As Democratic powerbrokers attempt to pressure President Joe Biden into bowing out of reelection, his departure could set up a messy selection process for his replacement that circumvents the primary electorate and threatens to send the party back to the days of Tammany Hall.
Biden, 81, has faced calls to step aside as the party nominee in the wake of his disastrous performance in a CNN presidential debate against former President Donald Trump. During that event, Biden often appeared lost on stage and stumbled over both stairs and his answers, which reignited longstanding concerns over his age, mental acuity, and fitness for office.
Should Biden opt to step aside, it is far from certain that Vice President Kamala Harris would be the automatic stand-in on the party ticket. The imminent approach of the party convention, moreover, could lead to last-minute jockeying for the top slot.