Bastiaan Slabbers/AP
Amid high anxiety and an internal rebellion over his ability to beat Donald Trump, President Joe Biden has remained defiant, even daring his skeptics to “challenge” him at the Democratic National Convention next month.
“Run against me, go ahead,” he said. “Announce for president. Challenge me at the convention.”
But it turns out that such an opportunity might not be available, suggesting that Biden’s boast wasn’t quite the confident provocation it seemed. That’s because the DNC is quietly moving forward with plans to hold a virtual roll call as early as next week, spearheaded by a committee of delegates who have been “vetted” for their loyalty to Biden, the New York Times reports. If the plan works as the DNC intends, Biden will be the party’s nominee weeks ahead of the convention, effectively silencing demands within the party for him to step aside after his dismal debate performance and growing concerns about his ability to campaign and govern.
To fear that such an effort risks inflaming tensions does not go far enough in underscoring the stunning lack of respect DNC officials seem to have for the rest of the party—and the millions of independent voters Democrats will need to defeat Trump. After all, the plan, which smacks of hubris and ego, speaks to exactly the kind of suspicions people held during the 2016 primary, that it was tilted in favor of Hillary Clinton long before voters had a chance to speak. Clinton’s loss to Trump eventually promoted some soul-searching at the DNC, as well as promises to earn back voter trust with more transparency. Now fast forward to 2024, and a scheme to quietly barrel through Biden’s nomination, even as high-profile Democrats join average voters in their calls for him to step aside, is all but certain to reopen fresh wounds. Moreover, it undercuts his own defense that he won a nomination process in a real primary.
The plan, which smacks of hubris and ego, speaks to exactly the kind of suspicions people held during the 2016 primary.
In response to the DNC’s plans, Democratic members of Congress are reportedly drafting a letter opposing them, arguing that there is “no legal justification” for an early virtual roll call.
“I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) reportedly told donors at a private Hamptons fundraiser this weekend. “And we may very, very well lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House.”
Shortly after the debate, Biden seethed that “elites in the party” were attempting to drive him out of the race. That claim never made much sense. But it’s hard not to see its deep irony while a top Biden ally warns rich people, at a tony East Hamptons event, no less, of the electoral dangers of Biden’s defiance. How much trust is the DNC willing to squander at this point?