Staff Reports
President Joe Biden has been dragging his feet, ignoring polite suggestions from the media about stepping down, so now it’s up to current and former Democratic congressmen to do the dirty work. Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a spry 77, has taken it upon himself to suggest that Biden should pull a Lyndon B. Johnson and bow out of the race. As if the idea wasn’t tasty enough, Doggett seasoned his suggestion with a heaping helping of Trump-fear.
Doggett took to the media stage, fretting that a newly empowered Trump would bring about an era of doom and gloom, unchecked by the courts or a ‘submissive’ Republican Congress. He lamented that Biden has been trailing behind Democratic senators in key states and has been losing to Trump in most polls. Doggett had hoped that a recent debate would turn things around, but it did not. Instead of reassuring voters, Biden failed to defend his accomplishments or effectively call out Trump’s fibs. Naturally, Doggett suggested Biden should emulate LBJ and make the uncomfortable but necessary decision to withdraw from the race.
First Congressional Democrat Officially Jumps Ship on Biden: 'Not Done Lightly' via @WestJournalism https://t.co/LEqSuiQV8z
— Tie Swindell (@mirtropolis) July 3, 2024
But Doggett isn’t just any Democrat. He’s opened the floodgates, with prominent former elected Democrats echoing his sentiments. Former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan went so far as to pen a piece in Newsweek, suggesting Kamala Harris should snag the Democratic nomination for 2024. Ryan, notorious for failed attempts to unseat the political heavyweights like Nancy Pelosi, minced no words in his op-ed. He recalled being heartbroken watching Biden’s woeful debate performance, suggesting that the torch needs to pass to the next generation.
Joining the chorus was Julián Castro, once Obama’s HUD Secretary, urging Democrats to find a better candidate. Castro found a friendly microphone on MSNBC to push his point, signaling that the Democratic Party may be gearing up for a major shake-up. In the aftermath of Biden’s disastrous debate, major media outlets like The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution have all taken editorial stances for Biden to step aside. As per the New York Times average, Biden appears to be losing ground, especially in key swing states like Georgia – a state he’s polling behind Trump.
Not only are the media and congressmen piling on, but even heavyweights within the Democratic Party are making noise. Sen. Joe Manchin was restrained from attending Sunday talk shows to call for Biden’s exit. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deemed it legitimate to question whether Biden’s issues were merely an episode or a chronic problem. Although Pelosi stopped short of calling for Biden’s resignation, the implication was clear: pressure is mounting.
While the White House may treat this as a blip, the patience within the Democratic Party to fix this mess is dwindling rapidly. These calls for Biden to withdraw won’t cease; they will only grow louder and more insistent, spearheaded by figures far more notable than Lloyd Doggett. It looks like the Biden bus is running on fumes, and the passengers are getting ready to jump off before it inevitably runs out of gas.
