“This was like a champion boxer who has reached the ring past his prime and needs to be cornered to give up,” said one Democratic lawmaker, adding that it meant Biden should be out of the race.
According to ABC News, the options for switching are limited. If Biden does not choose to leave of his own free will, there will have to be a revolt among the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the vast majority of whom were elected based on their pledge to nominate Biden.
But that’s what some Democrats were thinking Thursday night after the debate.
Another Democratic lawmaker who was a staunch supporter of Biden said: “It is time to talk about an open convention and a new Democratic nominee.”
The fear among these Democrats is that the version of Biden that emerged at the debate, a version that resembles the caricature that Trump and his allies have painted of a man unfit for office, cannot win in November.
Those who want an alternative candidate doubt the party’s ability to push Biden aside, are unsure which candidate could win the party’s approval in his absence, and don’t know whether an alternative can beat Trump in November.
David Axelrod, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, told CNN: “There is a sense of shock about the way he appeared at the beginning of this debate, and how his voice sounded. He seemed a little confused. There will be discussions about what… “If it should continue… only he can decide whether to continue or not.”
Axelrod predicted that Biden would not be inclined to leave the election race, noting that “this is a man who has a lot of pride… and believes in himself.”
Not the first time
The last time a president did not appear eligible to run for re-election was in the November 1968 election.
In that election, Lyndon Johnson was facing certain defeat in the Democratic primary, so he chose not to run for a second full term.
However, many Democrats expect calls for Biden to follow Johnson’s lead to multiply in the coming days.
“Talk about replacement will definitely explode,” said a veteran Democratic strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns. “There is no coming back from this disaster.”
Refusal to change and it is too late
Meanwhile, top Biden allies have dismissed the possibility of a change at the top of the ticket. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat seen by many in the party as a potential Biden replacement or future presidential candidate, said “no” when asked if he would urge Biden to end his campaign.
“This is very bad, no matter how you spin it,” one veteran Democratic activist said. “But everyone knows it’s too late to switch. But the donors will make these decisions, as they always do. That’s why we got Biden in 2020.”
Kamala Harris for president?
Ahead of Thursday’s debate, the Trump campaign released an ad telling voters that if they elect Biden, they will end up with Vice President Kamala Harris as president, suggesting that the octogenarian president could die in office or have to resign.
The biggest question Democrats will have to resolve if Biden drops out of the race before the convention is whether to nominate Harris, whose approval ratings, like Biden’s, are now very low.
Possible replacements
Others mentioned Thursday night included California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“I’m looking forward to being in Chicago when Gavin Newsom is nominated from the floor,” one Democratic strategist said after the first 20 minutes of the debate. “He (Biden) should have kept talking about abortion. He can’t keep his ideas going.”
Biden’s departure would leave Democrats in a potentially brutal fight over whether to simply elevate Harris, the first Black and first female vice president, which could divide key constituencies at a time when the Democratic Party needs to unite. If he hopes to win.
However, the prospect of a bloody battle within the party has not stopped some activists from concluding that Biden must go.
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