Staff Reports
President Joe Biden is facing what conservatives might describe as a delightful meltdown among Democrats over his ability to go toe-to-toe with GOP superstar, Donald Trump. Despite a temporary pause in public calls for Biden to bow out, thanks to an assassination attempt on Trump and the GOP rallying in full force at their National Convention, the anti-Biden movement has once again picked up speed, thanks to some backstage scheming.
Rep. Adam Schiff of California, famed for his relentless attempts to impeach Trump, has courageously stepped forward, backed by 18 other House Democrats and Vermont’s Sen. Peter Welch. Schiff is boldly suggesting that Biden pass the baton to a new contender. Schiff expressed grave doubts about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump in November, and indicated that the only goal Democrats should have is to stop Trump, come hell or high water.
The Democratic leadership, including the luminous House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, seems to be feasting on this chaos, stoking the fire of a pressure campaign to delay Biden’s official nomination. Their offices, true to their elusive nature, remained tight-lipped when questioned by the Washington Examiner.
Tick-tock, the Democrats’ clock is ticking. The DNC has announced to its members that the virtual roll call to nominate Biden won’t happen until August. The exact date is up in the air, but it’s set to occur between August 1 and 7, although Ohio lawmakers have extended the nomination deadline. Livid Democrats are arguing the roll call is an unnecessary formality that no longer serves their purpose.
Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, has given the commander-in-chief an ultimatum: either squash the dissent within a week or hit the road. Bannon predicts Biden will stubbornly cling to the campaign trail, so Democrats should brace themselves and rally behind him. Schiff was the spearhead in calling for Biden’s withdrawal following a shooting at Trump’s rally, sending shockwaves through both the Democratic and Republican camps.
Biden remains characteristically indecisive, suggesting he’d only drop out if a medical condition or divine intervention forced him. Polling after the last debate showed Biden trailing Trump by six percentage points nationwide, with swing states leaning even more Republican. However, Biden still remains somewhat in the fight within the margin of error in some previously Democratic strongholds.
Biden sees Democratic groundswell turn against him as allies look to run out clock https://t.co/0cEiR1Bnng
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 18, 2024
Sen. Chris Coons is reminding his jittery colleagues that there’s still plenty of time before the November election, urging them to stay the course until then. Yet, the Democratic Party remains agonizingly divided on whether to stick with Biden or consider an alternative candidate. Concerns over Biden’s oddball behavior, continual verbal blunders, and repeated stumbles have only fanned the flames of discontent.
Recently, Biden’s mishaps included mistaking Ukrainian President Zelensky for Putin and confusing Vice President Kamala Harris with Vice President Trump. Despite his repeated assurances that he will run for reelection, the decision appears far from set in concrete. Strategist Hank Sheinkopf suggests that Biden would only step down if there was massive pressure, which he claims isn’t there yet.
Recent data from BlueLabs Analytics shows nearly every other Democrat outshining Biden in match-ups against Trump. The best-performing candidates included Sen. Mark Kelly and Governors Wes Moore, Josh Shapiro, and Gretchen Whitmer, all outpacing Biden by roughly five points in battleground states.
For now, Democrats are cautiously waiting to see how the next few days unfold before making their move. Bannon believes each passing day fortifies Biden’s hold on the Democratic nomination, likening any attempt to stop him to stepping in front of a freight train. So, unless Biden himself chooses to exit stage left, it seems the nominee will indeed be Sleepy Joe.
