Biden’s support crumbles, widely expected to bow out soon

Milwaukee

Democrats believe that it is a matter of days before President Joe Biden, who continued to face calls by two more Senators and five more House representatives to quit, will bow out of the presidential race, American media outlets reported.

On Wednesday and Thursday, a flurry of public statements and private leaks revealed that former President Barack Obama, veteran leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries had either told their aides or the President directly that his candidacy was increasingly unviable in the wake of concerns about his age after the debate performance, the mood among donors, and dropping poll numbers. Republican nominee Donald Trump, who had a good convention week after the assassination bid last Saturday, is now comfortably leading in swing states according to polls and even making a dent in what are considered traditional Democratic states.

The momentum for a change in the Democratic ticket persisted on Thursday and Friday.

First, the New York Times reported that James Raskin, a progressive Democrat and another Pelosi aide, had written a letter to Biden over the July 4th weekend, urging him to drop out. Raskin wrote, “There is no shame in taking a well-deserved bow to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd when your arm is tired out, and there is real danger for the team in ignoring the statistics.”

Then, Jon Tester, fighting a competitive race in Montana, became the second Democratic senator to ask Biden to do the same. “While I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.” On Friday, a third Senator, Martin Heinrich, referring to Biden, said that he believed it was in “the best interests of our country for him to step aside”.

The mood among House representatives also continued to grow more grim, with four new representatives — Jared Huffman, Mark Veasey, Chuy Garcia, and Mark Pokan — calling on Biden to quit. Three of them are members of the progressive caucus, which has, so far, stayed behind Biden. “We must face the reality that widespread concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning ticket,” they said, and told Biden that the most patriotic thing that he could do now was to step aside.

As the push to replace Biden grew, Vice

President Kamala Harris — the first Black, the first woman, and the first Indian-American to occupy the position — is increasingly emerging as the frontrunner to replace Biden, especially if he decides to endorse her. Harris has been particularly careful in not expressing any ambition, remaining publicly loyal to Biden, while continuing to campaign extensively in swing states. Recent polls have shown Harris to be faring a little better than Biden in swing states, yet she too is trailing Trump. But this will not be an automatic choice, for delegates at the Democratic convention in Chicago have the authority to pick a candidate and it isn’t clear if the party will head towards an open convention or rally around Harris.

The Biden campaign has, however, publicly maintained that the President, who is currently in self-isolation after getting Covid, is the Democratic nominee and has no intention of reconsidering. On Friday, Biden himself said that he will return to the campaign trail next week, the stakes were high, and they will win.

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