At his most recent rally in Wisconsin, President Joe Biden shut down rumors concerning his presidency.
“There’s been a lot of speculation: ‘What’s Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out, what’s he going to do?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am running and gonna win again,” Biden told to the Madison, Wisconsin crowd.
Even though Biden has no plans to drop out of the presidential race, that doesn’t mean the American people aren’t thinking of alternative candidates.
In a CNN poll released July 2, 75 percent of American voters who were polled think the Democratic Party has a better chance of winning in November if Biden is not on the ticket. This comes after Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week where the he repeatedly froze on stage and stumbled over his words.
Biden, 81, is the oldest US president in history, and voters are concerned about his abilities to handle the oval office come November. Former President Donald Trump, 78, is only three years younger than Biden, and if elected, Trump will become the second oldest US president.
Some Americans are looking for someone younger to fill Biden’s shoes, and there are a few names that keep popping up.
Voters like the idea of Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, going up against Trump for the presidency. This hypothetical matchup saw 47 percent approval for Trump with the vice president only trailing behind by 2 percent, according to the same CNN poll.
In a Newsweek column, former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan said “After deep reflection over these past few days, I strongly believe that our best path forward is Kamala Harris.” Ryan isn’t the first Democrat to share this opinion. He believes Harris is “ready for the job.”
Two more post debate polls from Puck News and Data for Progress show Harris as the most popular alternative to Biden. As his running mate, Harris has urged voters to choose Biden as she stands behind him in full support. Harris ran for president back in 2020 against Biden, but was chosen as his VP after the Democratic Convention.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 42, also ran against Biden and Harris in 2020, and even though he has since become part of Biden’s cabinet, some say Buttigieg could make a comeback as an alternative to the incumbent.
The CNN poll puts the former Indiana mayor at 43 percent of the voter support to Trump’s 47 percent, suggesting that more people are thinking seriously about Buttigieg as an option.
Another name that keeps popping up in the presidential replacement debate is California Governor Gavin Newsom, 56. Like Buttigieg, Newsom also has a 43 percent rating in the CNN poll against Trump. Although Newsom said he will “never turn my back on President Biden,” experts say the California governor might be looking for a national stage.
Newson has been allegedly running a “shadow campaign” for president. With high-profile visits to China and Israel, the governor is putting himself in a position to be part of the presidential conversation. Fox News also held a debate between Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and Newson, suggesting these two could lead in future presidential campaigns.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, 52, says she isn’t interested in replacing Biden, but a recent “Draft Gretch” movement has put her as a top choice against Trump. The CNN poll gives her a 42 percent approval rate, just right below Biden’s 43 percent.
Whitmer said in a statement “I am proud to support Joe Biden as our nominee and I am behind him 100 percent in the fight to defeat Donald Trump. Not only do I believe Joe can win Michigan, I know he can because he’s got the receipts.”
With nearly every elected Democrat, including Whitmer, backing Biden as the presidential nominee, it’s hard to imagine if any of these potential names will come to fruition by November. Democrats are sticking and staying by Biden, despite his overall approval rate declining since he was first elected.
It seems the main objective for Democrats is to keep Trump out of office, and experts say Biden is the best candidate for that job.