Because Joe Biden’s sit-down interview last Friday with MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski was a complete disaster, the murmurings in Democratic quarters about the possibility of replacing him on the Democratic presidential ticket have gotten louder.
They’ve gotten so loud, in fact, that pieces are being written asserting that it either should be done, or noting that it can be done but that the process would be difficult. Here are a few examples, some of which were written the day of the Joe/Mika segment:
–NY Mag: Can Democrats Force Joe Biden Off the Ticket?
–The Week: The smoke-filled room that could oust Joe Biden
–Opinion writer Elizabeth Bruenig: Democrats, It’s Time to Consider a Plan B
–Cedar Rapids Gazette columnist Lyz Lenz: Biden should step aside. We can’t sacrifice another woman for political gain.
The talk about forcing Biden out and putting someone else in his place is loudest among high-profile supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), like Peter Daou, a former Hillary Clinton devotee who has gone “all-in” for Sanders. Daou shared this video to his Twitter feed Sunday, demanding Biden surrogates stop their attacks on Tara Reade, the former Biden Senate staffer who accused Biden of sexual assault. The video shows a number of Democrats, including Biden, who were once all about “Believe All Women” until the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee stood accused:
WATCH THIS VIDEO
And tell the #Biden campaign to call off the mob that's trying to destroy #TaraReade.
Reade is one of NINE women who have accused Biden of unwanted touching and/or sexual harassment. And he has groped girls on camera.
(via @jvmeding)pic.twitter.com/C79G0svbdi
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) May 3, 2020
As of this writing, the video has been retweeted nearly 500 times.
Daou insists that it’s not necessarily about replacing Biden with Sanders, but it’s pretty obvious that’s what he wants:
THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IS NOT OVER.
Millions of voters have not yet been heard.
Those who already voted did not know the details of the NINE sexual assault and/or harassment allegations against #Biden.
Any former candidate can restart their campaign and the people can speak.
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) May 3, 2020
Daou is not the only one teasing a possible Bernie comeback. Last month, before Sanders dropped out of the primary race, his national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray was tweeting out things like this:
Bernie was too kind to go after Biden, but it's coming.
Either Dem leadership cares more abt maintaining a corporate status quo than getting rid of Trump, or they're planning to replace Joe – adopting a pretty fast and loose relationship w/ representative Democracy.
Lose lose. https://t.co/mzQYMjM2Nc
— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) April 9, 2020
Not only that, but as Hot Air’s John Sexton speculated last week, the real reason the Sanders campaign might have been miffed over New York state canceling their June Democratic presidential primary might have had more to do with wanting to present Sanders as an even more viable alternative to Biden at the August Democratic National Convention:
The Sanders campaign is well aware that Joe Biden is now under the gun because of sexual assault allegations by Tara Reade. This weekend the hashtag #DropOutBiden was trending on Twitter and while she didn’t adopt the hashtag, Bernie’s former spokesperson was pointing out that there was still a way to remedy the “mistake” of selecting Biden.
So the Bernie people are well aware of what is happening to the Biden campaign right now and they are well aware that Bernie is the most credible alternative given his 2nd place finish overall.
Sanders and his supporters feel like the 2016 Democratic presidential primary was “stolen” from them due to DNC meddling. Unless Biden can successfully steer his ship clear of the storm generated by Tara Reade’s allegations, look for the “replace Biden” cries to increase, with the Sanders camp leading the pack.
Stay tuned – and stock up on the popcorn in the meantime.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member