During a debate stage moment in 2019, former Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro took a jab at fellow presidential contender Joe Biden, who was 76 years old at the time, implying memory lapses. “Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?” Castro quipped, drawing criticism from Democratic elites like Rahm Emanuel, who labeled his approach as disqualifying.
Throughout that election cycle, Democrats seemed ruthless, with all candidates except Pete Buttigieg facing challenges, even as the party adjusted debate rules to accommodate Michael Bloomberg’s brief presidential run. Biden emerged as the favored candidate after the South Carolina primary, with concerns about his age brushed aside until recent times, accentuated by the Hur Report, which seemingly validated Castro’s earlier remarks.
Now, speculation swirls among political commentators about replacing Biden at the helm of the ticket. Despite personal reservations, I aim to provide foresight to proponents of this idea. Replacing Biden would entail a challenging journey to Election Day, marked by internal party strife and unfavorable media coverage.
Ezra Klein’s recent piece in The New York Times advocates for a “better option” than Biden, with Kamala Harris emerging as a probable successor. However, transitioning to Harris or any alternative would ignite pre-convention infighting and backstabbing, reminiscent of an open primary but amplified through media scrutiny and potentially chaotic convention proceedings.
One solution proposed is rallying around Harris but achieving consensus among influential Democratic figures would be arduous, compounded by longstanding criticisms of Harris within the party.
Moreover, Biden’s removal would reopen deep factional divides within the party, jeopardizing the unity fostered during his presidency, as detailed in Hunter Walker and Luppe Luppen’s book, “The Truce: Progressives, Centrists, and the Future of the Democratic Party.”
Additionally, removing Biden would invite prolonged media scrutiny and a narrative of “Democrats in disarray,” feeding into Republican talking points and overshadowing any party messaging.
While replacing Biden might offer advantages against Trump, as previously suggested by Julián Castro, the process would be fraught with challenges and potential setbacks. Democrats considering this move must acknowledge the complexities ahead and prepare for a protracted struggle, unlike what some proponents currently suggest.
