President Joe Bidenmet with his family on Sunday at Camp David after a disastrous debate performance Thursday led to serious talk about replacing him as the Democratic candidate.
The campaign went into damage-control mode on Friday, holding a more upbeat rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, where Biden acknowledged he’s slowed down in his old age, but claimed “I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.” He then jetted to the Hamptons, where attendees of a private fundraiser reportedly witnessed another energetic performance.
A YouGov poll on Friday found that 30% of Democrats now believe someone other than Biden would have a better shot at victory. Several columnists, as well as a few media outlets, have urged the president to stand down. But the decision must come from Biden himself. Party rules make it almost impossible to replace a nominee without their consent because it would involve overturning the results of primaries in which Democratic voters overwhelmingly nominated Biden.
“It’s going to be very tough to push aside the sitting president of the United States and leader of the Democratic Party,” said Eurasia Group’s Jon Lieber. “Probably what has to happen is that Biden himself has to make the choice that he's too old and can't do the job.”
Prominent Democrats have been making supportive statements all weekend, and the president has vowed to continue fighting. We’ll be watching to see how his campaign attempts to change the narrative around Biden’s age in the weeks ahead.