United States – There is a new group called ‘Pass the Torch, Joe,’ which is going around with a petition to gather the Democratic voters’ voices and bring forward a message to Biden not to run in 2024.
Its members describe the group as Democratic activists, organizers, and voters determined to defeat former President Trump in November’s elections, as indicated on the organization’s website, as reported by Reuters.
Key Points
The petition was directed at Democratic politicians and delegates before the DNC in August to demand that Biden step down. It contains a declaration for the signees of the pledge to state that they will support a new ticket and would ensure that they do everything possible to ensure Trump is defeated.
Many liberal groups include Rhode Island state Sen. Tiara Mack (D), former Rhode Island state Rep. Aaron Regunberg (D), and organizers in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan.
“We have incredible talent in our party — including a vice president who made history once and could do it again, and governors who’ve proven their ability to win critical swing states,” the group says on its website. “In 2020, Biden committed to being a ‘transition’ president. It is time for him to make good on that commitment, put his country first, and secure his legacy as the man who saved our democracy.”
Support and Opposition
Five sitting House Democrats have now called for Biden to drop out: Reps. Angie Craig (Minn.), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Mike Quigley (Ill.), Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.), and Seth Moulton (Mass.), as well as several other senior House Democrats, sources said, reportedly told Biden on a call over the weekend that he should drop out.
It references comments from those lawmakers, as well as other Democrats, including seasoned strategist James Carville that Biden should stand down.
The group referred to a radio interview conducted by Biden last week where the host later admitted she was given questions by Biden’s campaign team. The host has since left the station that had the interview in question.
Controversies and Criticisms
“Democratic leadership asked President Biden to take what should be a simple test for a presidential nominee: Do some unscripted interviews. But Biden’s campaign apparently didn’t trust the President to pass that test, so they essentially cheated on the exam by scripting the interviews,” Pass the Torch wrote in a social media post, as reported by Reuters.
Biden has categorically proclaimed that he is not resigning, let alone stepping aside as the nominee, in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday morning. He challenged other Democratic contenders to take on with him during the convention and lambasted “big names” and “elites” within the Democratic Party who are out to remove him from the ticket.