Are Democrats Taking a Biden Replacement More Seriously Now?

Sarah Arnold reporting for Townhall 

After President Joe Biden’s disastrous press conference on Thursday, speculation grows that he will be replaced in the presidential election after he made it more than obvious he has no brain cells left. 

The “elderly, irritable man” who stood on that podium addressing the nation was not the type of leader this country can rely on— and Democrats are panicking. With less than nine months before the 2024 election, the party may be exploring other options. 

According to a Democratic operative on Friday, it is “realistic” that Vice President Kamala Harris could replace Biden. However, with approval ratings worse than the president, Democrats know they won’t keep the keys to the White House with her on the ballot.

A December Monmouth University poll found that Harris has just a 35 percent approval rating, with nearly 60 percent of likely voters disapproving of her vice presidency. 

Strategist Brad Bannon said that pressure from his party to step down Biden would be more adamant if former President Trump weren’t running. (Via the New York Post) 

“I think many Democrats who are concerned about the president’s political fortunes don’t like to talk about them because they have a personal loyalty towards Joe Biden,” Bannon said. “No one wants to undermine the president’s ability to beat Donald Trump.”

The political disaster has Democrats hoping to shift the election in Biden’s favor, suggesting additional political persecution of Trump to make the senile president look better on the ballot. 

Democrat James Carville, known for his central role in former President Clinton’s campaign, wrote in his column that the Left is no longer looking to shy away from Biden’s diminishing cognitive health but instead “looking to interventions from the Supreme Court, or a criminal conviction for Trump, in the hope that such developments would shift the election in Biden’s favor.” (Via The Hill) 

A FiveThirtyEight poll found that Biden’s approval rating is a net negative 17 points after his political disaster. 

Even before Thursday night’s embarrassing showdown, Biden polls were well underwater. 

An NBC News poll found that 76 percent of voters — with 54 percent of Democrats— had concerns about Biden, citing his physical and mental health. 

Other strategists suggested the Democrat Party would resort to focusing on controversial issues such as abortion and additional student loan forgiveness measures. 

“Real Time" host Bill Maher suggested Democrats will dump Biden at the Democratic National Convention. 

“You can switch him out at the convention… If a guy says, 'I can't run,' then you have to do it. Then it has to be somebody else. Then, it's an open convention. We've had open conventions many times… They make it up as they go along anyway. It's politics," Maher said.