Mark what I say: Joe Biden will drop out of the 2024 presidential race, whether he admits it or not. His appeal to Democrats on Monday for their support is not uniting the party. Biden says he will continue to run, but it is only a matter of time before Democratic pressure and public and private polling forces him to drop out. The plan is over. The sooner Biden and Democratic leaders accept this, the better. We need to move forward.
But not by nominating Vice President Kamala Harris or anyone else as the presumptive Democratic nominee. We have to do it openly. That’s the exact opposite of what Donald Trump wants us to do.
For the first time in his life, Trump is praying. To improve his chances of winning the White House and avoiding wearing an orange jumpsuit, he needs the Democrats to get it wrong in the coming days — that is, make it look like they’re rigging the nomination for a fading president, a sitting vice president, or some other potential successor. Trump needs to be able to type in all caps a post about powerful people and big donors cheating. In other words, he needs the Democrats to fail.
I won’t do that.
We intend to nominate new candidates in a very democratic and innovative way, not behind closed doors in Washington, D.C., or Chicago.
We are at a point where we need constructive ideas for moving forward. Rep. Jim Clyburn and Times opinion columnist Ezra Klein have talked about a Democratic “mini-primary,” and I would like to build on that.
I would like to see Democrats hold four historic town hall meetings between now and the Democratic National Convention in August — one each in the South, Northeast, Midwest, and West. To facilitate substantive debate, we can bring in two of the most obvious and qualified people in the world — Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. They may not represent all the factions under the party’s big tent, but they care about our democracy as much as our first president, they understand what it takes to be president, and they know how to win.
Town hall meetings are high-stakes job interviews for the toughest jobs in the world, and are sure to attract the attention of television and cable networks and generate record-breaking viewership — think the Super Bowl with Taylor Swift in the stands — and people young and old will be turning on their TVs to watch history being made in real time.
How are candidates selected to attend the town hall? There is no universal answer, but with a tight schedule and tough choices to make, it makes sense to consult a former president. So, I would advise the 42nd and 44th presidents to select the top eight candidates from those who have declared their candidacy. Harris would undoubtedly receive a well-deserved invitation.
I believe the Vice President will be a formidable opponent for Trump. She has traveled the country and the world serving the American people for the last four years. She has a great record. I wish more people knew about it. She has defended ordinary Americans against big banks. She has put sex offenders in prison. Do you want prosecutors or criminals? That’s not the worst question to ask the American people in November.
Perhaps the 42nd and 44th presidents could make the selection of candidates more democratic by consulting the nation’s 23 Democratic governors in a town hall election process. Governors deal with practical matters, not theory. But I’m not one to get hung up on details. I’ll leave that to the 42nd and 44th presidents.
To be clear, there are many more Democrats than eight who could outnumber Trump, but if town halls aren’t capped at a reasonable number of attendees, you’re likely to get short speeches instead of deep talks.
The town hall will allow Americans to see Harris with new eyes and introduce her to a rich list of smart, dynamic and proven leaders whom Democratic delegates will further grill and stress-test in public and private meetings before the full House votes at the Democratic Convention.
A word about our delegates: I believe, and you should believe, that after an open and substantive process like this, they will reach a majority decision at the convention. Of course, there are minorities. God love them. But the overwhelming majority of Democratic delegates are down-to-earth patriots. They work hard and care deeply about their communities and their country. They come from small towns and big cities and everywhere in between.
I’m not worried about our delegates, they’re in it to win.
I’m not worried about talent. We have an incredibly talented new generation of leaders.
I’m not worried about the money. The American people will be inspired by this open process, and many are already inspired to defeat Trump.
We’re not worried about time, we have excitement and momentum.
So who is our enemy? A person born with a platinum spoon but with no morals? A pathological liar? A convicted felon? A predator with a conviction for sexual abuse? A would-be dictator? A Putin sycophant?
I’m not worried about him either.
It’s been a tough time for those of us who believe President Biden deserves a second term but can’t win it, but we must move forward now.
While my friend Rahm Emanuel often gets the credit, I’m more likely to hear Winston Churchill advise, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” An ultra-democratic process, the exact opposite of what Trump and his MAGA minions are trying to do, is how we honor that wisdom in our own “will democracy prevail?” moment.
James Carville is a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns, including Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, and a consultant to American Bridge, a Democratic super PAC.
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