Is Biden Stepping Aside?

Erick-Woods Erickson

The Democratic Party is in open revolt with increasingly defiant calls for Biden to step aside before November. The New York Times and CNN have reported parallel stories that Biden told a senior ally that the coming days are key to save his reelection bid.

If you jump on Twitter right now, you’ll see conservative pundits quoting Democratic sources with sensational quotes about Biden’s imminent exit from the race. The dark secret is that many of these right-wing pundits don’t actually have relationships outside of their conservative bubble and often fabricate quotes such as these.

As someone who worked at CNN for several years, the Democrats I actually know tell me two things: 1) Joe Biden has to get out of the race to save the down-ballot races. 2) Joe Biden does not have to get out of the race if Joe Biden doesn’t want to.

Despite claims from conspiratorial elements of the left and the right, Democrats have no mechanism to force Biden out. He is the rightfully designated nominee until he chooses not to be. So if Biden were to step aside it would be because he was convinced to do so by a small group of people who he listens to. Let me explain: