As NC Dems praise Biden’s decision to withdraw, Republicans say he should not complete his term

U.S. President Joe Biden hugs U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper looks on during an event in Raleigh on March 26, 2024. (Photo by Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday was met with praise by Democrats and suggestions from Republicans that he is unfit to finish his term in office.

Biden said in a one-page statement that he now believes that “it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee.

U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02) called Biden a selfless public servant who has always put the needs of the American people first.

“He brought our country back from a devastating pandemic, lifted our economy from the depths of a crushing recession, and ushered in a new era of progress that will benefit the American people for generations to come. From the American Rescue Plan to the Inflation Reduction Act to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden accomplished what many thought was impossible and made crucial investments in our future,” said Ross in a prepared statement.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) said that the Biden-Harris administration has been one of the most successful and Sunday’s decision was the right one.

“I am thankful for his leadership and support his final decision,” said Rep. Adams. “It is imperative that we keep this good governance going.”

Republicans suggested that Biden was incapacitated and should step down immediately rather than serve out his term.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), said that if the president “is mentally unfit to campaign, he is mentally unfit to have the nuclear codes.”

Hudson said that every House Democrat should now answer if they believe that the president is fit to serve out the rest of his term.

Those remarks were echoed by Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis.

“If President Biden can’t handle the rigors of a campaign, then he can’t handle the rigors of the hardest job in the world for another six months. And America can’t handle the disastrous Biden-Harris agenda for another four years,” said North Carolina’s senior senator.

Jason Simmons, chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, said the announcement “exposes the craven political expediency of the Democrat Party.

“They have no message, nothing to offer voters, and have benched Joe Biden solely to keep political power,” said Simmons on social media.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, locked in a tight gubernatorial contest against Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, said Biden’s decision to withdrawn from the presidential race exemplifies his commitment to always putting the country before himself.

“His vast record of accomplishments include the Violence Against Women Act, historic expansion of healthcare access, record-breaking job growth across the country and in North Carolina, bipartisan infrastructure investments that will strengthen our economy for years to come, and the most consequential clean energy legislation in history,” said Stein. “I thank him for his remarkable service to our nation.”

Robinson weighed in Sunday evening saying that if Biden can’t run, he can’t serve.

The path to party unity

Prior to Biden’s Sunday announcement, Professor David Schanzer of the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy told NC Newsline that logistically it makes sense for Vice President Harris to ascend to the top spot on the ticket.

“I think the only easy, quick, less messy way is to move to Vice President Harris as the top of the ticket and then to name somebody to complement her. I think the money would transfer over well. I think the campaign structure would go very well, you know, would just go from Biden-Harris to Harris- somebody else.”

And Schanzer believes the party will coalesce around Harris as a presidential candidate.

“The party has gotten behind Vice President Harris twice to be vice president. That means the party believes and the president emphasized this in his press conference the other night, that she was ready to be president on day one. We’ve believed that for four years, and we were ready to believe it again for another eight years. To not choose her, there’d have to be some very, very good reasons for that.”

Schanzer added embracing Harris now would be “the most natural, the most easy, the least disruptive to party unity.”

Harris has made 15 visits to North Carolina as vice president, underscoring how important this swing-state is for Democrats.

Roy Cooper as VP?

As for who would take the vice-presidential slot on the ticket, there has been some political buzz about whether North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper could serve that role.

Chris Cooper, a political science professor from Western Carolina University, believes it makes sense on paper.

“He is a Democratic governor and whether you want to call it a purple state or a pink state, regardless, he is the only person in 2020 who won a state on the same ballot that Donald Trump won a state.”

Professor Cooper, who is no relation to Gov. Cooper, notes that North Carolina’s governor is a bit of a unicorn in American politics.

“Now, he’s not an electric speaker, but let’s be honest, vice presidents aren’t really known for their electric speaking abilities. I don’t recall a lot of Al Gore or Dan Quayle speeches that got me fired up. So, the fact that Roy Cooper is more of an operator in some ways and less of a rhetorical hammer might actually be a bit of a benefit in this case.”

An April poll by Meredith College found Gov. Cooper’s job approval numbers remain strong with 52 percent of North Carolinians approving his job performance, while just 38 percent disapprove.

On Sunday, Governor Cooper joined the long list of Democrats praising Biden’s legacy.

“He was able to pass transformative legislation that will benefit our economy, our families, and our country for generations to come,” said the governor. “I am deeply grateful to call President Joe Biden my friend, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his service to our great nation.”

Galen Bacharier contributed to this report.

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