One member of the Democratic National Committee has proposed a method to replace President Joe Biden should he decide not to seek re-election.
While insiders told The Independent that they believe there is “no question” Vice President Kamala Harris would receive the baton if Biden chose not to run in November, the White House has strongly denied that the president is considering bowing out of the race.
This scramble comes after Biden’s poor performance against former president Donald Trump during last week’s debate in Atlanta. So far, no potential successors to Biden have called on him to step aside.
James Zogby, who worked on Jesse Jackson’s campaigns for president in the 1980s and whom Senator Bernie Sanders picked to work on the Democratic Party’s platform in 2016, sent a memo to DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison about how to potentially go about replacing Biden.
The memo, seen by The Independent, reads: “The central idea is to create a process that is open, transparent, and energizing, while, at the same time, legitimate and democratic.”
The plan would require Biden to announce that he’s not seeking re-election and, while he could praise Vice President Kamala Harris, he would not anoint her as his successor. This would kick off a one-month process, during which presidential hopefuls would vie for the support of the DNC’s voting members. Those participating would need the support of 40 voting members to become an official DNC candidate.
Under Zogby’s proposal, candidates would then participate in televised events that would allow them to make their case to Democratic voters.
At the Democratic National Convention, the candidates would be formally nominated and votes would be taken among delegates, though it might take require more than one round for a candidate to win a majority of the vote.
Zogby’s memo argues the process would energize Democratic voters.
“For at least one month, national media will be focused on our candidates and our exciting process, drawing sharp contrast with the antics of GOP nominee,” the memo said. “Given that we can likely predict the pool of potential candidates (Vice President Harris, Governors, Senators, Members of Congress) – the debate they will have will no doubt be respectful and substantive.”
Zogby also points out that Biden would give a final address at the convention, “a crowning moment in his long and extraordinary career as a public servant.”
“With President Biden having made this all possible, he will be seen as a true national leader who, because he cared more about saving democracy, put aside his personal ambition and his concerns with a replacement – and trusted the party and Democrats to build on his legacy,” the memo reads.
The move comes as multiple polls show Biden trailing Trump after the debate.