During a rare news conference on Thursday, President Joe Biden made an interesting statement when asked if delegates pledged to support him at the Democratic National Convention could support another candidate.
“They’re free to do whatever they want,” Biden said.
He noted that he overwhelmingly won the Democratic primaries, which is why nearly all the convention delegates are currently pledged to him. However, he added, “Tomorrow, if all of a sudden I show up at the convention and everyone says we want someone else, that’s the democratic process. It’s not going to happen,” he said confidently.
Biden is correct that Democratic rules allow delegates to vote for the candidate of their choice, but the process is more complex than he suggested. For instance, during the roll call vote that officially selects the nominee, delegates who don’t vote for an acknowledged candidate would have their vote registered as “present.” At this moment, Biden is the only acknowledged candidate and is likely to remain the nominee unless he steps aside.
Before Biden’s news conference, I spoke with Elaine Kamarck about how Democrats select their nominees.
Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a member of the Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, provided insight into the process of replacing Biden, given that nearly all of the 3,949 pledged convention delegates currently support him.
Here are excerpts from our phone conversation:
**Is it unprecedented for a president to face this kind of challenge?**
**KAMARCK:** No, it’s not unprecedented. You had it with Jimmy Carter, who faced a challenge from Senator Edward Kennedy at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Lyndon B. Johnson also faced pressure in 1968 after a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary and a lack of support from the anti-war movement. Presidents have been in trouble before, but never for this reason and never so late in the process.
**Is it too late to replace Biden?**
**KAMARCK:** No, it’s not too late. Legally, according to party rules, he could be replaced anytime up to the roll call at the convention. Politically, it’s very challenging because, except for his vice president, none of the potential replacements have national stature. They don’t have the time to build the necessary connections with delegates from across the country.
Governors like Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland’s Wes Moore, and California’s Gavin Newsom are popular in their states and seen as potential future presidential candidates, but they haven’t built a national profile yet.
**So you think the only viable replacement is Vice President Kamala Harris?**
**KAMARCK:** Yes, realistically, she is the only viable replacement because she knows many of the delegates personally. This would require Biden stepping down, and she has the advantage of having met many of the delegates, unlike other potential candidates who are less well-known nationally.
**Who are the delegates to the DNC who select the party’s nominee?**
**KAMARCK:** Delegates are elected in congressional district conventions following the primary. They run for delegate slots and are elected by bringing their supporters to vote for them. They are often local notables, politically active, and astute individuals such as union members, pro-choice leaders, county commissioners, or state delegates. There’s also a smaller group of superdelegates, or “automatic delegates,” who don’t vote for the presidential nominee on the first ballot unless there is a consensus nominee.
**How strong is the 3,949 delegates’ pledge or commitment to Joe Biden?**
**KAMARCK:** The rule, in place since the 1984 convention, states that delegates shall “in all good conscience vote for the person they were selected to represent.” This has never been tested in practice, so the exact meaning of “in all good conscience” is unclear. It’s uncertain whether it allows delegates to switch support due to a belief that the nominee will lose the general election or for other reasons.
This unprecedented scenario leaves many questions about the commitment of delegates and the flexibility of the rules.
Source : cnn