A cacophony of voices in Democratic party and their donors as well as opinion leaders in the US are asking President Joe Biden to step down from the race to the White House against his formidable Republican challenger, former president Donald Trump.
They want either Kamala Harris, the current vice president, or someone else to fight in his place. There are mentions of former first lady Michelle Obama, but she has maintained a stoic silence so far.
In spite of the damage control being done by White House that Biden is digging in his heels after the disastrous debate performance on June 27, many in the ruling party are not convinced.
Here is a list of those who want Biden out, and related reports:
Senior House Democrats
On Sunday (July 7), several US media outlets reported citing sources that four Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives have sought a replacement candidate for Biden. They are: Representative Adam Smith (Washington), Jerry Nadler (New York), Mark Takano (California) and Joe Morelle (New York).
Earlier, at least five Democratic lawmakers had demanded that Biden exit the race.
Those who are looking for alternatives include House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Mark Warner.
Biden’s efforts to placate public opinion through an ABC interview last weekend did not go well either. Soon after the interview, Representative Angie Craig (Minnesota) asked him to step away. Mike Quigley of Illinois is another representative who argued that Biden should go.
Other Democrat Congressmen seeking a replacement candidate include Seth Moulton (Massachusetts), Lloyed Dogget (Texas) and Raul Giralva (Arizona).
Several other prominent Democrats have joined the chorus. They include Julian Castro, a former housing and urban development secretary under Barack Obama, and former representative Tim Ryan of Ohio.
Top donors pull out or withhold funds: Hitting where it hurts most
Several business tycoons who donate to Democratic campaign, ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, have in the past days expressed their displeasure with Biden. Many of them have stopped or are withholding the donations, or threatened to do so.
Disney heir Abigail Disney was among the main figures who wanted Biden out. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings said Biden should step aside for a “vigourous Democratic leader” to fight Trump.
Gideon Stein, the president of Moriah Fund, has said he would stop donations. Karla Jurveston, a physician-philanthropist, also took the same stance.
Christy Walton, the billionaire heiress of Walmart, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Michael Novogratz and tech venture capitalist Mark Cuban also want Biden out.
The Commentariat, from NYT editors to Thomas Friedman, want Biden to step away
The New York Times’s editorial board wrote that Biden should leave the race “to serve his country”. The editorial boards of The Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are also taking similar stance.
In spite of knowing Biden for years, prominent columnist Thomas Friedman said he cried while watching the debate, which he described as “heartbreaking’.
Nicolas Kristof, another NYT columnist, said the debate reinforced the perception that Biden is too old to serve. While describing Biden as the ‘best president of my life’, prominent NYT columnist Paul Krugman also made a plea for him to withdraw from the race.
David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker magazine, wrote Biden seemed to “wander into senselessness” during his debate outing.
Numerous other columnists and correspondents like David Ignatious also wrote post-debate articles in Washington Post expressing the same sentiment.
Who could replace Biden: Kamala Harris, Gretchen Whitmer, or others?
Even as she appeared to defend Biden’s debate performance, party insiders are rallying behind Kamala Harris as a possible replacement candidate. She has tacit support from senior Democrats as well as some wealthy donors. Having cut her teeth in the past four years as Biden’s deputy, Harris has improved her image and has a fan base on social media, particularly among the youth, Black and other minority communities.
While Harris’ name is prominently being mentioned, there are others also who could be contenders. Among them are Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and current Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Though none them have made a direct pitch, the following names are also doing the rounds: California Governor Gavin Newsom, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Will things change before Democratic Convention?
The Democratic Party Convention, where traditionally the party’s presidential candidate is formally announced, is not just a formality anymore this year. Much could change – or not- before the event set to take place on August 19-22 in Illinois.
The usual process is for the Democratic delegates Biden had gathered so far – nearly 4,000 in number- to name him as the nominee. But if there’s a challenge, there could be a vote and the delegates can vote according to their conscience.
An open challenge is unlikely as it could turn really messy, with the best-case scenario being Biden himself ‘transferring’ his delegates to an alternative candidate.
But if one goes by White House stance and Biden’s interviews since the debate debacle, this scenario looks highly unlikely too.