Replacing Biden: What it might look like and who's standing in the wings

Confronted with stark evidence of President Joe Biden's decrepitude Thursday night, Democratic operatives and other fair-weather friends of the White House immediately began expressing interest in scuttling his campaign and nominating a more capable fellow traveler at the Democratic National Convention in August.

The trouble for Democrats is that the decision effectively rests with Biden, who appears convinced of his capability and who surpassed the 1,968 pledged delegates needed to secure the nomination by nearly double. According to the delegate selection rules for the 2024 DNC, "delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them."

Unless Biden is incapacitated, his substitution therefore relies upon him following in the footsteps of Lyndon B. Johnson, who revealed on March 31, 1968, that he was no longer seeking his party's nomination for president.

"I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office — the presidency of your country," said Johnson.

Unlike Johnson, Biden has indicated that he's willing to spend many more days campaigning to hold on to power.

A White House adviser told CNN that not only does Biden not plan to drop out, he "remains committed to a second debate in September."

'Do we have time to put somebody else in there?'

Jill Biden is reportedly also insistent that her husband remain in the race.

"Biden is about to face a crescendo of calls to step aside," a veteran Democratic strategist and Biden booster told the New York Times. "Joe had a deep well of affection among Democrats. It has run dry."

"The man on the stage with Trump cannot win," continued the strategist. "The fear of Trump stifled criticism of Biden. Now that same fear is going to fuel calls for him to step down."

Prominent Biden donor Mark Buell asked, "Do we have time to put somebody else in there?" and noted further that the "Democratic leadership has a responsibility to go to the White House and clearly show what America's thinking, because democracy is at stake here and we're all nervous."

Should Democrats' doubts eat away at Biden's commitment to stay in the race, then the party might be looking at an open convention in August, whereby individual delegates, largely anointed by the Biden campaign, would have to decide the party's alternate nominee. The Associated Press noted that should Biden decline the nomination, he cannot name his deeply unpopular vice president and running mate as his stand-in. Instead, Harris would have to duke it out with other potential challengers — and the last time she attempted that, she had an abysmal showing.

Leftist politicians who might stand a better chance than Harris, whose approval rating averages below 40%, include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. While Michelle Obama has long been rumored as a potential replacement, Forbes underscored her repeated expressions of disinterest in the job.

When asked by the Daily Mail Thursday whether he was ready to replace Biden, Newsom said, "[Biden's] our guy. And that's part of the diversion tactic of the right — to continue to sort of muddy the waters on all of that and that nonsensical speculation."

If Biden does receive the nomination but withdraws following the convention, then CNN indicated the DNC would be able to name his replacement after having the party chair consult with the Democratic governors and congressional leadership. Biden dropping out at a late stage would again not result in Harris automatically becoming his replacement.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!