An election integrity watchdog warned Tuesday that mental, physical, and even “continence” problems may prompt Democrats to switch out President Joe Biden with an alternative, possibly Hillary Clinton, on the presidential ticket.
The Oversight Project , a legal arm of the Heritage Foundation , cited several reasons why it believes Biden’s days are numbered and said the Thursday debate between Biden and former President Donald Trump could be make-or-break for the Democrat.
The group said it is not going to stand by if the White House or Democratic Party tries to override state election laws to insert a Biden replacement. In fact, it is already laying the groundwork for “pre-election litigation” to block that.
“We're kind of sounding the alarm,” said Mike Howell, executive director of the Oversight Project. “This could get really messy."
Several Democrats have reportedly urged Biden to consider stepping aside for another candidate. Biden has refused and shows no signs of backing out.
Democratic voters in polls have also shown a desire for a younger candidate who can tackle Trump’s candidacy and even a third of Democrats told a Rasmussen Reports survey this week that Biden should be replaced if he loses the Thursday debate.
Recognizing the growing anti-Biden trend among Democrats, Howell issued an “emergency” memo last week warning about a possible move. He noted that since Biden has already passed through the primary process and beyond fall election ballot deadlines, the party is stuck with the president.
But clearly, he said in a conference call with the media today, the Democrats don’t agree. He noted recent moves by Clinton to get back into the presidential mix.
Clinton today released the cover of her upcoming book and said it would include an unknown political warning. She has recently emerged as a regular Biden surrogate.
In making his case for why Biden could step aside, Howell cited several examples of the president’s personal problems, from freezing at a South Lawn Juneteenth celebration to wandering off stage at the G7 in Italy. He also referenced social media posts about Biden and continence problems.
“You've seen the discussions that are going on across the country, whether it's the freezing episodes, the perpetual gaffes, and obviously another major theme is the perceptions of the continence issues which are, I think, really taking hold. And at some point, you know, the political burden of all these episodes is going to come to bear,” Howell said.
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His memo warned that making a switch legally will be difficult — and will be challenged.
“Policymakers and the public should be prepared for all externalities that arise from President Biden not running for president in 2024. The process for substitution and withdrawal presents many election integrity issues. Adherence to the law in some states may result in that process being unsuccessful for the purposes of another candidate being on the ballot,” his memo for the Oversight Project said.
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