Special Report on Politics: What Democratic Delegates from San Diego Think

In the weeks since President Joe Biden’s poor performance in his first debate against former President Donald Trump stoked voters’ long-standing concerns about his age and mental abilities, Democrats across the country have been in a panic. From George Clooney to elected officials to a coterie of podcasters and columnists, many Democratic insiders have called on Biden to resign.

San Diego Rep. Scott Peters announced Thursday that now is the time to do so. On Friday morning, Rep. Mike Levin ended a phone call with the president in which he reportedly told the president directly to withdraw from the campaign, and he also made the same public statement.

By Friday, one U.S. senator and 19 Democratic congressmen had publicly called on Biden to drop out of the presidential race.

“The stakes are high and we are on a losing course. My conscience demands that I speak out and put loyalty to the country and democracy above my great affection and loyalty to the President and his fellow men,” Peters wrote in a statement.

Many other party bigwigs have expressed concern about Biden’s candidacy, with some repeatedly urging him to decide – and soon – what he will do. Biden has insisted that he has made up his mind: He will stay in the race. And then more and more people are telling him to decide – and soon – what he will do.

If he actually decides to drop out of the election campaign, it would set in motion something the country has not seen in 56 years, since the last Democratic Party convention in Chicago in 1968: the delegates would elect the presidential candidate.

The delegates: Members of Congress, podcasters, and movie stars, no matter how good-looking they may be, are not the ones who officially select the presidential nominee of a party like the Democratic Party. That role falls to the delegates Biden won in (largely uncompetitive) primaries across the country.

Since 1968, these delegates have mainly acted as rubber stamps for the candidates.

If Biden steps down, their role in selecting the presidential nominee will quickly go from being largely ceremonial to uncertain and historic. They would suddenly have many new friends and enormous new responsibilities. Even if Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, the delegates would have to make the choice unless all the other presidential candidates preferred her. This could lead to many votes at the convention.

32 delegates from San Diego County are traveling to the convention. We contacted as many of them as possible and asked how they feel at this moment. The majority continue to fully support Biden and believe that he can not only beat Donald Trump, but is also the best candidate for the position.

But the answers were interesting.

How it all collapsed

We asked the delegates five questions:

1. Do you still believe that Joe Biden is the best Democratic presidential candidate?

2. What, if anything, would make you change your mind?

3. If he were to drop out, is there anyone else you would support? Or anyone you think the Democratic Party should support?

4. Do you think Joe Biden can beat Donald Trump?

5. Are you worried about Joe Biden’s mental state?

Of the 32 delegates from San Diego County, only 16 agreed to speak. We assured them that we would not mention their names so that we could get candid opinions without fear of reprisal.

Of the 16 we spoke to, 11 said Biden is still the best person to beat Trump. When asked if they think Biden is may When the candidate from “The 40th Anniversary” defeated Trump in November, twelve said “yes,” three said “no,” and one was unsure.

When asked if they had any concerns about Biden’s mental health, we received mixed responses. Two delegates said they were concerned, three said they were concerned about voters’ perceptions of Biden’s mental health, eight said they had no concerns, and two felt uncomfortable answering the question.

As for who they would like to see as Biden’s successor should he drop out of the race, we were given a handful of likely suspects: California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren, to name a few.

But the overwhelming favorite among delegates and the “logical next choice,” as one person put it, was Vice President Kamala Harris. Delegates raised the question of the campaign’s coffers and whether switching to Harris would be the easiest way to maintain the funds raised so far.

But for one delegate who now has concerns about Biden’s candidacy, even if there is a switch, the outlook for November is bleak.

“I would support Kamala Harris, but I don’t think she would win,” they said.

“Even if he is on a ventilator, I will still vote for him.”

Those who still believed Biden was Trump’s best opponent trusted his judgment that he was fit enough to stay in the race, they said.

“Joe Biden is the most progressive president we’ve had in 50 years… He’s the best working-class president in history. So can I think of anyone I’d trust more? Especially someone who’s been president for three and a half years now?” said one delegate. “The answer would be no, I can’t think of anyone better at the moment.”

Even if delegates had concerns, as some did, many felt it was far too late to actually change anything. He was also the only person to ever beat Trump, they said. And if the contest is between Trump and Biden, even a frail Biden, the choice was a no-brainer.

“We are in a political climate where it would be weakness to replace him with someone else. As Democrats, we need to stand up for ourselves, show what we have accomplished and keep pushing forward… Even if he is kept artificially alive, I will still vote for him,” said one delegate.

Of those who still support the president, only two said they were concerned about his mental health. Sure, he is older and slower, but most of them did not believe what the media said about his mental fitness, even if they were not always impressed by his performance.

“It’s frustrating because there are moments when he’s at his best and there are moments when he puts his foot in it. But that’s been the case throughout his political career. Despite the slip-ups, I know he’s capable of doing it because we all lived through the absolute chaos of Trump’s first term,” said one delegate.

When asked what could change their minds about Biden being the best man for the job, many delegates answered the same: Biden.

“Only Joe could make me change my mind. If Joe decided it would be better for our cause, which is to protect and preserve our democracy … I would defer to his judgment,” said one delegate.

Ultimately, most felt that the successes of Biden’s first term and the threat posed by Trump’s Project 2025 would convince voters to vote for him, even if they were unhappy about it.

“When Democrats talk about what’s at stake in November, I think people will line up and support our Democratic nominee, whoever it is,” one delegate said.

“The damage is done”

Doubts are deep among delegates who no longer see Biden as Trump’s best opponent. They say there is too much at stake in the upcoming election to stick with him, especially given the mounting concerns.

We reached one of the delegates on Thursday afternoon during Biden’s highly-attended press conference following the NATO summit.

“I’m listening to his press conference right now. This is the last straw for me,” they said. They had hoped that Biden would hit the campaign trail hard after the debate. He would give interviews on the ground, stop by restaurants and become a regular feature on Sunday shows. They wanted him to show that the debate was “an accident, not a state of affairs.”

But Biden has done nothing to allay their concerns, they said.

“And I think the reason he hasn’t done more is because he can’t. (The NATO press conference) was supposed to be proof that he can, but it didn’t.” They cited Biden’s numerous blunders that day as evidence, such as when he referred to Trump as his vice president.

The delegate said one of the reasons Biden has been such a successful politician throughout his career is his “real talent for small-scale politics.” For decades, he was “Scranton Joe,” a blue-collar worker who could connect with voters on a deep, human level.

“But that strength is fading before our eyes because he is now perceived as someone who does not take advice from others, does not recognize his own limitations, is very stubborn and obstinate and does not recognize a reality that is clearly visible to everyone else,” the delegate said.

Still, many of the delegates who had reservations about Biden’s candidacy viewed him positively. They thought he was a good person and a good president. He meant well. But that didn’t mean he was the right person at that moment.

“I just don’t think he’s the best man to lead. And I think when you live outside a Democratic bubble, you realize, ‘Oh, crap, a lot of Republicans want Joe Biden to stay in the race because they think they can beat him,'” one delegate said.

What they all wanted going forward was a more vigorous campaign. A campaign that could convince voters that Biden was not only the better candidate, but also that he was willing to stay in office for another four years. They hoped that would turn the tide, but they didn’t get their hopes up. The hole dug by Biden’s performance in the debate and the ensuing storm of media coverage and criticism from his fellow Democrats was incredibly deep.

For some it was insurmountable.

“The damage is done and irreparable,” said one delegate. “It is too late to repair it.”

Jakob McWhinney is filling in for the policy report today. You can share your thoughts with him at [email protected] or if you have feedback or ideas for the policy report, send them to [email protected].