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After horror comes hope. As Democrats digest the true horror of Joe Biden’s performance at Thursday night’s presidential debate, the conversation has inevitably turned to an equally pressing issue: Who could replace him and perhaps snatch victory from Donald Trump on Nov. 5?
However, Plan B is not without complications.
No serious Democratic candidate has yet stepped forward to challenge Biden, the incumbent president, and obvious contenders are still publicly pledging their loyalty to him.
There is no time to hold new primary selection votes. Furthermore, the Democrats have already gone through the process and chosen Biden as their candidate.
Under party rules, delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August (where the party’s presidential nominee is formally nominated) remain obligated to support him, unless Biden himself announces he is dropping out of the race.
The convention would then take responsibility for voting on an alternative, of which there are many options. Biden is notoriously stubborn, however, and he ominously told his supporters, “Let’s move on,” shortly after limping off the debate stage in Atlanta.
There is no time to hold new primary selection votes. Moreover, the Democrats have already gone through the process and selected Biden as their candidate. Pictured: Gretchen Whitmer.
Democrat Gavin Newsom photographed with his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom and their children.
Party insiders believe first lady Jill Biden could play a crucial role in persuading her husband to step down.
It may also take his former boss, Barack Obama (Biden was his vice president), to nudge him in that direction.
And if he were to voluntarily step aside at the party convention, allowing for an entirely new vote, Democrats would avoid having to accept Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden’s automatic successor.
Several pundits have argued that overlooking a black woman would cause an enormous stir among some Democrats.
But the general opinion is that letting her be a candidate makes no sense and would practically guarantee Trump’s victory.
The deeply unimpressive ‘Veep’ has even worse approval ratings than Biden.
If not Kamala, then who could save the day for the Democrats?
Listed below are some of the most frequently appearing names:
Party members believe first lady Jill Biden could play a crucial role in persuading her husband to retire
His former boss, Barack Obama (Biden was his vice president), could also be called upon to push him in that direction.
Gretchen Whitmer
The 52-year-old Michigan governor’s name tops many Democratic wish lists after being among the least chosen candidates as Biden’s potential 2020 running mates.
Widely popular in the swing state, she is a moderate who has risen quickly in the party.
“That woman in Michigan,” as Trump describes her, is a former prosecutor and mother of two who supports stricter gun laws and repealing abortion bans.
In 2020, the FBI foiled a plot by a right-wing militia to kidnap Whitmer after she angered conservatives with her harsh response to the Covid pandemic.
He has a memoir due out next month that some cynically believe was perfect for a potential presidential bid.
He often seems refreshingly normal. When discussing her childhood earlier this week, Whitmer admitted that she once got so drunk that he vomited on his high school principal. “It wasn’t my best day,” she admitted.
The 52-year-old Michigan governor’s name is at the top of many Democratic wish lists after being on Biden’s list of potential 2020 running mates.
Gavin Newsom
However, often mentioned in the same breath as Whitmer, the suave and telegenic governor of California has a lot more baggage, and some experts believe that rules him out.
First, there is Newsom’s record in the “Golden State,” where he has presided over a massive budget deficit.
Crime and homelessness are devastating cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. And it’s too woke for the rest of America, critics say.
Then there is his colorful personal history. Newsom, 56, comes from California aristocracy and, as mayor of San Francisco, once lay on a silk carpet with his first wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle (now Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée and a stalwart of the Trump campaign) for a photo shoot for a fashion magazine.
In 2007, Newsom admitted he had a drinking problem days after it was revealed that he had had an affair with the wife of his best friend and campaign manager, destroying his friend’s marriage.
He married Jennifer Siebel in 2008 and they have four children.
His past behavior will not impress voters if he is subject to intense media scrutiny as a candidate for the White House.
However, often mentioned in the same breath as Whitmer, the suave and telegenic governor of California has a lot more baggage, and some experts believe that rules him out.
JB PRITZKER
Another state governor, this time from Illinois, Pritzker, 59, is a billionaire venture capitalist.
He is also heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune and therefore has the considerable advantage of being able to invest a lot of money in a presidential campaign. But in other areas, he hardly has the brilliance of rivals like Whitmer or Newsom.
He legalized recreational cannabis, declared Illinois a “sanctuary state” for women seeking abortions and oversaw a ban on assault weapons — all solid, if predictable, Democratic goals.
In 2018, a Chicago newspaper revealed that Pritzker had removed all the bathrooms from a mansion he had purchased next to his home, making it technically “uninhabitable” and therefore qualifying him for a valuable property tax break.
Another state governor, this time from Illinois, Pritzker, 59, is a billionaire venture capitalist.
JOSH SHAPIRO
A rising star in the party, the 51-year-old Pennsylvania governor is one of the moderate Democratic politicians many pundits believe is best positioned to challenge Trump.
Shapiro, a Conservative Jew who observes the Sabbath and keeps a kosher kitchen, has the advantage of having been an effective administrator of a crucial “battleground” state.
A recent poll found that more than three in 20 Trump supporters said they really like him.
He is also a good speaker, but, like some of the other governors who could be in the race, he lacks national recognition. Unless there is a sudden influx of donations, Shapiro also lacks the money needed to run a strong presidential campaign.
What’s more, he has only been governor of the state for a year and a half. Some experts believe he is more of an option for the 2028 elections.
A rising star in the party, the 51-year-old Pennsylvania governor is one of the moderate Democratic politicians who many experts believe is best positioned to challenge Trump.
Andy Beshear
With so few undecided voters, a candidate able to win over supporters of the rival party could be decisive in November. A good example is Andy Beshear, who has twice managed to be Democratic governor of the deeply Republican state of Kentucky, which is no small feat.
One of America’s most popular governors, he is less well-known than anyone else on this list and, at 46, might seem inexperienced.
Still, at least one Democratic donor yesterday pointed to him as a possible successor to Biden.
The seemingly clean-cut lawyer, who serves as a church deacon, along with his wife Britainy, is a staunch moderate and recently launched a political action committee to support candidates who eschew “the politics of anger, division and hate.” “.
But there are questions about how much he really wants to be president and how much left-wing Democrats would like him.
As one Washington Post columnist observed: “Either he is very sincere, kind and pleasant, or he fakes all that extremely well.”
Step forward Andy Beshear, who twice managed to become Democratic governor of the deeply Republican state of Kentucky, which is no small achievement.