the available delegates.
Beyond that, perhaps an even bigger obstacle to replacing Joe is the difficulty of organizing a movement that unites the party behind a single alternative.
Democrats squandered that opportunity by driving all viable contenders for the nomination out of the race—leaving only party dissidents like Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips to mount hopeless, thankless, and ultimately doomed outsider campaigns.
And who would Joe listen to? The Senate colleagues he once respected are all long dead. The Clintons? The Obamas?
Michelle Obama is reportedly refusing to campaign for Joe because of the Biden family’s treatment of Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle (above, center), Michelle’s close friend, during her bitter divorce from the First Son.
The natural choice for Joe’s replacement would be his vice president — but over the past four years, Kamala Harris has been consistently more unpopular than Biden himself. And choosing anyone other than Harris to replace Biden would prompt a painful debate among liberals about why a black woman is being passed over.
Michelle Obama would undoubtedly be the only one who could easily be a replacement, but she herself has never shown any interest in running.
Democratic activists may have a wish list of dream candidates, led by governors such as Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.
But none of them are likely to give in to another and miss their one best chance at the White House.
After the Democratic National Convention at the end of August, the time to select a new standard-bearer for the party will only shrink further.
Wisconsin and Nevada have strict election law rules that prohibit replacing a nominee for anything other than death or institutionalization.
Democrats risk having their candidate left off the ballot if they switch candidates mid-term.
So, do you want bad news or the bad news, Dems?
Joe Biden is your nominee.
And he is your only hope.