Biden ‘looks forward’ to getting back to campaigning as more Democrats urge him to quit race

Insights from Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post

The News

President Joe Biden said Friday he is looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail “next week” as he recovers from COVID-19, despite a barrage of Democratic lawmakers calling on him to step down.

His campaign’s insistence Friday that he is “absolutely” staying in the race came as six more House Democrats called on Biden to end his reelection bid, while Jon Tester and Martin Heinrich became the second and third senators to urge him to pass the torch.

SIGNALS

Growing number of senior Democrats believe Biden is unelectable

While Biden and his campaign continue to insist that he is staying in the race, non-stop leaks to the press suggest even his inner circle has come around to the idea that it is time for him to step down. The president’s family has reportedly discussed Biden stepping aside, some White House and campaign officials privately believe he is no longer electable, and people close to Biden believe he is slowly coming round. One top Democrat told CNN that Biden has become “exceptionally insulated and isolated” after his calamitous debate performance in June, with the president’s closest advisors closing ranks around him.

Congressional Democrats fear Biden could make their seats unwinnable

Many of the congressional Democrats calling for Biden to step down hold vulnerable seats, and Democrats fear that a wipeout for Biden in November would also mean the party could lose both the House and the Senate. “The numbers are trending to more swing states, and worse numbers, and more congressional seats that are now contested,” one House Democrat who has called for Biden to leave the race told The New York Times. Winning presidential candidates tend to sweep fellow party members into office, an analysis by a Columbia University professor found. For every percentage point a presidential candidate gained, their party’s down-ballot candidates in the House gained almost half a point.

Harris allies maneuver to get her top of ticket if Biden steps down

Allies of Vice President Kamala Harris have started a quiet effort to ensure Harris is well positioned to replace Biden as the presidential nominee if he steps down, Politico reported. The informal campaign, which has not been sanctioned by Harris, is aiming to build up the political apparatus the former California attorney general would need to run for president, and to coordinate about the case she and her allies would make about why she should be Biden’s successor. Harris would have a different path to victory than Biden, and could focus on mobilizing Black voters in the South rather than adopting the president’s focus on swing states in the Rust Belt, a Democratic strategist told NBC News.