DNC plans to run out the clock for Biden: Axios
4 Min Read
The Democratic National Committee is making efforts to nominate Biden weeks before the official convention.
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US President Joe Biden walks on stage to speak during the NAACP national convention on July 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP)
The Democratic National Committee is quietly progressing with plans to technically nominate President Joe Biden weeks before the party's convention next month, Axios has learned.
This move is the latest attempt by Biden's team to defeat the Democratic efforts to make the president step down since his poor performance in the June 27 debate.
Once Biden secures votes from a majority of the nearly 4,000 delegates, removing him from the Democratic presidential ticket will be exceedingly difficult.
The DNC plans to train state party chairs next week on secure electronic voting, with the voting window expected to open on July 29 and close by Aug. 5, according to sources. If the plan for a "virtual roll call" holds, Biden must endure his party's critics for about two more weeks.
"We look forward to nominating Joe Biden through a virtual roll call and celebrating with fanfare together in Chicago in August alongside the 99 percent of delegates who are supporting the Biden-Harris ticket," DNC Chairman Jamie Harrison told Axios in a statement.
A DNC spokesperson added that there was no final schedule, but some delegates were worried that the DNC was trying to rush the voting deadline.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a Biden delegate from Maryland said that "Behind the scenes, people at the Biden campaign and DNC are working to put in the fix", according to an email obtained by Axios.
"Put simply, they are trying to shut down the process earlier. We can't allow it," she wrote. "I am asking you to ask the DNC to stop pushing for an early vote."
DNC efforts to push for earlier nomination
The DNC announced in late May its intention to conduct a virtual roll call to nominate its ticket weeks ahead of the party's Chicago convention, set to begin on August 19. However, they did not specify a definite date.
The DNC originally wanted to speed up the nomination process, but this is no longer possible because of recent state law changes in Ohio. The initial deadline was on August 7 and is now on September 1.
According to a Democratic official briefed on the planning, DNC officials rarely cite Ohio as the rationale for advancing the date. "This election comes down to nothing less than saving our democracy from a man who has said he wants to be a dictator on 'day one,'" Harrison stated.
"So we certainly are not going to leave the fate of this election in the hands of MAGA Republicans in Ohio who have tried to keep President Biden off the general election ballot." Meanwhile, Biden and his team argue that his nomination is a foregone conclusion.
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In a statement to Axios, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), the first member of Congress to call for Biden to step aside said, "Those so eager to overly protect President Biden ignore his own words inviting anyone questioning his nomination to do so at the convention."
In addition, certain advisors of Biden believe he can outlast the party uprising if he endures a few more days, according to Axios.
With media focus now on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, the selection of Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as Trump's running mate will further shift attention away from Biden. Congressional Democrats have indicated their concern over Biden's candidacy has diminished since the incident involving Trump.
