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By Rachel Dobkin
Weekend Reporter
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West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin joined dozens of Democratic lawmakers urging President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, but called for an "open process," instead of the torch just being handed to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Appearing on ABC News' This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday morning, Manchin, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said, "He will go down with a legacy unlike many people as one of the finest and truly a patriot, an American, so with that, I come with a heavy heart to think the time has come for him to pass the torch to a new generation."
Manchin also went on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday morning and called for an "open process." An open contest at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago in late August would see delegates who once were for Biden, cast their votes for whichever new candidate they wanted.
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Newsweek has reached out to Manchin's office and the Biden campaign via email for comment on Sunday morning.
The Context
After Biden's weak showing against former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee as of Monday, at the first presidential debate late last month in Atlanta, there have been growing calls among Democrats in Congress and other prominent members of the party for Biden to step aside. Biden, however, has repeatedly vowed to stay in the race.
The general consensus among the over 30 Democratic lawmakers who have recently called for Biden to exit the race is that, while the president is an accomplished and respected public servant, he doesn't have what it takes to beat Trump. Despite Biden telling reporters at a press conference last week that he "beat [Trump] once and I will beat him again," dozens of Democrats in Congress believe it's time to "pass the torch" and let the new generation lead.
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What We Know
Manchin said on CNN on Sunday there's "a lot of talent on the bench" and that this "could bring Democrats like me back," referring to a president who can be bipartisan and bridge the GOP and the Democrats together.
A few names have been floated as Biden replacements including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, but the one name that is most prominent is Harris. Harris, meanwhile, has made it clear that she supports Biden, saying in a CBS News interview following last month's presidential debate that she is "proud to be Joe Biden's running mate."
Manchin specifically named Shapiro and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on CNN saying he's "partial to governors because a governor can't afford to be partial, they can't afford to be partisan."
The senator also explained why he now decided to call for Biden to step aside.
"I haven't said anything for three weeks, a little more than three weeks since the debate. And I thought the first week was needed for the president to evaluate, to talk to his family, his staff, and make some decisions. And I thought that might happen," the senator said. "And the next two weeks I was saying, well let's see what my colleagues who are in very difficult races, whether it's in a state-wide race as a senator or in a district as a Congress person. They've been speaking out pretty loud and clear, thinking it has an effect on them."
The senator continued: "And then seeing the donors, which campaign finances is the mother's milk of campaigning. It makes it very challenging."
One unnamed donor told the Financial Times earlier this month that the campaign money for the upcoming election is "in the process of drying up."
"Nine to one when I talk to other donors, they're not planning on contributing...because they're concerned about losing," the donor said.
Manchin said on Sunday that his "prayers are with the health and well-being of my friend, the president."
He added: "I believe that he has a chance, an opportunity to finish the five months of his presidency with the way he has always overseen his office...right now, the country and the world needs our president, Joe Biden, with the compassion he's always had and the ability to bring people together, to use all his forces and energy towards that."
Views:
Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University who has accurately predicted past elections, said in a Houston Chronicle op-ed on Saturday that "Biden can win" against Trump and critiques of Biden's ability to defeat the former president is just "sports talk radio."
Lichtman, using his "Keys to the White House" model, has correctly predicted the winner of every presidential election since 1984. However, as his model only accurately predicts the popular vote result, it showed former Democratic Vice President Al Gore would win in 2000, whereas former President George W. Bush actually won in the Electoral College. In 2016, it correctly predicted that Trump would win, but inaccurately suggested that he'd win the popular vote. Trump only won in the Electoral College like Bush. His model uses 13 "diagnostic questions" that determine whether the president—or his party's nominee if he isn't running again—will be reelected.
"I have a system with a 40-year track record which taps into the structure of how elections really work. Each key is a vote up or down on the strength and performance of the White House party. And the keys show not only can Biden win, but a lot would have to go wrong for Biden to lose," Lichtman warned in the op-ed.
Lichtman also wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, "If Democrats hope to retain the White House in November, they need to support Joe Biden!"
What's Next?
The New York Times reported on Thursday that several people close to Biden said they believe the president has begun to accept that he may not be able to beat Trump and may have to exit the race, with one saying that "reality is setting in." However, another said that Biden has not made any final decisions yet.
If Biden were to drop out, there are still answered questions about how the Democrats would proceed and who the party wants to replace Biden.
At a press conference last week, Biden said that he wouldn't have picked Harris if he didn't think she was qualified to be president, but added, "I think I'm the most qualified person to run for president." According to the Times' report, one of the people close to Biden said that it would not be surprising if the president endorsed Harris to replace him.
Update 7/21/24, 9:52 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 7/21/24, 10:33 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 7/21/24, 1:10 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a new headline and additional information.
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