A poor debate performance has fuelled Democrat unease about Mr Biden's candidacy.

The first presidential debate is done and the aftermath has not been good for the incumbent, Joe Biden.

Some Democrat politicians and operatives reportedly texted CNN commentators with hopes that Mr Biden, 81, would step aside. Some floated the possibility of going to the White House and publicly stating concerns about him remaining as candidate.

But if Mr Biden were to drop out, it would be a free-for-all. There is no official mechanism for him or anyone else in the party to choose his successor, meaning Democrats would be left with an open (Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago from August 19-22.

  • rsuri@lemmy.world
    0·
    3 days ago

    At this point it’s starting to feel like Biden’s holding the nation at gunpoint and making us have a second Trump term. He’s always been a terrible politician, running twice for the nomination and failing to get a single delegate, until Obama made him VP. Honestly I suspect part of the reason Obama chose him is because he didn’t wanna play kingmaker and figured Biden was too old to run again.

    Then in 2020 I think the argument was Biden could benefit from Obama’s popularity. I certainly thought that was a terrible pick, but not totally lacking in logic. But in 2024 there was utterly no rational basis for Biden to be running in the first place. Now that he’s been a complete disaster, he’s just fucking us as a nation for his own narcissism.

      • rsuri@lemmy.world
        0·
        2 days ago

        Anybody. Buttigieg, Harris, Sanders, AOC, John Elway, I don’t care. Biden keeps saying he’s the only guy who can beat Trump. After last night’s debate it should be obvious that he’s the only guy who can’t beat Trump.

        • ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
          0·
          2 days ago

          Yes, hand the executive branch to the guy who attempted a coup to stay in power last time, backed by the Project 2025 guys, and come back in 4 years for the election that will surely still actually take place. Sure. Great plan.

        • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
          0·
          3 days ago

          If Trump wins, there will never be a real election again. Conservatives will move to the Russian election model. This is an end-game election.

          • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
            0·
            2 days ago

            And it will be again in 2026. And 2028. And 2030 if those don’t work…

            The Nazis are in the Reichstag. It ends with the death of the Republic or a civil war, period.