The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is moving quickly to confirm President Joe Biden as the party’s presidential nominee by the end of July. This decision comes amid concerns within the party about Biden’s performance and whether he should run again. Despite these doubts, Biden’s nomination is expected to be confirmed through a virtual roll call before the Democratic National Convention in August.
Some delegates and party insiders are eager to finalize Biden’s nomination to avoid ongoing public debates about his candidacy. However, not everyone agrees with this plan. A group of House Democrats is trying to change the nominating process to allow for potential challengers at the convention.
Despite ideas from donors and strategists to open the field to other candidates, these proposals have been largely dismissed by party insiders.
The DNC’s rules committee will start the nomination process with a video call meeting on Friday, followed by another party group on Sunday. Over 4,000 delegates will begin casting their ballots on Monday, a process expected to take about a week. Afterward, the committee will hold the roll call virtually, a change from the usual in-person event at the convention.
The rules committee is led by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and party veteran Leah Daughtry. Most committee members have strong ties to Biden and were selected for their loyalty, making significant dissent unlikely. Democratic insiders predict that up to 80% of delegates will support Biden’s nomination. However, there is no certainty about how delegates will react under pressure from lawmakers and donors.
According to party rules, Biden can only be replaced as the nominee if he chooses to step aside. Biden has stated in a recent interview that he has no intention of leaving the race, emphasizing that millions of voters chose him as the nominee.
If Biden were to drop out after the convention, a small group of party leaders would be responsible for selecting a new nominee. Some House Democrats, led by Rep. Jared Huffman of California, are circulating a letter calling for a delay in Biden’s nomination until delegates can meet in person. Huffman argues that rushing the nomination is a heavy-handed move that won’t sit well with many party members.
The DNC changed its nomination process to meet an August 7 deadline to place Biden on the ballot in Ohio. Despite a new state law pushing the deadline to the end of August, the Biden campaign and DNC are sticking to the original timeline to avoid legal challenges from Republicans. DNC Chair Jaime Harrison supports the virtual roll call, dismissing concerns about the Ohio deadline.
Some Democrats remain worried about Biden’s chances in the general election and are frustrated by the DNC’s efforts to finalize his nomination quickly. The assassination attempt on former President Trump has also complicated discussions, with some viewing it as a distraction from the debate about Biden’s viability.
Groups like Pass the Torch and the Leadership Now Project are pushing against the virtual roll call. They argue that it undermines the democratic process and damages party morale. These groups are urging Democratic officials to oppose the virtual vote and encourage Biden to step aside for another candidate.
While the DNC is pushing to confirm Biden’s nomination swiftly, there are significant concerns and opposition within the party about his candidacy and the process being used.
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