Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) suggested a novel way for the Democrat party to choose a new candidate if President Joe Biden steps down.
In a Friday interview, she suggested that former Presidents Obama and Clinton should oversee a vetting process for new candidates in a “mini primary.”
Speaking on MSNBC, Lofgren discussed the potential scenario if Biden were to withdraw—something he has stated he will not do—and what she envisions for the Democratic Party moving forward.
“Should he make that decision, there will have to be quick steps,” Lofgren told the outlet.
She added that a vetting process hosted by former presidents could help streamline the focus and attention on potential candidates.
“And whoever emerges, including Kamala Harris, would be a stronger candidate than if we tried to exclude a transparent public process,” she noted.
Lofgren clarified that she does not believe Harris should be automatically chosen as the nominee if Biden exits the race, though she acknowledged that the vice president would likely be a strong contender.
“I don’t think we can do a coronation,” she remarked. “But obviously, the vice president would be the leading candidate.”
The suggestion for former presidents to play a role in vetting candidates was initially proposed by others on the left.
Democratic strategist James Carville, a former Clinton adviser, argued that Obama and Clinton are the “most obvious and “qualified people in the world” to hold a “mini primary.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) criticized Democrats for anonymously undermining the Biden campaign while not openly admitting their desire to remove Vice President Harris as well.
In a video posted to her social media account on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez vented her frustration.
NEW
Congresswoman @AOC just did a nearly hour long live where she shared her grave concerns with replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.
Here’s the full video minus the very short intro she did on other work she is doing at the moment. pic.twitter.com/eeVWhRUlwC
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 19, 2024
“I’m gonna say what a lot of these folks aren’t saying. I’m just gonna say it,” said Ocasio-Cortez.
“If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave, that they will support Kamala, Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken,” she added.
“And I’m gonna say that because if they’re gonna come out and say all their little things on background, off the record, but they’re not gonna be fully honest, I’m gonna be honest for them.”
“I’m in these rooms. I see what they say in conversations,” the squad member noted. “A lot of them are not just interested in removing the president. They are interested in removing the full ticket.”
She called out those Democrats who haven’t publicly acknowledged their stance on Harris.
“That’s bulls***! If you have an opinion, say it with your chest, and say it in public!” she exclaimed.
Ocasio-Cortez also acknowledged Biden’s poor performance at a recent debate against Trump and speculated that Republicans might attempt to steal the election through the Supreme Court.
In a letter dated Thursday, Lofgren urged Biden to step aside. She referenced her experience on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and stated her belief in Trump’s unfitness for office.
“As I am aware that you have been provided data indicating that you in all likelihood will lose the race for President, I will not go through it again,” she wrote.
“Simply put, your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot.”
Obama and Clinton. There’s a pair for “fairness”.
Do IT Dems for “fairness ” OK