The Democratic National Committee (DNC) plans to use a virtual roll call to confirm President Joe Biden as the official Nominee prior to the formal convention in August, causing activists and Democratic lawmakers opposed to Biden’s continued candidacy to scramble to thwart the proposed party action by next week.
Abrupt Change in Media Focus Following Assassination Attempt
Last week, the news cycle was still filled with the fraught push by some to replace Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate following a poor performance in a debate with Donald Trump and various other media gaffes.
This week, many pushing for change are aware that their chance to act is slowly slipping away as the media narrative has shifted to the attempted assassination of former President Trump and now the Republican National Convention.
Last Push for Change
Without the pressure of constant media scrutiny that had kept the heat on the issue, Democrats wanting a new leader are trying to take advantage of a last push to get the change they seek.
Time is limited not only due to the media consumer’s short attention span but also because those behind President Biden’s continued candidacy are swiftly moving to confirm his nomination by the end of July.
DNC’s Plan
Within two weeks, the members of the Democratic National Committee hope to have Biden solidified as the formal Nominee and focus on the path forward to victory rather than be distracted by divisive admissions of no confidence from some party members and donors.
Virtual Roll Call
The DNC plans to use a virtual roll call to confirm Biden prior to the formal convention in August. The Rules Committee will potentially meet on a video call Friday, followed by another DNC call on Sunday. Delegates would cast their ballots starting Monday. Once the ballots are received, the DNC can hold the roll call vote virtually, and Biden can be declared the Nominee.
Biden’s Stance
As the official Nominee, Biden could only be replaced if he willfully resigned from his candidacy. He has noted his position multiple times, stating as recently as Monday, “Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the Nominee in the Democratic Party, OK? I listen to them.”
Replacement Process
If Biden removed himself as the nominee after being formally installed by the DNC, a small group of Democratic insiders would select his replacement candidate. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, would play a pivotal role in selecting an alternate candidate if Biden chose to step down.
Walz’s Statement
Walz’s spokesman said this week, “Governor Walz is honored to co-chair the committee and knows how important it is that Democrats have their nominee, President Biden, on the ballot in every state this November.”
Opposition Efforts
Some Democratic leaders are still hoping to keep Biden from becoming the Nominee in the first place by exerting various pressures.
A group of House Democrats, twelve of whom have already called on Biden to step down in recent weeks since his disastrous debate performance in June, are now agitating to change the nominating path and create an opening for other candidates, even during the convention in August.
Donor Pressure
In addition to the dozen democratic lawmakers who have called for fresh candidates, many donors have likewise sought to pressure Biden to step aside, seeking ways to postpone the preliminary nomination in favor of allowing more time for more strategies and potential candidates to step up.
Representative Jared Huffman’s Letter
In the House, Representative Jared Huffman from California circulated a letter asking the Democratic party to postpone nominating Biden until delegates gathered in person in August.
The letter stated that the signers “share serious concerns about plans to hold virtual roll call as early as July 21. Huffman stated that the Democratic party should permit and entertain further discussion about Biden’s ability to win and his fitness to represent the party’s interests before being nominated before the convention.
Huffman said, “To try to squelch debate and jam this through is a power play of the highest order. That kind of heavy-handed move is not going to go over well with a lot of people.”
Broader Concerns
Highly publicized House members are concerned that a continued Biden nomination will imperil not only the Democratic chance to hold the White House but also have negative downstream effects on lower elected offices, such as their own congressional seats.
Other groups of Democratic activists have spoken out forcefully on their desire for change in the highest ranks of the party.
Activist Group Involvement
An activist group called “Pass the Torch” has been involved in opposing the virtual roll call being used to force a Biden nomination before the August convention.
Aaron Regunburg spoke on behalf of Pass the Torch, decrying the pan to “ram through this nomination before we have this debate as a party.” Regunburg lamented that the action would “Deeply undermine the morale of democrats– from delegates, volunteers, grass-roots organizers and donors to ordinary voters– at the worst possible time.”
Business Coalition Efforts
A business coalition opposed to the virtual roll call nomination called the Leadership Now Project has also lobbied to support an entire debate at the DNC in August.
Leadership Now Project’s Daniella Ballou-Aares said a roll call vote “would only delegitimize the process.” Her group has been lobbying the White House and Congress to pressure Biden to step aside as the presumptive Nominee.
