Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) is meeting with donors in New York next week to discuss a possible long-shot primary challenge to President Joe Biden in 2024, Politico and NBC News reported Friday.
Phillips, a moderate Democratic member of House leadership, is “highly unlikely to mount a primary challenge unless Biden’s health worsens or his political standing drops precipitously,” according to Politico’s Jonathan Martin.
The 54-year-old Minnesota congressman has been outspoken about the need for younger leadership in the Democratic Party. Last year, he said the 80-year-old incumbent shouldn’t run for reelection even though he considered him “a man of integrity, competency” who has “done an outstanding job under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.”
Biden would be 82 at the start of his second term should he win reelection. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll conducted last month found that 37% of Democratic and independent voters say the president’s age makes them less likely to vote for him.
“If he were 15-20 years younger it would be a no-brainer to nominate him,” Phillips told Politico in an interview earlier this year. “But considering his age it’s absurd we’re not promoting competition but trying to extinguish it.”
Multiple outlets carry the story.
For it to be a real story Phillips would have to name donors he'd meet with, and then after returning - we see what he says.
It reminds me of those red wall fixtures, "In case of fire break glass."
If some of the GOP House laptop stuff, and the Grassley released FBI memo end up somehow sticking to Biden, it might be party-wise to have someone in reserve who nobody has heard of and who has no skeletons rattling in a closet.
Not RFK Jr., not Ms. Wlliamson, not Ms. Harris.
Harris would be the obvious "successor" should something run amiss, but Phillips would offer another option. One some might welcome.
It seems an overreach, and to grow legs there'd have to be a donor besides Bloomberg, who nobody likes. That said, Biden remains as bright as ever, his linguistic excursions date back to his first Senate term, and he'd have no trouble making it to 2028. This age stuff is overblown. Phillips is correct that new blood would liven things; he has seen Pelosi, Hoyer and Clyburn; and there is room for improvement given that threesome.
In fact, the party needs to reach to a lower age than Phillips. AOC comes to mind in that measure. Between those two there is a wide political gulf, and we know all about that. At least Phillips was not among that pack of on-cue quitters from 2020, who all were stalking horses to waylay Bernie or Liz, and to quit on cue when Clyburn said, "South Carolina, Biden is the one."
It was the sort of thing one remembers, and Minnesota could use new blood representing the State in the Senate. Some non-dumpling. A progressive.
But Phillips was not a part of that mischief. If real donors show real interest, good. As an understudy in the wings. In case . . .
Phillips already knows Jake Sullivan, and would not pick idiots as Trump did.
In case of fire, break glass!
Beyond that, Phillips could give Klobuchar a good run to young up the Senate a bit. Not a progressive, but an option. From a background different than career politician.
____________UPDATE___________
Politico, same author as linked to above on Politico reporting of Phillips going to talk to donors.
A longer item than needed to say what it says. Negative toward Harris, who would clearly be a better President than Trump. Some in the party have trepidation.
This item is a prelude to Phillips going to well to test the waters.
Again, Biden is fine. Mashing up the language from time to time is who Biden is. Not new, not Biden aging, but who he has always been. Link. Watch the entire thing.You are dealing with a lucid but aged man, not a bullshitter. A man who chose competent staff and relies upon them; not running through a host of appointed/fired folks, hiring-firing, as his predecessor in office did with impunity (as in keeping creep Stephen Miller, firing Miller's less sycophantic betters).
Put another way: Well, son of a bitch, he's fine!
Crabgrass readers are strongly urged to visit this item authored by Steve Timmer which makes the same point - don't count calendar age when looking at dumpy Trump and trim Biden. There is effective age, and chrono age. Trump is more likely to have the big cardio incident in the next several years than Biden. End of story.