Interestingly, Nancy Pelosi held a meeting with the California House delegation on July 10th, nine days ago, to strategize how to exit Biden without a “coronation of Kamala Harris.” Details of the meeting are only coming out now.
Keep in mind, only through an “open convention” process can someone other than Kamala Harris take over the ticket. Pelosi gives the appearance of calling for the democrat base to have a say in the replacement, but in actuality it’s the only way the club insiders can select a nominee that’s not Kamala Harris.
(Via Politico) – […] The discussion in that meeting of the California delegation, which includes 40 members, took place in the Capitol on July 10, at least partly focused on the complicated next steps for the Democratic Party if Biden left the ticket. And they specifically talked about the potential political downsides of party elites quickly crowning the vice president as the next nominee, according to four people familiar with the discussion, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.
[…] The concern wasn’t about Harris’ strengths as a candidate — and in fact, several people made clear Harris needed to be the party’s next pick — but instead centered on worries that party bosses were choosing the president, rather than the party’s base.
“Nancy was leading that charge that it needed to be an open process,” according to a person briefed on the meeting, who was granted anonymity to avoid blowback from House leadership. (link)
Additionally, the list of democrats who are calling for Biden to make an exit announcement now includes members of the congressional black caucus. This is the first crack in the only remaining Biden coalition that was standing firmly in his defense.
WASHINGTON – […] Hours later, four more House Democrats, including two who hail from the congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — groups that have strongly backed Biden — released a joint statement calling on Biden to step aside.
And then another and another. And another. By the evening two senators had joined.
It’s a signal that the party has run out of patience and believes a decisive moment is at hand — and the latest indication that Biden has failed to staunch the flood of Democrats urging him to step aside since his disastrous debate performance on June 27. Since then, more than 30 Democrats have called on him to step down while top congressional leaders are urging him to reconsider his decision to remain in the race behind closed doors.
Hakeem Jeffries is also reportedly telling any members who wish for Biden to step aside that their timeline to make that announcement is now. According to Politico, “aides to House Democratic leadership, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have told members as recently as Friday that if they want to call on the president to step aside, the time to do so is now, according to three people familiar with the conversations.” (link)
