(Elias Irizarry, Headline USA) Left-wing pundits and Democrat operatives were caught scrambling in panic from the fallout of President Joe Biden’s poor performance in his debate Thursday with former President Donald Trump.
Even leftist Anderson Cooper of CNN spared no mercy—ripping into Vice President Kamala Harris with questions regarding Biden’s competency and ability to stand as a candidate against Trump.
“Is that the person you see in meetings every day?” grilled Cooper.
Kamala Harris was sent out as sacrificial lamb to defend the undefendable. Anderson Cooper can’t believe it and calls her out.
A damn disgrace.
Has anybody told her… that she’s out as well? (All of us shaking our heads).
If you don’t think DNC hot swap is going to be… pic.twitter.com/duymgMKuy3
— The Biz Doc (@TomEllsworth) June 28, 2024
CNN’s Van Jones even made suggestions that it might be time for the 81-year-old President to step aside and for the Democratic Party to conduct a “bait-and-switch” of Biden for someone else.
“He had a test to meet tonight to restore confidence of the country, and of the base, and he failed that,” Jones said on a CNN post-debate panel.
“I think there’s a lot of people who are going to want to see him consider taking a different course now,” Jones added. “We’re still far from our convention—and there is time for this party to figure out a different way forward.”
🚨CNN’S VAN JONES CALLS FOR BIDEN TO PULL OUT OF RACE:
“There are going to be a lot of people who want him to consider taking a different course now… That was not what we needed from Joe Biden. It is personally PAINFUL for a lot of people.” pic.twitter.com/IgcnwZhCbS
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 28, 2024
The scramble has forced leftists to answer a critical question: Can Biden be replaced as the nominee?
The short answer is yes. However, many analysts agree it won’t be easy.
While once could game out a variety of strategies for Biden’s forced exit from the Democratic ticket—some of them more morbid and conspiratorial than others—the safest way for party leaders to dispatch with the sitting president would be by his own accord.
Thus far, Biden has emphatically stated that he would not abandon his campaign, shaking off all questions or hints at the matter. But if his war chest were to dry up and a viable competitor were to emerge with backing from prominent members of his party, he might have no choice in the matter if he wishes to spare himself the embarrassment of a crushing defeat.
Moreover, a graceful exit would likely come with perks, such as the possibility of blanket pardons for Hunter and himself—a level of protection that Biden would not enjoy under a Trump presidency.
Even with Biden voluntarily out of the picture, though, the path ahead is still lined with obstacles.
There is no formal way for Biden to approve or appoint a replacement, which would lead to a chaotic situation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The event, from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22, is already unusually late, giving the eventual nominee little time to campaign—although that may be just what Democrats were hoping for all along.
The delegates currently aligned pledged to Biden would be left to decide on a replacement in what could potentially be a contentious clash among prospective hopefuls. Out of 4,000 delegates, the replacement would have to win over at least half of them. If nobody achieves that, a body of 900 superdelegates comprising of Democratic Party elites and officials would be able to step in and vote to put an individual over the finish line.
Delegates could theoretically oust Biden without his consent, but doing so would be a tough and almost unrealistic challenge. It would likely lead to an embarrassing and highly divisive schism in the Democratic Party at a time when it needs unity to defeat Trump.
The timing of when Biden decided to bow out will also play a factor—and there is little left to spare with the deadline to nominate a candidate for the Ohio ballot coming up on Aug. 7. The state’s constitution requires that candidates be approved 90 days before the election—a law passed by Democrats when they controlled the Buckeye State that is now coming back to bite them.
Summarizing for those just tuning in:
Democrats write and enact Ohio’s ballot access law in 2009. Democratic secretary of state approves it. Democratic governor signs it.
Democrats in 2024 forget their own law and schedule their convention too late to comply with it.… pic.twitter.com/iIiMTiCVKC
— Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) May 29, 2024
After Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose warned that Biden might be withheld from the ballot if Democrats waited until the convention, party leaders decided to hold a “virtual convention.”
However, state lawmakers since passed legislation granting special permission for this year’s convention. It is unclear if the exceptions passed in that an other states with deadlines that fall before the DNC convention—including Alabama and Washington state—would still apply if the state’s primary winner were no longer in the race.
Some say that it may be too late to replace Biden.
Charlie Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA, posted on social media platform X that Biden had a small window to withdraw, but doing so would not allow anyone else to replace him.
“States such as Wisconsin do not allow withdrawal from the ballot for any reasons besides death,” Kirk wrote. “In Nevada, no changes can be made to the ballot after 5 p.m. on the fourth Friday in June of an election year ‘or a nominee dies or is adjudicated insane or mentally incompetent.'”
Both are considered to be crucial battleground states, where a Democrat candidate’s ineligibility would put the party at a serious disadvantage, to say the least.
Citing information fro the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, Kirk also mentioned another state that Democrats fought hard to claim in 2020, even going so far as to orchestrate what many suspected to be a massive illegal ballot-harvesting operation.
However, their ill-gotten gains in Georgia would all be wiped away in one fell swoop by a Biden exit.
“If Biden were to withdraw less than 60 days before the election [in] Georgia his name will remain on the ballot but no votes will be counted,” Kirk noted.
This is big. It's likely already too late to remove Joe Biden from the ballot.
WISCONSIN — It's already too late to remove Joe Biden from the ballot.
NEVADA—After tonight, the fourth Friday in June, it will be too late to remove Joe Biden.
GEORGIA—Only a few weeks remain…
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 28, 2024
Another key question is: who would replace Biden? Many have listed California Gov. Gavin Newsom as a key favorite, even asking Newsom himself if he will be the next Democratic nominee.
I just asked Governor Gavin Newsome: are you going to be the next democratic nominee? That’s his answer, while he’s glowing 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/W3JjsNtS0h
— נריה קראוס Neria Kraus (@NeriaKraus) June 28, 2024
Newsom’s chances of winning the presidency even increased by 4% following the debate, according to Polymarket, an online political betting website.
In comparison, Biden dropped 19% as the favorable winner on the website. Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Michelle Obama both rose in odds, as well.
.@Polymarket – Presidential Election Winner (shift since June 26)
🟥 Trump: 64% (+5)
🟦 Biden: 19% (-15)
🟦 Newsom: 7% (+5)
🟦 Harris: 5% (+4)
🟦 M. Obama: 4% (+1)
——
Balance of power odds• Republican sweep: 52% (new high)
• Democratic sweep: 18%
• D Pres, R Senate, D… https://t.co/LbULZueIP1 pic.twitter.com/iaHRR5uii1— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) June 28, 2024
Other names floated have been Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, infamously known for her draconian handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan; failed candidates Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg; and even retiring Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who reportedly considered a presidential run earlier this year on the No Labels ticket.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
