In a shocking move, top Democratic leaders have colluded to manipulate the primary process, ensuring that President Joe Biden, despite facing a lack of voter enthusiasm, will be able to secure the party’s nomination.
The chain of events began when Biden submitted a letter to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in December 2022, requesting changes to the primary calendar, specifically citing the need for a more diverse lineup of early states. The DNC obligingly altered the calendar, making South Carolina the first state to vote in the primaries, a move that significantly aided Biden’s campaign in 2020.
In this cycle, the party has gone one step further, refusing to recognize delegates from New Hampshire’s primary, held despite state law mandating the party’s compliance. This maneuver essentially handed Biden an uncontested path to the nomination.
Critics, including independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have lamented the “rigged” nature of the primary process. Kennedy Jr., who launched his own candidacy and later opted for an independent bid, attacked the DNC for stifling a robust debate and denying voters a say in the nomination.
“The Democrat primaries are a joke,” Kennedy Jr. said. “It’s cheap to campaign in, and they vet their candidates like they would a city council candidate, not a national candidate.”
Meanwhile, concerns about Biden’s mental and physical fitness have long plagued voters, with a Harvard-Harris poll showing nearly a quarter of Democrats expressing doubt about his mental acuity in May 2023.
In response, leaders are now calling on Biden to step down, with many Democrats feeling that the lack of a serious primary challenge will imperil down-ballot races. Instead of allowing the votes of millions of primary participants to determine the nominee, the party will turn to 4,600 delegates to choose its candidate at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this month.
The process is likely to feature a coronation of Vice President Kamala Harris, despite protests from independents and some Democrats. Kennedy Jr. believes the process will be further rigged to favor Harris, a theory supported by the fact that several key leaders, including former President Barack Obama, have declined to back Harris for the nomination. Obama said he supports an open process at the convention.
