While it certainly looks as if the Democratic Party elite are pushing President Joe Biden aside to anoint Vice President Kamala Harris as the ‘first woman president,’ another longtime Democrat is considering challenging her for the party’s nomination during the Democratic National Convention next month.
Joe Manchin (I-WV), the ex-Democrat who has since become independent, is said to be discussing with his advisors the possibility of registering as a Democrat again and aiming to seek the party’s nomination at their upcoming convention in Chicago. The Western Journal has confirmed that Manchin, who was the first senator to urge Biden to step down from the race, is now seriously contemplating entering the race himself.
CNN host Jake Tapper spoke with Manchin on Sunday, when the West Virginia lawmaker reiterated his hope that the Democratic Party finds its new nominee through an “open” and transparent nomination process. “I think that we have a lot of talent on the bench, a lot of good people,” Manchin told Tapper. “And I’m partial to governors because a governor can’t afford to be partial. They can’t afford to be partisan strictly because that pothole or that bridge doesn’t have a D or an R on it.”
Manchin pointed out several other red-state Democrats who remain popular despite state legislatures working against them when asked whom else he might like to see take on former President Donald Trump. “I’ve got two tremendous governors right next door to me, Andy Beshear in Kentucky and Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania, who are operating with legislatures either evenly split or completely opposite their party affiliation,” Manchin said. “They haven’t divided their state. They haven’t made you pick a side and demonize the other side.”
President Biden announced on Sunday that he would suspend his 2024 re-election campaign due to mounting pressure from Democratic colleagues in Capitol Hill, top donors, and Hollywood stars following a disastrous debate performance last month. Shortly afterward, he endorsed Harris.
The surprising announcement came as more and more Democrat lawmakers had started to publicly urge Biden to step aside. Reports also suggested that the party’s leadership was trying to persuade the 81-year-old Biden that he would not be able to win in the November general election against former President Trump, the 2024 GOP nominee who Biden defeated four years ago to win the White House, Fox News reported.
Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, news that came after multiple TV interviews and campaign appearances where the president assured everyone that he was still in the race. However, these interviews did not reassure supporters and gave critics, including those on the left, more evidence that Biden was no longer fit for the job.
Last week at the NATO summit in Washington D.C., Biden delivered a powerful welcome address to world leaders. The summit was an opportunity for him to demonstrate his capability to continue his current term and to show his eagerness and ability to lead the nation for another four years.
Fox added:
For a time, it seemed Biden could survive the surge of calls for him to quit the race after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that they backed Biden’s bid.
But Biden, who has long been known for a propensity to commit gaffes, continued to stumble. His missteps included a glaring error on the world stage at the NATO summit. While speaking on live television, Biden referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “Putin,” name-checking Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion of Zelenskyy’s Ukraine has precipitated more than two years of hellish war.
Editor’s Note: The New York Post reported late Monday morning that Manchin is not considering running for the Democratic nomination. “I don’t need that in my life,” he told the outlet.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.