US elections 2024: The pressure on Joe Biden increases

In the middle of the election campaign, a debate has erupted in the ranks of American Democrats about the timing of the nomination of American President Joe Biden as a candidate for re-election in the November 5 presidential elections. But the mood is changing - from tense to despair.

For Filippo Trevisan, a professor at American University in Washington DC, the Democratic Party is in a "stalemate." "One option would certainly be to find another candidate (in place of Biden). But that would be fraught with risks. Another option would be to change the narrative of the Biden campaign with radical new proposals," he explains. he in response to a DW. "Democrats need a new campaign theme that can get voters' attention."

Nomination yes, but when?

The dispute over the early nomination of Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate shows that supporters and opponents have very different attitudes among themselves. Some are calling for Biden to be formally nominated as soon as possible, before the Aug. 19-22 Democratic nominating convention in Chicago. Others definitely want to prevent this and not make any changes to the schedule. Meanwhile, the Republicans have designated Donald Trump as the candidate.

"There is no legal reason for an immediate nomination through a virtual vote," a letter from several Democrats said. "Such a vote would be counterproductive and would undermine the unity and cohesion of the party.

"A Terrible Idea"

The controversial letter from opponents of the immediate nomination was written by Democratic Congressman Jared Huffmann of California. The American Democrat has already won many supporters. The draft letter says debating changes to procedures is "a terrible idea". An early nomination of the Democratic presidential nominee would come "at the worst possible time."

According to media reports, supporters of an early nomination have also written a letter. This is addressed to the members of the committee of the Democratic nominating convention, the "Democratic National Convention" (DNC). They call on the party to adopt virtual early voting.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime R. Harrison clarified on X, formerly Twitter: "We will meet the August 7 deadline and our candidate will be on the ballot in Ohio in November."

The pressure on Biden increases

But it is not certain whether there will be any quick epilogue. US President Biden has been under massive pressure for weeks due to his age and doubts about his mental state.

After the assassination of Trump on July 13, the fear of a failed election campaign increased even more among the Democrats. On Wednesday (July 17), Biden had to cancel all campaign activities again due to a COVID infection.

Dozens of Democratic politicians, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have called on Biden to drop out of the race in recent weeks. Biden himself first commented on the issue on July 17 in an interview with American broadcaster BET News: "I would drop out of the race if my doctor tells me I have serious health problems," he told reporter Ed Gordon.

Biden had previously praised Kamala Harris, following her speech at the NAACP in Las Vegas. "She's not only a good vice president, she could be president of the United States," Biden said.

Given the unpredictability of the situation, political scientist Trevisan doubts that an immediate nomination of Biden would end the debate about his health and advanced age. "Every time Biden makes a mistake or refuses an interview or a meeting with reporters, doubts will be raised about his health," he explains. The current appointment as the official candidate would not change that.

American expert Andrea Römmele from the Hertie School assumes "that Biden will remain in the race". In an interview with German TV channel ZDF, she asked: "How should you profile a new candidate in such a short time?" Biden cannot be blamed for the fact that he is 81 years old. Now it is important that Biden stays until the fall and focuses on economic successes.

Political strategist Trevisan recalls that there have been similar discussions within the parties in the past - for example about Hillary Clinton in 2016. "US Democrats have a wider ideological spectrum than most progressive parties in Europe," he explains. "This pluralism can sometimes turn into a strategic disadvantage." DW