As questions remain about Joe Biden’s fitness for the presidency after his disastrous debate less than two weeks ago, some Democrats are now floating a unique plan to replace him as the Democratic presidential nominee.
The plan would have Biden step down as the party nominee in the next couple of weeks, followed by the announcement of a “blitz primary” before the Democratic National Convention in August. Candidates would use the next few days to enter the race, and then pledge to run positive-only campaigns for a quick primary in the month or so before the convention.
The “blitz primary” would include candidate forums every week to engage voters, hosted by celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Taylor Swift, among others. The eventual nominee would be chosen by delegates using ranked choice voting before the convention begins on August 19.
“In the midst of malaise and crisis, we can forge an uplifting path,” said Ted Dintersmith, a Democratic philanthropist and one of the two architects of the plan. The other person behind the proposal is Rosa Brooks, a law professor at Georgetown University who served in the Obama and Clinton administrations and volunteered for Biden’s 2020 campaign.
Brooks and Dintersmith outlined their plan in a memo that they sent on Tuesday to donors, campaign officials, Biden appointees, and other powerful Democrats. But it remains to be seen if any such Democrats will sign on. Biden said in a Friday interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that only “the Lord Almighty” could persuade him to drop out.
In the past couple of days, the wagons appear to be circling. A group of Democratic senators led by Virginia’s Mark Warner is seeking to convince Biden to withdraw, and several top Democrats in Congress are making public calls for him to go. For the “blitz primary” plan to work, Biden would need to drop out quickly, but he’s clearly not there yet. Plus, while the GOP is more than happy with Biden as their opponent, they are already strategizing on how to handle a replacement nominee.
