Those hints are becoming harder and harder for Biden and his allies to play off as “bed-wetting.”
One of the most pronounced examples of this increasingly contorted dance came Wednesday morning. Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) encouraged Biden to make a decision quickly because time is running short.
The problem with that, of course, is that Biden has said — repeatedly — that his decision is already made: He’s running. He even sent a lengthy letter Monday saying as much and laying out his reasoning. It was addressed to the House Democratic caucus that Pelosi once led.
When the MSNBC host noted that Biden has been clear that he’s staying in the race and asked whether Pelosi wants Biden to run, Pelosi skirted the issue.
“I want him to do whatever he decides to do. And that’s the way it is,” Pelosi said. “Whatever he decides, we go with.”
That is not exactly a vote of confidence. And it has plenty of company.
This is not even the first time that Pelosi has leaned in on the idea that perhaps Biden should reconsider his plans. But it is one of the most significant statements to date. That’s because Biden has hailed his support among Democratic leaders like her — his strongest critics have mostly come from the rank and file — and because it looked for a time this week as if Biden might just get past this.
But all along, we’ve continued to see a series of Pelosi-esque statements from Democrats — particularly in the Senate. They’re not joining the 11 House Democrats who have called for Biden to drop out, but they are saying things that are decidedly not: “Yes, he should stay.”
The statements instead emphasize that it’s Biden’s decision and that these Democrats will support the nominee, without making anything amounting to an affirmative case for him. (It’s somewhat similar to how Republican skeptics of Donald Trump have talked at times.)
They raise concerns about his prospects or even say they expect him to lose:
- Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.) said Tuesday night that Trump is on track to win, possibly “by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House.”
- Sen. Peter Welch (Vt.) responded to a question about whether Biden can beat Trump by saying simply, “We have to beat Trump.” When pressed again, he said, “You know, that’s what the voters are going to decide.”
And increasingly, Senate Democrats say he needs to prove he’s up to the task — clearly casting doubt on his ability to do that:
- Sen. Mark R. Warner (Va.) said Biden must “more aggressively make his case to the American people.”
- Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) called for a “much more forceful and energetic candidate on the campaign trail in the very near future.”
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) said Biden “must demonstrate to the American people that he can win.”
Of course, Biden has already had nearly two weeks since his stumbling debate performance to do just that. He has done interviews with ABC News and “Morning Joe” and gotten out on the campaign trail more. Those performances don’t appear to have allayed many Democrats’ concerns, but it’s evident that his campaign still doesn’t want to put him out there too much in a way that will actually provide a major testing ground. (A NATO news conference on Thursday is the next big event on that front.)
There’s no question that these are politically difficult times for Democrats. It’s no small thing to urge a president of your own party to step aside or even suggest that he might, especially after he won the requisite votes in the primaries. It’s even less fun to have this conversation when the topic is as sensitive as whether a president whom you genuinely like has the requisite acuity and wherewithal.
And should Biden continue to resist the pressure, Democrats’ merely having had the conversation could prove damaging to him, by reinforcing that even many in his own party doubt him. Democrats might also fear that they are only increasing his resolve by making it appear he is being pushed out, rather than deciding on his own.
For those reasons, it’s easy to understand the appeal of a middle-ground, mealymouthed approach. And perhaps some or many of these Democrats are genuinely undecided about what should happen next.
But the fact remains that Biden has tried to shut this down, and his party is not letting him. That’s surely a reflection of the major reservations that Democrats continue to have, even if the number of lawmakers calling for him to quit remains limited.
The problem for Democrats is that, as Pelosi noted, time is of the essence. If these comments are calculated to actually nudge him out of the race, they risk his not taking the hint.
And judging by Democrats’ avoidance of publicly affirming Biden, there are lots of them who still aren’t at all comfortable with his efforts to maneuver past this critical moment.
