Now that President Joe Biden has retreated to his Delaware home with Covid-19, pressure is way up on him to stand down as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential elections. As The New York Times noted, Biden is far more open to talking about the possibility of his exit than previously, while he currently remains immovable. Congressional leaders, like Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, have expressed misgivings about Biden's electoral prospects—those that bode ill for down-ballot races.
The control of Congress hangs in the balance, with Republicans holding the House and Democrats narrowly leading the Senate. Adam Schiff publicly called for Biden to withdraw from the race, which came as a big blow to the campaign, underlining divisions even among Biden's close allies, like Nancy Pelosi, who reportedly told him in confidence that she did not think he could win against Donald Trump, and what that meant for the party's congressional prospects.
Virtual polling was pushed out of the convention in Chicago as part of efforts to speed up Biden's nomination. This kicked the can of uncertainty down the road in case he were to drop out. If Biden were to drop out, Vice President Kamala Harris would have an easy time commanding inheritances of the Biden campaign resources, which were raised under the Biden-Harris banner. Other contenders included some state governors: Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, and Andy Beshear.
A recent AP-NORC poll shows that a majority of Democrats, 65%, would want Biden to withdraw and the party to nominate someone else. Confidence in Biden's mental acuity has also seen a slight decline since February. On the other hand, Harris faces mixed reviews, holding close favorability ratings to Biden's but fewer unfavorable opinions.
While Harris might appear as the obvious answer to lead the ticket were Biden to drop out, how Democrats would choose a new nominee is anything but clear as the party readies for a battle against former President Donald Trump.
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