After his first debate against Donald Trump, observers and supporters of the Democratic camp are expressing their doubts about the health of Joe Biden and his ability to lead a victorious campaign against Donald Trump.
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A shiver runs through the Democratic camp. During the first presidential debate against Donald Trump, Thursday, June 27, American President Joe Biden showed signs of weakness that did not escape his supporters or political commentators. He also acknowledged on Friday that he “doesn’t debate as well as he used to”. “I give you my word from Biden. I wouldn’t run again if I didn’t believe, with all my heart and all my soul, that I can do this job“, also tried to reassure the president to his supporters.
His slowness in responding and his hoarse voice, which his team explains as a simple cold, have not helped the 81-year-old Democratic candidate to shake off concerns about his advanced age and the label of “Sleepy Joe” (“Sleeping Joe”in French) joined by his Republican rival.
Asked about taxes and Social Security, Joe Biden notably made a blunder by congratulating himself on having “defeated” Medicare, a policy supported by his own camp. “It was painful”Van Jones, a former adviser to Democratic President Barack Obama, told CNN. The Democratic president “had a test to meet this evening to restore the confidence of the country and the base [militante]. But he failed”judged the former White House adviser. While the Democratic Party has given itself until August 19 to officially designate its candidate for the presidential election, is Joe Biden so certain of being the one?
For the moment, the main person concerned has no intention of giving up his place. Asked by CNN debate co-anchor Dana Bash about the difficulty “to perform the most difficult job in the world at over 80 years old”Joe Biden wanted to be reassuring. “I spent half my political career as the youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate.he recalled. And now I’m the oldest.” He also wanted to nuance the weight of the years in this presidential race.
A declared candidate for re-election since April 2023, Joe Biden can easily obtain his party’s nomination during the Democratic convention in August. Thanks to the Democratic primaries and caucuses organized in each state, Joe Biden has the support of 3,894 delegates, well beyond the 1,976 necessary for a majority, according to an Associated Press count updated on June 26. “He won the primaries, and therefore Joe Biden is their candidate, unless he decides to withdraw”summarizes Ludivine Gilli, director of the North American Observatory at the Jean-Jaurès Foundation.
“HASThere is no mechanism for leaders to of the Democratic National Committee, the body charged with running the party, “to exclude Joe Biden from the list of candidates” of the nomination convention, writes Politico. If Joe Biden decides to pursue his candidacy, the party cannot prevent him from doing so or nominate another candidate in his place. The American site, however, recalls that the delegates did not “legal obligation” to vote for the candidate they are supposed to represent. They are the ones who could derail the candidacy of the outgoing president. But they were chosen “by the Biden campaign”reminds Politico, and “at least half of them should turn their backs on him” so that it is not invested.
If the US president withdraws, all delegates awarded to Joe Biden during the primaries would become “uncommitted” and would be allowed to support another candidate of their choice. In this case, “the convention could become a campaign in its own right, likely to highlight divisions within the Democratic Party”analyzes the American daily Wall Street Journal.
This would, however, pose a problem of timing. The Democratic convention in Chicago is scheduled to take place from August 19 to 22. If, at the end of the convention, a candidate other than Joe Biden is nominated, he risks being excluded from the ballot in Ohio. In this key state, electoral law requires that presidential candidates be registered 90 days before the November election day, August 7. To avoid the president’s name being absent from the polling stations in this state, “The Democrats had decided to proceed with the official nomination of their candidate” online, ahead of the convention, to meet this deadline, explains Ludivine Gilli. A reform of the electoral law in Ohio, pushing back the registration of candidates to August 23, the day after the convention, is also currently being examined by the State Parliament, reports the ABC channel.
Who would be ready to take over, four months before the election? “If Biden decides this week to withdraw, there will be candidates. There are many”assures franceinfo Reed Brody, a former official of the Democratic Party. “There is the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer…”he lists. “There are prominent figures within the Democratic Party who could take over from President Joe Biden”confirms Ludivine Gilli, also citing, Gretchen Whitmer, but also the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro.
Vice President Kamala Harris could also position herself in this race. “It is quite natural that the person who occupies the vice-presidency should be the heir to the previous presidency.”continues the researcher, recalling the candidacy of Al Gore, vice-president of Bill Clinton, to succeed him in 2000.The whole difficulty is that we need a consensual candidate who can unite the right wing and the left wing of the party”continues Ludivine Gilli.
For now, the personalities cited to replace Joe Biden are showing their unity behind the outgoing president. On CNN, Kamala Harris defended a candidate “extremely strong” who, according to her, “showed that he was going to win” during Thursday’s debate, while admitting that he had experienced a “sluggish start”. On the chain MSNBCGavin Newsom called for not giving up on the man who beat Donald Trump in 2020: “You don’t turn your back because of a performance. What kind of party does that?”