DNC Plans to Nominate Biden Ahead of Convention to Silence Protesters, End Replacement Candidate Debate

Democrats are primed to nominate President Joe Biden ahead of the Democrat National Convention in Chicago, where tens of thousands of protesters are expected to descend on the event to voice their frustrations over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Thursday saw 360 Democratic National Committee (DNC) members officially support “an all-virtual roll call vote,” marking progress in the effort to nominate Biden before the convention, while only 2 voted against it, as the Tennessee Lookout reported. Now, “the DNC’s Credentials Committee and the Rules Committee will next need to adopt their reports to allow the virtual roll call…to take place before the convention.”

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An Ohio law mandating parties have their nomination process completed 90 days before the election, or August 7, contributed to the virtual maneuver. Missing this deadline means missing the ballot in November. Since the convention does not begin until August 19, Biden would not appear on the ballot in Ohio if the party were to wait until the formal convention.

Notably, Ohio lawmakers were tasked to agree on a remedy in a special legislative session that commenced in May, though they were unable to come to a deal due to attachments that Republicans sought, the Chicago Sun-Times noted.

However, the DNC’s move provides benefits beyond getting Biden on the ballot in the Buckeye State. It also helps to mitigate potential protests during the critical roll-call vote and can potentially put to rest conversations about a replacement candidate for Biden sooner rather than later, especially if he has a poor debate showing this week.

An unconventional virtual roll-call vote before the convention is highly significant. A roll-call vote is when every state’s delegation announces the delegate share each candidate won in that state.

This unique and lengthy process, which traditionally occurs inside packed convention centers and arenas when done in person, is often high-energy and can be contentious or unifying depending on the circumstances of the convention, party, and candidate or candidates in a given year. The 2020 cycle was an exception, as the coronavirus pandemic forced virtual conventions.

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During in-person roll-call votes, cameras pan the crowds and document the cheers and boos when different candidates are awarded delegates. They also capture intra-party conflict, which, depending on how severe it is, can cause optics of a fractured or divided party in the aftermath of a convention.

One need look no further than the 2016 Republican National Convention when Never Trumpers worked to block former President Donald Trump from the nomination with their delegates’ unbound scheme, the subsequent division it caused at the convention, and the media coverage it fostered.

The Sun-Times noted that there will be what appears to be a for-show-only roll-call vote at the convention, considering Biden will already be the nominee. This could also take a virtual format.

“A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee confirmed that the 2024 roll call will revive elements of the virtual 2020 ‘Roll Call Across America,’ with final format decisions over the virtual and live components still to be made,” per the outlet.

Having the official roll-call vote ahead of the convention and potentially heavily relying on virtual aspects for a ceremonial roll-call vote at the convention would offer the Democrat party a heightened level of control over the convention’s optics.

By keeping this portion virtual, the party could effectively circumvent and silence pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli protesters who may otherwise be able to demonstrate their disdain for Biden on the convention floor in front of millions on television broadcasts under a traditional format.

After all, pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli demonstrators have crashed Biden campaign events, including his glitzy private fundraiser with former Democrat Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in March. Protesters shouted “F*ck Joe Biden,” “Genocide Joe has got to go,” and “Blood on your hands” at the Radio City Music Hall fundraiser in New York City.

In addition, demonstrators have held several raucous protests outside the White House and vandalized nearby monuments to the American Revolution.

The optics of a conflict at the convention between those feeling betrayed by Biden’s handling of the war and the Democrat establishment that desperately wants to unify the party would be disastrous for what is supposed to be a celebration of Biden as the nominee.

An in-person vote could lead to Biden and other Democratic officials being greeted with rhetoric similar to that of the Radio City Music Hall fundraiser.

“If there is one peep in that hall, the networks will be all over it,” a convention planner told Politico’s Jonathan Martin in May. Martin further noted Democrat strategists had expressed worry about protesters’ knack for infiltrating events.

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Protests are also expected outside of the convention hall, in the streets of Chicago. Organizers signaled to Politico in April that they expect up to 30,000 protesters in the Windy City, which is infamous for the riots at the 1968 DNC Convention. This figure would be three times the 10,000 protesters that Time reported took to the streets of Chicago nearly 60 years ago.

As Breitbart News documented, more than half a million Democrats upset with Biden over his handling of the war mobilized throughout Democrat primaries to cast variations of “uncommitted” protest votes against the president. This has become known as the “Uncommitted Movement.”

The movement was so successful that it has garnered a projected 36 delegates, who will have voices at the convention, USA Today reported.

Allowing for the nomination of Biden ahead of the convention arguably doubles as a form of political protection for the president, who will debate Trump on Thursday after months of documented concern among the American public about Biden’s mental fitness and age.

In Harvard Harris’s May poll, 55 percent of registered voters, including 26 percent of Democrats, said they had doubts about his mental fitness, and 66 percent, including 34 percent of Democrats, said he is “showing he is too old” for the job.

Politico even reported Monday that Senate Democrats “are feeling exasperated” over failures to put to rest the speculation of swapping Biden out for another candidate.

If Biden has a poor showing at the debate and comes under heightened public scrutiny, it would be beneficial for the party to be able to nominate him quickly rather than enduring six weeks of commentary until the convention about whether or not the left needs to find a replacement.

The day for the pre-convention nomination has not yet been determined, as the Chicago Sun-Times noted.