(C) Common Dreams
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Opinion | The Point: Conversations and insights about the moment. [1]
['Jonathan Alter']
Date: 2024-06-25
June 28, 2024, 5:28 p.m. ET June 28, 2024, 5:28 p.m. ET
Two weeks ago, a pillar of the Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill told me that if President Biden performed poorly in Thursday night’s debate, Democrats would yank him as a candidate. They simply cannot let him pull down the entire ticket and turn the country over to a would-be dictator.
That fear, as viewers saw on national television, was borne out, and now panicking senior Democrats have a decent shot at prevailing upon the president to withdraw. He should do so gracefully and instruct his delegates to vote for whoever is chosen in Chicago, where the Democratic convention opens on Aug. 19.
That move would have the short-term advantage of wrecking the Republican convention, which opens in Milwaukee on July 15. The G.O.P. plans to spend four days savaging Biden. If he dropped out, Republicans would have to explain what they want to do for the country, and the public would realize the only answer is: nothing but harm it in unpopular ways.
Biden could help maximize the power of his withdrawal by laying down a few ground rules for the Democrats, which — given his control of delegates and his status as a beloved elder statesman — would very likely be obeyed:
None of the candidates in the next seven weeks — about the typical length of European campaigns, by the way — may attack rivals or spend money on their own campaigns that will be needed in the fall against Donald Trump. If any do, Biden will come out against them.
Only those with a certain threshold of support in polls may take part in any Democratic debates to be scheduled before the convention.
Each qualifying candidate will be granted a half-hour address on the opening night of the convention, with the winner expanding on it in his or her acceptance speech.
The delegates should take into consideration — though not be bound by — state and national polls showing the relative strengths of the candidates.
The candidates should identify possible running mates.
Unlike the 2020 primaries, this summer’s contest would include no viable candidates from the party’s left wing. Two senators, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, are too old and have said they aren’t running, nor is anyone from the Squad. If they change their minds, Biden should come out against them.
Some analysts say the delegates would nominate Vice President Kamala Harris. Perhaps, but if she was outshined in speeches and debates this summer by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Cory Booker or a dark-horse candidate, Harris probably wouldn’t be the nominee.
Like the bosses of old — and this is how nominees were chosen until the 1960s — Democrats have a political obligation to pick the candidate most likely to win. This becomes a moral obligation in an election in which democracy is on the line.
Rather than a chaotic mess, an open convention would create enormous excitement that would propel the nominee into the fall campaign. And without Biden to trash, Trump would try to slam a new nominee. But after chasing a moving target of possible rivals over the summer, he would have only a short time to make anything stick.
One thing is for sure: Whoever would prevail in Chicago would be a stronger candidate than Biden, who cannot reverse the verdict that he is too old to serve.
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/06/25/opinion/thepoint#krugman-biden-must-withdraw
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