If Biden wants to step down, he had better hurry up
US-President Biden could use his Coronavirus infection as an excuse to step down for Harris. In two weeks it could already be too late.
The idea is plausible: US-President Joe Biden could use his Coronavirus infection as an excuse to step down from the campaign. On Wednesday, the 81-year-old had to suspend his campaign after testing positive for Covid-19. In a few days, he could therefore say: People, this illness is causing me more trouble than I initially thought. I believe that someone else should take on the stressful campaign against Donald Trump - for example, Vice President Kamala Harris.
The debate about Biden has gained momentum since the disastrous TV duel and the bizarre attack on Trump. Many Democrats are worried that they will lose the elections with Biden at the helm - not just the presidency, but also the congressional elections, which are also held on November 5. However, a Biden withdrawal appears unlikely at the moment. According to a report in the "New York Times," the president has become more receptive in recent days to arguments for a withdrawal. But there are no signs of a change in course, the newspaper writes.
The time for a candidate exchange is ripe. For one thing, the Democratic party leadership may decide this weekend to officially nominate Biden in a virtual convention. This virtual convention could already take place at the beginning of August - two weeks before the party convention, where it would normally have taken place.
"I don't trust those in Ohio"
The urgency is mainly due to a law in the state of Ohio: It requires presidential candidates to be nominated by August 7 if they are to appear on the ballot in Ohio. The Republican-governed Ohio has shifted this deadline to September 1. But the new law will not take effect until September 1. If it does not take effect, the Democrats would have missed the deadline. "I don't trust those in Ohio," said Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota to CBS News. Walz is responsible for the corresponding regulations within the Democrats.
The plan of the party leadership is controversial among the Democrats: For example, Representative Jared Huffman from California expressed the suspicion that the real goal is to suppress the debate about Biden. Representatives of the Biden campaign team deny this.
In fact, there is cause for the Democrats to be cautious in the nomination process: In April, it was revealed that the conservative Heritage Foundation already had plans to sue in contested states if the Democrats replaced Biden as the candidate. The chances of success of such lawsuits are considered unlikely, writes the "Washington Post." But the plans indicate that the Democrats should not offer a legal attack surface voluntarily.
Ohio was once a swing state, but is now dominated by the Republicans. In other words, the electors from this state are likely to go to Trump in the polls. It is hardly conceivable that the Democrats would voluntarily give up Biden's candidacy in this state. After all, this would narrow their chances in the simultaneous other elections.
Only two weeks left until August 1st
According to whether one considers the law of Ohio or the democratic nomination convention as the cut-off date, the question must be resolved by the 7th or by the 19th of August - then the convention begins. In other words, if the Democrats were to decide this coming weekend that they mistrust Ohio, then Biden could be made the presidential candidate quite soon. The virtual convention, if there is one, should not take place before the 1st and not after the 5th of August, according to Walz and his colleague Leah Daughtry in a letter to party delegates. They also deny that they want to rush the process. It's about "our candidate being on the ballot in all states."
Biden would thus only have to withstand the pressure from his party for another two weeks, after which the decision would be final. Even a voluntary withdrawal would no longer be a viable option at that point, as it is completely unclear how a replacement candidate or replacement candidate would be nominated.
In a Wednesday interview with the BET network, Biden was asked what could change his mind: "If it were to be discovered that I have a disease, if doctors were to come to me and tell me I have this or that problem." However, there is currently no indication that the Covid-19 infection is such a problem or that it could be used as such. On Wednesday, Biden tested positive for Covid-19. On the way to the plane that took him from Las Vegas back to Delaware, he told reporters waiting for him: "I feel good."
In early July, Biden said in a TV interview that he would not withdraw from the race - unless his staff showed him polls that showed: "There's no way for you to win."
This has now happened: Biden was shown such polls. According to a CNN report, Pelosi told Biden after a CNN report that she had seen polls that showed he could not beat Trump. Moreover, these polls would indicate that his continued candidacy for the presidency would also harm the Democrats' chances in the Senate (where the Democrats currently have a majority) and the House of Representatives (where they are in the minority). CNN reports that Pelosi even brought in a longtime Biden advisor to explain the polling data to him. Biden's response: He had seen other polls. They showed he could win.
It sounds as though Biden's withdrawal is by no means a foregone conclusion. However, there are also other indications, not just the New York Times report. A Biden advisor described the development to CNN in this way: At first, Biden said: "Kamala can't win." Now he asks: "Do you think Kamala can win?" It's still unclear where this journey is going, "but he seems to be listening."
The US Presidential Election 2024 could potentially see a different Democratic candidate, as concerns about Joe Biden's health and electability grow within the party. Due to the upcoming Ohio nomination deadline, there's a push for the party leadership to make a decision on Biden's candidacy before August 1st.
If Biden's healthcare becomes a significant concern, he might consider stepping down, potentially using his current Coronavirus infection as an excuse. In such a scenario, Vice President Kamala Harris could become the Democratic nominee for the 2024 US Presidential Election.
