With President Joseph Biden appearing “dazed and confused” on the global stage and here on the home front, political circles are buzzing about one question: Will the Democratic Party dump the 81-year-old for a younger candidate at the last minute?
If that were to happen, the South Shore Press did a deep dive into how that political process works through the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical deficiencies are becoming almost daily occurrences.
At a recent Juneteenth celebration, Biden froze in a stiff stance, staring blankly for almost thirty seconds while other dignitaries danced and clapped next to him.
“He (Biden) has no idea where he is or what he is celebrating. Elderly abuse!,” said Women for Trump on X.
During D-Day ceremonies in Normandy, there were times, where Biden seemed unsure whether to sit or stand, and at times he appeared to be frozen in place.
At one point, First Lady Jill Biden led him off the stage early, while French President Macron stayed for the entire ceremony.
“This is embarrassing to all Americans,” wrote conservative YouTube host Joshua T. Hosler.
Special Counsel Robert Hur said in his report about President Biden’s improper handling of classified documents, Biden is a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
A recent report by the Wall Street Journal had congressional leaders say that Biden shows “signs of poor cognitive performance” in private meetings.
If the DNC wanted to replace Biden, how could they do it?
It’s not as easy as just swapping names. It depends on the timing of a candidate change as to which party rules, federal laws, and state rules come into play.
There are four phases of a presidential election.
The primaries up until the Democratic National Convention, which takes place August 19th, 2024, to August 22nd, 2024.
The time between the Convention and Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 5th, 2024.
The time between Election Day and the Electoral College vote on December 17th, 2024, (followed by congressional certification on January 6th, 2025).
The time between certification and Inauguration Day, which is Monday, January 20th, 2025.
Could a fellow Democrat challenge Biden right now for the nomination, before the Convention, and replace Biden as the nominee?
The answer is "No.” As long as Biden is in the race, he’s the Democratic nominee for president.
The difficulty for a Democratic challenger to appear now is that if a switch were to happen before the Convention, voters would be limited to candidates that are already on the ballot in the states.
States set their ballot access deadlines and ballots are set in nearly all of them.
Even if President Biden willingly wanted to step aside now, before the Convention, and not run for president, Kamala Harris would not automatically be the nominee.
That is because she is not on any primary ballots in any state as a presidential candidate and has no pledged delegates.
Biden could decline the nomination and release his delegates at the Convention. Jockeying among presidential contenders would ensue and a heated floor fight would occur, causing big rifts within the party. The DNC would likely not allow this to occur, wanting to keep a replacement to President Biden in their control.
If President Biden does not withdraw and release his delegates, but the DNC still wants to replace him at the Convention, they can, but it is much more difficult from a purely procedural perspective.
Biden will have already won the majority of pledged delegates during the primary and those delegates are bound to President Biden on the first ballot under the rules.
Only if no candidate received a majority on the first ballot could pledged delegates start shifting allegiances. This scenario is unlikely considering Biden will have the majority of delegates.
If a move to replace President Biden on the Democratic ticket were to happen, it is likely to take place right after the Democratic Convention in mid-August.
If Biden withdraws from being the Democratic nominee after the Convention, the decision on the replacement candidate is the sole decision of DNC. Under party rules however, the DNC chair must consult with Democratic governors and congressional leadership.
The Chair of the DNC would then call a special meeting of the entire committee of around 500 members and they would vote on the recommended replacement. A simple majority vote is required. These DNC committee members are mostly made up of political insiders, Democratic party elected officials, and big political donors.
Biden removing his name as the Democratic nominee after the Convention would allow Democratic Party insiders control over who gets picked and would essentially block challenger Robert Kennedy Jr. from having a shot at getting the nomination.
This is why former entertainment lawyer and conservative commentator Rogan O'Handley, known as @DC_Draino on “X,” believes the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party will stop at nothing and leave no stone unturned to block Robert F. Kennedy from becoming their nominee if in fact President Biden declines the party nomination right after the Convention.
“Trump Landslide if RFK Runs. ‘A third of Democrat voters would likely vote for RFK if he runs as an independent in the 2024 election, according to a new Rasmussen poll, potentially handing victory to Donald Trump.’ This is why Dems block RFK from debates,” wrote O’Handley.
If President Biden remains the nominee and defeats President Donald J. Trump in November, the political process of picking a successor drastically changes.
If the president-elect dies or withdraws after the Electoral College vote, but before the Inauguration, then the rules of succession kick in under the 20th Amendment. If a president-elect dies, his or her running mate, the vice president-elect, becomes president.