**Some Democrats Urge Biden to Step Down for 2024 Following Debate Missteps**
President Joe Biden’s recent debate performance has sparked significant concern among Democrats, with some urging him to step down from the 2024 presidential race. The debate, held on Thursday, saw Biden struggling with his train of thought, speaking with a hoarse voice, and making several verbal errors. These missteps have led to fears that if Biden remains the Democratic nominee, former President Donald Trump could win the November election.
**Key Concerns**
Biden’s age, frequent rhetorical gaffes, and low approval ratings have been points of contention for months. These factors have fueled speculation about potential replacements, although most suggested candidates have been staunch defenders of Biden and have rejected the idea of challenging him.
If health issues were to prevent Biden from fulfilling his presidential duties or running for a second term, Vice President Kamala Harris would be elevated to the presidency. However, this does not guarantee she would become the party’s nominee. Harris, despite being the most obvious choice, faces her own challenges with approval ratings currently below 40%, raising concerns about her ability to win against Trump.
**Potential Replacements**
Several Democratic governors have been mentioned as potential Biden replacements. California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro have all elevated their national profiles and won their gubernatorial races by significant margins in 2022. However, all have pledged their support for Biden’s 2024 campaign and have ruled out running against him.
Senator Bernie Sanders, who is a year older than Biden, has also been considered a potential candidate. However, Sanders has pledged to sit out the race and endorsed Biden. His status as a self-described democratic socialist could also harm his general election chances.
Third-party candidates like independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West are not seen as viable challengers but could gain enthusiasm if Biden were to drop out.
**Debate Performance and Reactions**
Biden’s debate performance was marked by several instances where he struggled to form coherent responses and had to correct himself repeatedly. He spoke with a hoarse voice and often stood with a blank stare when Trump was speaking. By the end of the 90-minute debate, the Democratic Party was reportedly in panic mode, with operatives, lawmakers, and donors privately discussing replacing Biden on the ticket.
Prominent media figures with close relationships to Biden, such as MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman, publicly suggested he should bow out of the race. Friedman wrote that Biden “has no business running for re-election,” while Scarborough questioned on air whether Biden could run for president in 2024.
Biden, however, rejected calls for him to drop out, attributing his hoarse voice to a sore throat and stating, “It’s hard to debate a liar,” referring to Trump.
**The Path Forward**
Biden clinched the Democratic nomination this year by nearly sweeping the primaries, earning the vast majority of his party’s delegates. However, a new nominee could theoretically be chosen at the Democratic National Convention if he stepped aside. Delegates are not required to support the nominee at the party’s August 19 convention, and Biden could urge them to support another candidate if he drops out. If Biden were to win the nomination but was unable to run in the general election, Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison would consult Congress and the Democratic Governors Association to recommend a new nominee to the Democratic National Committee.
**Conclusion**
The debate performance has intensified discussions within the Democratic Party about Biden’s viability as a candidate for the 2024 election. While Biden remains determined to run, the concerns raised by his performance and the potential for a Trump victory have led some Democrats to urge him to step down. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether Biden can maintain his position as the Democratic nominee or if the party will seek an alternative candidate to challenge Trump in the general election.
Source: Forbes, Pew Research Center
