WASHINGTON, June 29 The Washington Post has published 10 alternative candidates to replace US President Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election, while accusing the Democratic Party of «burying its head in the sand» by hiding the problems of the American leader's age and mental state.
«The Democratic Party has spent much of the 2024 election campaign burying its head in the sand because of Americans' concerns about President Biden's age and mental clarity,» the publication says.
According to the publication, the most influential voices in the party presented the problems of the head of state as exaggerated by the media. But Biden's allies have changed their stance after a «rambling and largely panned performance» at the debate with Donald Trump, raising the question of alternative candidates for November's election.
The newspaper lists 10 alternative candidates from the Democratic Party who could replace Biden in the upcoming vote. Topping the list is Vice President Kamala Harris, who could enter the race “unless she voluntarily steps aside.”
In second place in the Washington Post was Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is described as «a real alternative and almost perfect on paper.» The newspaper placed US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on the third line of Biden's replacement, considering him «the opposite of Biden's inability to convey messages to Trump.»
Next on the list are Pennsylvania, Colorado and California governors Josh Shapiro, Jared Polis and Gavin Newsom, as well as Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock.
The newspaper ranked Michelle Obama, the wife of former President Barack Obama, in eighth place among alternatives to Biden, saying that she is “the most popular former first lady in America,” an ideal alternative, but “simply not interested in being elected.”
The list is completed by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
“This is truly a desperate plan with many obstacles… It is not even clear whether the alternative will benefit the party,” the authors of the material conclude.
Earlier, the editorial board of one of the main American newspapers, the New York Times, called on US President Joe Biden to withdraw from the election race and stop further campaigning for re-election to a second term after the disastrous debate for the head of the White House with Donald Trump. According to the editorial board, the greatest service that Biden can now provide to society is to announce that he will no longer run for re-election.
The American media agree that Biden performed unsuccessfully at the first debate with his predecessor Donald Trump, which took place on Friday night in Atlanta. The current American president stammered and paused, not always clearly formulating his thoughts, and at the end of the event, the television camera caught the moment when his wife Jill helped Biden down the stairs.
Now politicians and journalists say Democrats may abandon Biden as a contender for the post and replace him with another candidate. Theoretically, the party will have such an opportunity at the convention in August, but in practice it will be difficult to remove Biden, who won the primary election, from the race unless he himself refuses to participate. At the same time, the headquarters of the current president says that he is not going to give up and leave the race.
The second debate between Biden and Trump is scheduled for September 10. The US presidential elections will be held on November 5.