Democrats tremble

Can Biden be replaced after horror performance?

Kamala Harris is seen as a replacement candidate for Joe Biden.

(Bild: Getty Images/Andrew Harnik)

Joe Biden's erratic performance in the first TV debate against Donald Trump has caused horror among the Democrats. Behind closed doors, people are already looking for a replacement. But would it even be possible to take Biden out of the race? 

The Democrats are meeting for a coronation party conference in Chicago at the end of August. Actually, to officially nominate Biden as their presidential candidate. But the party is in a state of shock. In Chicago, the party could still change tack at short notice and nominate a new candidate. However, this poses many problems, as the rules do not actually permit this.

Replacing Biden without his consent would be tantamount to a coup. The party would be ignoring the results of democratic elections, even if, as the incumbent US president, he has traditionally had few opponents. The 81-year-old won almost 99% of delegates in his party's primaries.

Kamala Harris is seen as a replacement candidate for Joe Biden.

(Bild: Getty Images/Andrew Harnik)

Withdrawal probably only possible voluntarily
The US President would therefore have to withdraw of his own free will. Biden could, for example, cite health or family reasons to withdraw in order to save face. Whether he would be prepared to do so is questionable.

After all, the US President has already broken his promise to serve only one term in office as a bridge builder to the next generation.

Replacement in the event of a vacancy
The party constitution stipulates that the candidate can be replaced in the event of a vacancy. Unlike many Republican delegates, Democratic delegates at the party convention are not technically bound to their candidate. The party's rules allow delegates to "reflect in good faith the views of those who elected them," which provides some leeway.

"Simply sad" was the headline in the New York Post, for example, on Biden's unsuccessful performance:

However, this measure is intended for the event of death, resignation or incapacity. But not for replacing people who do not wish to resign.

Plan B is completely missing
The party does not have a real plan B. The Democrats have failed to build a successor. Biden, in particular, is to be blamed for this. The grandfather of seven claims that he is the best qualified person for the job and that only he can beat Trump. This now seems almost presumptuous.

The natural successor would have been Vice President Kamala Harris. However, she has remained pale in her office so far, is barely visible and is struggling with poor popularity ratings herself. Biden has been accused of putting unpopular issues such as migration on the table for his deputy. And now it's too late.

Trump now has good cards
Even if the Biden exit option were theoretically conceivable, it would probably be politically hopeless. Establishing another Democrat on the national stage within four months as an alternative for the presidency who is as well-known as Trump hardly seems possible. Trump's chances of returning to the White House have increased significantly as a result of Biden's disaster in Atlanta.