A former Democrat who led a last-ditch effort to oust then-President Jimmy Carter from office at the 1980 Democratic National Convention said Friday it would be “madness” for President Biden to seek a second term and predicted the 81-year-old Biden will likely “step aside” before next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“As things stand right now, I don’t think it’s going to make it to the Democratic National Convention,” former Rep. Mike Burns (D-Md.) told The Washington Post in an interview on Friday. “I think Biden will probably walk out within the next few days.”
The 1980 Democratic National Convention, held at Madison Square Garden, holds a unique place in political history as it was the last convention to move to exempt delegates from having to vote.
More than 40 years ago, President Carter fended off a challenge from Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), who stole the 39th president’s attention with a memorable non-endorsement speech, telling delegates, “The work goes on, the cause goes on, the hope lives on, and the dream never dies.”
The prospect of an open convention has resurfaced following Biden’s abysmal June 27 debate with Donald Trump, whose stumbling performance raised concerns about his mental fitness.
The push for an open convention in 1980 was based on more mundane political concerns, namely that President Carter had been hit so hard by the economy and the Iran hostage crisis that he would not be able to defeat President Ronald Reagan. These Democrats’ fears were realized when Reagan won a landslide victory in 44 states that November.
Burns, who currently serves as a delegate on the board of directors of the Congressional Ethics Committee, said Democrats who want to oust Biden have just over five weeks before the Democratic National Convention begins on Aug. 19 to convince him to step aside.
“If he goes to the convention seeking the nomination and his whole unit works with the delegates, he will be nominated,” Burns said.
The rules for the 2024 Democratic National Convention state that “delegates elected to the convention in support of a candidate for president shall act in accordance with their conscience and reflect the sentiments of the people who elected them,” appearing to leave some wiggle room for those who believe Biden’s campaign cannot continue.
The sticking point in this election cycle is that delegates are expected to formally renominate Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in a virtual roll call before Ohio’s polls close on Aug. 7.
“I think the pressure is going to increase dramatically,” Barnes said. “Those who have suggested he should leave… [former House speaker Nancy Pelosi] And leaders, including others, will feel they have no choice but to communicate more clearly to him privately.
“Maybe instead of going on TV and saying it, I’ll just tell him in person: ‘Joe, this isn’t working. You’ve got to get out of here.'”
Burns’ prediction was in line with that of Sen. Joe Manchin (Independent, West Virginia), who told reporters Thursday that he expected more Democrats to speak out about Biden’s future by Sunday.
Biden has insisted he will be the Democratic nominee despite growing pressure from members of his own party to drop out. He held a press conference on Thursday to assert that he is the best candidate to beat Trump, after telling congressional Democrats the same thing for a week.
Still, 19 Democrats in the House and Senate have called on the president to halt his campaign and assign another candidate like Harris to the role. Members of the Biden campaign have also anonymously voiced their opposition, and the Biden campaign is reportedly conducting polls on how Harris would fare if she went head-to-head with Trump.
Burns said Friday that concerns about Biden’s age are well-founded.
“I’m 80 years old and in fair shape. I swam a mile yesterday and played golf the day before. I’m going to the gym later today for an hour and a half.”
“But to think that I would run for president of the United States and serve as president from now until January 20, 2029, is insanity to me,” he said. “So yeah, this is insanity.”
