With Biden out, the only way forward is an open convention

Joe Biden has bowed to intense pressure to rescind his candidacy following his disastrous debate performance last month and mounting concerns about this advanced age.

The president had been emphatic in all of his public statements about staying in the race. He had said repeatedly that he is the best bet to beat former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump and that he fully expected to earn voters' confidence on November 5.

But in a letter released over the weekend, Biden said "I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

He also tweeted, "Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."

The Democrats’ clear challenge is now to build as much excitement as possible behind the eventual nominee. What might that mean? First, it is important not to make this a fait accompli.

Open convention

True, Vice President Kamala Harris is the next logical choice. She has considerable appeal for anyone who wants certainty, but this puts forth a second unpopular candidate – VP Harris' poll numbers mirror the President’s – in place with no popular input.

A much better choice would be an open convention, using the three weeks between now and the convention’s first day on August 19 to showcase three to five candidates.

There are plenty of strong options. In addition to VP Harris, there are Governors Gavin Newsom (California), Andy Beshear (Kentucky), Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan), Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), and Wes Moore (Maryland).

Governors Whitmer and Shapiro are popular leaders in states that Democrats must win if they are to keep the presidency. All of them are relatively youthful, energetic, strong campaigners, and associated with policy positions popular not only among the Democratic base, but independent voters as well.

Why invite an open process rather than a coronation, given the very real potential that a convention that opens without a clear choice for nominee could highlight all of the Democrats' many differences with one another?

The simple answer is voter and viewer engagement.

Many voters, particularly younger voters, have expressed deep disappointment that they have not had a real say in party leadership since Joe Biden, who pledged in 2020 to be a "bridge to the future," clearly established himself as all of that future through at least 2028.

Giving people a choice

The primaries are over and voters cannot have any direct impact on the Democrats' choice, but a brief, respectful campaign in a compressed time frame played for the first real choice delegates at a national convention have been asked to make since 1972 has the potential to make national headlines every day.

The contrast not only with the Republican’s July convention but with every convention for a half a century could not be more clear.

The president has already indicated his support for VP Harris, but he has yet to instruct his delegates to throw their support to her. He does not have the power to do so, but many would heed his instructions if he makes that choice.

He should refrain. If democracy itself is truly at stake, and the president has said repeatedly that it is, Democrats should do the most small-d democratic thing available to them at this time: hold an open convention.