According to a new report from Semafor, two “well-connected Democrats” have proposed a strategy to hold a “blitz primary” to replace Joe Biden if he withdraws from the presidential election.
Rosa Brooks, a law professor who served in the Obama and Clinton administrations, and Ted Dintersmith, a venture capitalist who has donated to various Democratic campaigns, reportedly proposed the idea.
😂 Dems are considering a “Blitz primary” – that’s an apt metaphor, running Blitzkrieg-like across primary votes already cast.
Please, please let them do this! pic.twitter.com/TrVBGtRLf4
— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) July 7, 2024
“There’s a plan circulating among Dem donors for a ‘blitz primary,’ in which Biden drops out and Dems hold a rapid-fire open race to replace him,” Benjy Sarlin said.
NEW: There’s a plan circulating among Dem donors for a ‘blitz primary,’ in which Biden drops out and Dems hold a rapid-fire open race to replace him. via @mchalfant16 https://t.co/7OP7wZoqFl
— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) July 7, 2024
Per Semafor:
Their idea goes something like this, according to a memo shared with Semafor that has been circulated to Democratic donors and bundlers as well as officials within the Biden campaign and administration:
- Biden would step down as the Democratic nominee in mid-July, and announce the new system, with backing from Vice President Kamala Harris.
- Potential candidates would have a few days to throw their respective hats in the ring. The Democratic
- Party then would begin a primary sprint in which the six candidates who receive the most votes from delegates pledge to run positive-only campaigns in the month leading up to the convention.
- The “blitz primary” would involve weekly forums with each candidate moderated by cultural icons (Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Taylor Swift are among the names floated in the memo) in order to engage voters.
- The nominee would ultimately be chosen by the delegates using ranked choice voting before the start of the Chicago convention on Aug. 19.
- It would be announced with plenty of fanfare on the third day of the gathering. The memo imagines the nominee unveiled on stage with Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
“Here’s how Democrats could turn lemons into lemonade,” Rosa Brooks commented.
Here’s how Democrats could turn lemons into lemonade:https://t.co/wvFZrPiLpj
— Rosa Brooks (@brooks_rosa) July 7, 2024
Although this alleged wacky plan isn’t going to fly, Democrats are growing increasingly desperate for Biden to drop out of the race.
In addition to multiple House Democrats calling on Biden to step aside, a senior White House official said he shouldn’t seek re-election.
🚨Report: A Senior White House official who spoke anonymously, said Joe Biden should not seek re-election.
Via: The New York Times pic.twitter.com/6xXsulRr3o
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) July 6, 2024
The New York Times reports:
Certainly, many leading Democrats have publicly expressed support for the president, or remained quiet about any misgivings. One senior White House official, however, who has worked with Mr. Biden during his presidency, vice presidency and 2020 campaign, said in an interview on Saturday morning that Mr. Biden should not seek re-election.
After watching Mr. Biden in private, in public and while traveling with him, the official said they no longer believed the president had what it took to campaign in a vigorous way and defeat Donald J. Trump. The official, who insisted on anonymity in order to continue serving, said Mr. Biden had steadily showed more signs of his age in recent months, including speaking more slowly, haltingly and quietly, as well as appearing more fatigued in private.
Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, pointed to Mr. Biden’s comments from an interview on Friday with ABC News, in which he vowed to stay in the race.
In that interview, Mr. Biden also defended his sharpness and ability to serve.
For years, Democratic officials have largely limited their concerns about Mr. Biden’s age and abilities to quiet conversations, though many voters have loudly expressed their reservations about nominating someone who would be 86 by the end of a second term. But in the days since the first presidential debate in June and what some Democrats have described as the campaign’s weak attempt at damage control, the whispered anxieties are turning into a whirlwind of action, though where it will all lead is an open question.
Many Democrats who believe Mr. Biden should exit the race stress their personal affection and respect for him, describing a sense of genuine sadness.
