Democrats have ways to replace Joe Biden at the top of their presidential ticket after a harrowing debate against Republican Donald Trump — but doing so without their standard-bearer’s consent would be a tall order.
Party members once united behind Biden are now scouring candidates’ resumes and researching rules for a stopgap plan to present voters with another nominee, after a universally panned performance Thursday night heightened concerns about the president’s ability to serve a second term.
“The easiest one is for Biden to take himself out of the race,” said Elaine Kamarck, a Democratic National Committee member and author of a book on the presidential nomination process. “Yes, then there would be rules and procedures, and the party would replace him.”
