Should President Joe Biden Drop Out of the Presidential Race?

Is it possible for President Joe Biden to be replaced at the top of the Democratic Party presidential ticket? The “what-if” question of Biden’s replacement has become an urgent political topic after his shaky debate performance against former President Donald J. Trump.

If Biden decides to withdraw, the Democratic delegates who have already pledged to vote for him can choose another candidate. Yet if he decides not to step down, it is unlikely, but not impossible, that the August Democratic nominating convention will choose to replace him. 

Vice President Kamala Harris, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom would be on a short list of contenders to replace Biden, though none of them are guaranteed the nomination even with his endorsement. Biden’s absence would lead to an open Democratic Convention, a rarity in American politics due to modern convention rules. 

“This is not the old days,” said Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (Center bias). “There’s no people with the power to take away this nomination.”

Many commentators and politicians on the right believe Biden is mentally incompetent and unfit for office, leading some to criticize Biden’s decision to stay in the race. Others view it as advantageous for Republicans to let him run.Some on the left tend to agree that Biden should step down because they believe Biden staying in the race will assure a Trump victory. Others on the left see no clear path to replace Biden and view him as the safest bet for beating Trump a second time. 

In CNN Opinion (Left bias), Julian Zelizer wrote, “Democrats clamoring for change should also remember that switching the person at the top of ticket [sic] might not have the kind of impact they are hoping for.” Zelizer said that the 1968 Democratic Convention, in which former President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his decision “to step out of the race,” should be used as a warning to Democrats that other candidates will not be able to separate themselves from the baggage of Biden.

A writer for Fox News Opinion (Right bias) argued that certain Democrats remaining “clearly skeptical” of Biden’s chances in November, including Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, points to Biden being replaced on the ticket in August: “Under Democratic Party rules, the pledged delegates are obligated to vote in line with the support of the primary and caucus voters who send them to the Party convention…And Democratic elites have significant sway.” The writer added that “the White House should not assume that they’re able to force Biden to be the nominee.”

The executive editor for Bloomberg Opinion (Lean Left bias), Timothy L. O’Brien (Lean Left), said “the consequences of hanging on for too long are magnified by stature and influence.” O’Brien concluded that Biden’s “candidacy could poison the prospects of Democrats in down-ballot races and jeopardize the party’s congressional prospects.”

A piece by the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Lean Right bias) stated that “the Democratic-media establishment,” including the New York Times and Washington Post, are now calling on Biden to step down, representing a turning point in the 2024 presidential election news cycle. The board concluded that “The decisive moment will come when the Obama wing of the establishment turns,” referring to well-established Democrats whose endorsement has a lot of sway in the Party.