The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is moving ahead with plans to virtually nominate President Biden weeks ahead of the party’s convention, drastically shortening the timeline for Democrats who want to run a different candidate.
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The virtual nomination is expected to take place between July 29 and Aug. 6.
- The Democratic National Convention begins Aug. 19 in Chicago.
The DNC originally planned the virtual nomination because the convention didn’t meet an Ohio deadline to get Biden on the ballot by Aug. 7. But Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed legislation on June 2 extending the deadline to accommodate Democrats, and since then many Democrats have called on Biden to step aside.
House Democrats are furious at the DNC’s plans and are circulating a letter warning them not to move forward:
“There is no legal justification for this extraordinary and unprecedented action, which would effectively accelerate the nomination process by nearly a month…Proceeding with the ‘virtual roll call’ in the absence of a valid legal rationale will be rightly perceived as a purely political maneuver, which we believe would be counterproductive and undermine party unity and cohesion.”
There have not been any new public calls from Democrats for Biden to drop out since the assassination attempt against Trump.
But privately, Democrats are scheming around alternatives.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) was asked by WPRI News if Biden should stay in the race.
“I think that’s a project that is still being considered between House leadership, Democratic leadership and the President and his team. And I don’t think there’s an answer for it yet.”
The New York Times reports that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is running for Senate, told donors at a private meeting over the weekend that Democrats will lose the White House, the Senate, and fail to reclaim the House if Biden remains the nominee.
“I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose.”
Biden remains adamant he’ll be the nominee, and he’s frustrated by all of the questions surrounding his candidacy.
In an interview with NBC, the president scolded Lester Holt for asking about his mental capacity and calls for him to drop out.
“Sometime come and talk to me about what we should be talking about, OK? The issues.”
The interview did little to calm the nerves of Democrats who don’t believe Biden can effectively prosecute the party’s case against Trump.
Perspectives:
New York Magazine: The Democratic Party’s strange attraction to defeatism.
Washington Monthly: Get a grip Democrats, you can still win.
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