Dem
51
GOP
49
At last count, there are now 19 Democratic representatives openly saying that "Joe, you were a great president, but you promised to be a transition to a new and younger generation of leaders. We're holding you to it. It is time to withdraw." Oh, and one senator, Peter Welch (D-VT), is also on the Joe-it's-time-to-go bandwagon. More Democrats openly support Biden and even more are silent. But once the dam breaks, a dribble could become a flood quickly.
On Friday, Biden held a Zoom call with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. That was already suspicious. Why didn't he do it in person, since it is his ability to field questions in person and give good answers is what the discussion is about? In any event, the organizers decided in advance that only two members, Reps. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) and Lou Correa (D-CA), would be allowed to ask questions. Biden opened it up to all members, but when Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) used Zoom's "raise hand" feature to ask a question, the organizers lowered their hands and did not allow them to speak. Not a good start.
One member who was not supposed to speak, Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), got permission anyway. Rather than ask a question, he stated that it was time for Biden to step down and someone else to lead the party. Painful. A very tightly controlled Zoom call is not the way for Biden to convince people that he is up to four more years in the White House. In fact, it suggests he can't do the obvious thing: Go out and hold town halls in all the swing states, taking all questions for an hour or more.
Also on Friday, the Sunrise Movement, a group focused on dealing with climate change and popular with young people, called on Biden to withdraw. The executive director, Aru Shiney-Ajay, cited "low enthusiasm" for Biden among the young members. She also said that a Trump presidency would cause catastrophic and irreversible damage to our climate, but that Joe Biden is not able to mobilize enough young people to win in November.
After George Clooney wrote an op-ed saying that Biden should step down, other celebrities are following suit. Actress Ashley Judd said: "I'm calling on Biden to step aside. Beating Trump is too important." Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley told CNBC's Dominic Chu: "I have nothing but admiration and respect for President Biden, but it's time for him to pass the torch to a younger generation." Actor and director Rob Reiner posted to his eX-Twitter account: "It's time to stop f**king around. If the Convicted Felon wins, we lose our Democracy. Joe Biden has effectively served US with honor, decency, and dignity. It's time for Joe Biden to step down." Author Stephen King wrote to his followers: "Joe Biden has been a fine president, but it's time for him—in the interests of the America he so clearly loves—to announce he will not run for re-election." There are plenty of others as well.
David Atkins is a member of the Democratic National Committee. He just wrote an op-ed in the Washington Monthly. In it, he raised six points:
His conclusion is that Kamala Harris is the only one who can beat Donald Trump.
Seven members of the San Francisco Democratic Committee agree. They have signed a letter saying that the candidate with the best chance to beat Donald Trump is Harris. The letter says that more and more Democrats are questioning Biden's chances and there is so much at stake that the risk of him losing is too great. It also says that a Biden campaign could cost the Democrats the House. (V)