Democrats are arguing about how to officially name Joe Biden as their nominee.
Democrats Urged to Reconsider Early Nomination of President Biden
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) has called on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to reevaluate their plan to nominate President Joe Biden for reelection before the Democratic Party’s convention next month. Doggett expressed concerns that fast-tracking the nomination process may not be the best strategy to persuade undecided voters in crucial battleground states.
In a press release, Doggett emphasized, “Fast-forwarding the nomination process is no way to convince the many unconvinced voters in the growing number of battleground states.” He is among several House Democrats who fear that nominating Biden through a “virtual roll call” before the convention could suppress debates over the president’s fitness for office.
The DNC initially proposed the early nomination plan in May due to worries that Biden might not appear on Ohio’s ballots because of a state law mandating parties to finalize their nominees 90 days before the November general election. This necessitated Biden’s nomination by August 7, before the convention’s commencement on August 19.
However, alterations to Ohio’s legislation have since been made, prompting some Democrats to question the virtual roll call plan amid uncertainties regarding Biden’s suitability as the candidate to go up against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) expressed his concerns to The New York Times, labeling the rush to nominate Biden as a manipulative tactic to avoid scrutiny over his candidacy. Huffman and Doggett have also initiated a letter-signing campaign among their colleagues, urging the DNC to abandon the virtual roll call plan, which could have been initiated as early as this weekend.
On Wednesday morning, Leah Daughtry and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), the co-chairs of the DNC’s rules committee, clarified in a letter to committee members that no voting would occur before August. However, they underscored the importance of promptly finalizing nominees to ensure Biden’s presence on Ohio and other state ballots.
Daughtry and Walz stated, “We know that the Republican Party and its affiliated groups plan on filing legal challenges to the Democratic Party’s nominees. Having sufficient time to secure our nominees’ places on ballots nationwide is crucial. This is the primary reason for conducting a virtual voting process.”
In response to this development, Huffman’s spokesperson conveyed that he would not proceed with the letter to the DNC. “We’re pleased to see that the pressure has been effective, and the DNC will not rush through this virtual process in July. Therefore, we will not be sending the letter at this juncture,” the spokesperson stated.
Despite these actions, Doggett did not immediately provide further commentary on the matter.
Experts in election law remain skeptical about the possibility of Republicans removing Biden from the ballot. Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, emphasized that any attempts to exclude Biden politically may result in a court order compelling his inclusion on the ballot.
Doggett was the first among nearly two dozen Democrats in Congress who have called for Biden to step aside following his subpar debate performance against Trump last month. He warned, “Short-circuiting the normal Convention process jeopardizes the White House, Senate, and House. With Trump’s administration overseeing all branches of government, America faces significant risks. This should not be the legacy Joe Biden leaves behind after his extensive contributions to our country.”
