“We have time to put together a condensed certification process like the one that’s outlined in this document and then have appropriate public meetings to present those candidates,” Walters said of his plan, which he plans to share widely. “I just think it would be an exciting opportunity to create a new narrative.”
Biden, however, has repeatedly said he will remain in the race, saying Thursday that he would only withdraw if his advisers told him “there is no chance he will win.”
Walters, who served as governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995, served on the rules committee of the Democratic nominating convention in 2008. He was elected by Midwestern states to serve on the current DNC executive committee, a group of about 45 people who manage the party’s broader affairs.
He said he developed the plan with another DNC member, James Zogby, who presented a proposal on July 2 for a similar mini-primary process that ended with a delegate vote at the convention.
Walters and Zogby both argue that Biden cannot win the general election and should step down. They say he should decide for himself what to do next and that this plan would not require him to step down.
“I think Joe Biden no longer has a path to victory and so if we want to win the election, Joe is not the man to carry the ticket,” Walters said.
“It’s entirely his choice, but it can’t go on for much longer, because the drip-feed is detrimental to him, to the party and to the future of the country,” Zogby said. “The dynamics are not going to change.”
“The primary is over and in every state, the will of Democratic voters was clear: Joe Biden will be the Democratic Party’s nominee for president,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. “Delegates have pledged to reflect the sentiment of the voters and over 99% of delegates have already pledged to Joe Biden heading into our convention.”
The DNC rules committee plans to meet Friday to hold a ballot for convention delegates, offering the choice of supporting Biden or voting present, according to people involved in the planning. The committee is expected to set a date for that vote by early August, when a virtual meeting of convention delegates would be held to formally make Biden the nominee weeks before the convention.
“I would be surprised if they continue down this path,” Walters said. Zogby argued that even if this vote is set, the rules committee can still change direction if Biden announces he will not be the nominee.
Others have pointed out that DNC members have the power to nominate a new candidate even after Biden is nominated, just in case. he withdraws or is unable to do so.
Democratic strategists have privately said in recent days that “the sooner the better” if Biden chooses to step down to avoid a convention scramble and allow time to select a running mate. Many senior Democrats have also argued that the easiest path forward in that scenario would be to quickly select Vice President Harris as the new nominee, though some have also argued that there should be a process to clarify that she was largely chosen by the party.
Since Harris is already on the ticket, she can directly take over Biden’s campaign funds and operations, while the other candidates would have to quickly set up new operations.
Zogby said he has communicated with about 15 other DNC members who supported his previous plan to set up a quick and open nomination process to replace Biden. Under Walters and Zogby’s new proposal, the convention rules committee would announce a new process once Biden steps down.
Candidates would have 10 days to secure 40 endorsements from the DNC’s roughly 450 members, most of whom are elected by their state parties.
“The 40 endorsers must include at least seven DNC members from each of the DNC’s four geographic regions,” Walters’ proposal reads.
Another 10-day period would follow, during which the national party would hold televised town hall meetings for endorsed candidates to present their arguments to the convention’s roughly 4,672 delegates. That group includes some party officials — superdelegates — who are not allowed to vote on candidates on the first ballot.
“Given that a majority of delegates will be required to secure the nomination, it is likely that more than one round of voting will be required,” the document reads. “The enthusiasm generated by this process and the attention it will receive will most likely provide a huge boost to the eventual nominee.”
News Source : www.washingtonpost.com
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