The Impossibility of Replacing a Sitting President: An Analysis of the Democratic Party's Rules and Procedures for Changing Nominees

Washington D.C., District of Columbia United States of America
Biden opponents won virtually no delegates throughout the Democratic nominating process
Democratic Party has never replaced nominees adversarially
DNC rules make it difficult to replace nominees without their consent
If Biden withdraws, a special meeting of the DNC would be needed to pick new nominees
Vice President Harris would need to win a majority of delegates at the convention or a special meeting to become nominee
The Impossibility of Replacing a Sitting President: An Analysis of the Democratic Party's Rules and Procedures for Changing Nominees

Recent debates between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have sparked discussions about the possibility of replacing Biden as the Democratic Party's nominee for the 2024 election. However, such a move would not be an easy process.

In modern political history, national parties have never attempted to replace their nominees adversarially. The Democratic and Republican parties both faced similar situations in 2016 but did not take any action.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) rules make it almost impossible to replace nominees without their consent. Doing so would amount to party insiders overturning the results of primaries, where Democratic voters overwhelmingly nominated Biden.

There is currently no known, serious effort to push Biden off the top of the ticket. His opponents won virtually no delegates throughout the Democratic nominating process, leaving a clean slate heading into the convention.

If Biden were to withdraw before being formally nominated, a special meeting of the DNC could be called to pick new presidential and vice presidential nominees. However, this process would likely be filled with jockeying and public pressure campaigns.

Vice President Kamala Harris would not automatically become the Democratic nominee if Biden withdrew from his re-election bid while in the White House. She would still need to win a majority of delegates at the convention or a special meeting of the DNC.

Several potential replacements have been mentioned, including Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

The upcoming conventions will be crucial in shaping voter perceptions and potentially influencing the election outcome. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for August 2024.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Are there any loopholes in the DNC rules that could make replacing Biden easier?
  • Is there currently an active effort to replace Biden?

Sources

90%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Opinion | Will One Bad Debate Night Mean One Bad Election Day?

The New York Times Gail Collins, Monday, 01 July 2024 09:03
  • Unique Points
    • Robert Hur described Biden as a ‘sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory’
    • Hur was criticized by pundits for telling the truth about Biden’s health and memory
  • Accuracy
    • ]Biden was criticized for memory lapses, slurred sentences and blank stares during the debate[
    • Gail Collins initially dismissed concerns about Biden’s performance but now agrees with Bret Stephens that he should not be the nominee
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

How Democrats could replace Biden as presidential candidate before November

USA Today Sunday, 30 June 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Biden could step aside before being officially nominated, be challenged by others to win over delegates, or withdraw after the Democratic convention in August.
    • If Biden steps down after the convention, the Democratic National Committee would choose a new nominee in a special session.
    • Several candidates have been mentioned as potential replacements including Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
  • Accuracy
    • President Joe Biden's debate performance raised questions among some Democrats about his status as their candidate for the 2024 election.
    • If Biden steps down, his delegates would not be bound to vote for him and could instead support another candidate.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article provides an informative and neutral analysis of the Democratic Party's process for replacing a presidential candidate. The author does not make any fallacious arguments or use inflammatory rhetoric. However, there are some instances of appeals to authority in the form of quotes from Elaine Kamarck, a Democratic National Committee member and expert on the presidential nominating process.
    • Q: What options do Democrats have? A: The Democratic Party has had no real Plan B for Biden as its presidential candidate. He ran virtually unopposed for the party’s presidential nomination this year. – Elaine Kamarck
    • Q: Who would replace Biden? A: Several candidates could step into the fray, but there is no obvious number one. – Elaine Kamarck
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on calls for Biden to step aside

PBS NewsHour Monday, 01 July 2024 22:40
  • Unique Points
    • Concerns about President Biden's age have been expressed by Democratic voters.
    • Republicans are coalescing behind Trump, with plans to make the party platform more Trump-centric and avoid potential sources of drama or controversy.
    • The upcoming conventions will be crucial in shaping voter perceptions and potentially influencing the election outcome.
  • Accuracy
    • ]The debate performance was a major topic of discussion among Democrats.[
    • Biden was criticized for memory lapses, slurred sentences and blank stares during the debate.
    • President Joe Biden's performance in the first debate sparked criticism from Democrats.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Democrats are talking about replacing Joe Biden. That wouldn't be so easy.

NBC News Digital Tuesday, 02 July 2024 03:12
  • Unique Points
    • In the modern era, a national party has never tried to adversarially replace its nominee.
    • , Party rules make it almost impossible to replace nominees without their consent
    • Doing so would amount to party insiders overturning the results of primaries when Democratic voters overwhelmingly nominated Biden.
    • There is no known, serious effort to push Biden off the top of the ticket.
    • Biden’s opponents won effectively no delegates throughout the Democratic nominating process, leaving a virtual clean slate heading into the convention.
    • Delegates would most likely campaign aggressively to win over each individual delegate if Biden were to drop out before being formally nominated.
    • Democratic delegates aren’t technically bound to their candidate, but can vote as they please based on good conscience.
    • The party’s charter includes provisions to replace the nominee in the event of a vacancy, but this measure is intended for death, resignation or incapacitation, not for a candidate who has no desire to step down.
    • If Biden withdrew after the convention, a special meeting of the DNC could be called to pick new presidential and vice presidential nominees. However, this process would likely be filled with jockeying and public pressure campaigns.
    • Vice President Kamala Harris would not automatically become the Democratic nominee if Biden withdrew from his re-election bid while in the White House. She would still need to win a majority of delegates at the convention or a special meeting of the DNC.
  • Accuracy
    • President Joe Biden's performance in the first debate sparked criticism from Democrats.
    • Biden could step aside before being officially nominated, be challenged by others to win over delegates, or withdraw after the Democratic convention.
    • If Biden steps down after the convention, the Democratic National Committee would choose a new nominee in a special session.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication