{"id":2293222,"date":"2024-07-12T06:18:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T10:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-democrats-increasingly-keep-distance-from-biden-amid-aftermath-of-disastrous-debate-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-12T06:21:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T10:21:32","slug":"congressional-democrats-increasingly-keep-distance-from-biden-amid-aftermath-of-disastrous-debate-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-democrats-increasingly-keep-distance-from-biden-amid-aftermath-of-disastrous-debate-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Congressional Democrats increasingly keep distance from Biden amid aftermath of disastrous debate &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcongressional-democrats-increasingly-keep-distance-from-biden-amid-aftermath-of-disastrous-debate-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2293222&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the aftermath of President Joe Biden&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-mcconnell-isnt-expecting-the-gop-to-retake-the-senate\/\" title=\"Why McConnell Isn\u2019t Expecting the GOP to Retake the Senate\">disastrous debate performance<\/a> \u2063and how it is affecting Congressional\u2064 Democrats. Many Democrats, \u200bfrom Capitol Hill to state operatives, are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/23-house-republicans-demand-reinstatement-of-space-force-commander-fired-for-criticizing-marxism\/\" title=\"23 House Republicans Demand Reinstatement Of Space Force Commander Fired For Criticizing Marxism\">growing increasingly concerned<\/a> \u2063about Biden&#8217;s impact on the party&#8217;s chances in the\u200c upcoming elections. They fear that his presence on the ticket running against former President Donald Trump could be a drag on down-ballot candidates. Congressional Democrats are especially worried about maintaining their slim majority in \u2064the Senate and gaining seats in the House. The article also highlights bipartisan polls showing Biden trailing Trump in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-polling-reveals-trumps-advantage-over-biden-in-four-crucial-swing-states\/\" title=\"New poll shows Trump leading Biden in key swing states.\">crucial \u2062swing states<\/a>, \u2062which could make it challenging for Democrats to retain control\u200c of\u200c the Senate. Democratic donors are \u200calready shifting resources to prevent a Republican landslide in November. Some swing district Democrats have even called on Biden to step \u200baside \u2063in the wake of his debate performance.Democratic officials \u200care focusing on the\u2063 negative case against\u2064 Trump, highlighting the potential dangers \u2062of a second Trump term in office.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">\n<div class=\"tdb-search-form-inner\"><input class=\"tdb-head-search-form-input\" placeholder=\" \" type=\"text\" value name=\"s\" autocomplete=\"off\"><button class=\"wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn tdb-head-search-form-btn\" title=\"Search\" type=\"submit\"><span>Search<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-sacff-txt\">Magazine &#8211; Washington Briefing <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Congressional Democrats increasingly keep distance from Biden amid aftermath of disastrous debate<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> <a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/ben-jacobs\/\">Ben Jacobs<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-07-12T06:10:00-04:00\">July 12, 2024 6:10 am<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tpd-featured-video\">\n<div id=\"Brid_22488\" class=\"brid\" style=\"width:1280;height:720;\"> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The spiraling political crisis sparked by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/?source=%2Fvideos%2Fwashington-examiners-the-debrief-hugo-gurdon-dissects-bidens-flagging-agenda-both-at-home-and-abroad&#038;utm_source=google&#038;utm_medium=cpc&#038;utm_campaign=Pmax_USA_Magazine_21-June-Intent-Audience-Signals&#038;gad_source=1&#038;gclid=CjwKCAjw4ri0BhAvEiwA8oo6F3rJpNxuuA5nCqgpE6hTQKZFQmj5iLER2YwvLVNxzhPEKrNLmlUn5BoCTV4QAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>President Joe Biden\u2019s<\/a> disastrous debate performance in late June doesn\u2019t just affect Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats throughout the party, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/capitol-hill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Capitol Hill<\/a> to state operatives, are increasingly concerned about Biden\u2019s presence on a ticket. Biden, running against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>former President Donald Trump<\/a>, his vanquished 2020 rival and now the 2024 Republican nominee-in-waiting, could prove a drag on down-ballot candidates. That as voters grow increasingly skeptical that the incumbent can handle four more years in office.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) says Biden should step aside. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) says the Democratic nominee should be determined by \u2018cold hard numbers. Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) has been skeptical about Biden continuing as the nominee. (AP photos)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The stakes couldn\u2019t be higher for congressional Democrats. The party\u2019s 51-49 edge in the Senate was already in peril before Biden\u2019s disastrous June 27 debate performance, and Democrats need to gain four seats to claim a House majority.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA), who has been agnostic about Biden continuing as the nominee, said \u201cconcern has been pretty widespread\u201d among Democrats. Peters added in an interview, \u201cWe want to win the election, and my whole point has been weren\u2019t doing well in swing states before the debate and now it is worse, and that is where the election is going to be won and lost.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although congressional Democrats were running far ahead of Biden in polls for now, Peters said he is concerned that that trend wouldn\u2019t hold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe concern is the numbers,\u201d Peters said. \u201cIf the numbers are low, it\u2019s hard to keep that spread. And, if numbers get lower, so does the waterline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His concerns were shared by a colleague, Rep.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine-features\/585340\/the-unconventional-congressman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> Ritchie Torres<\/a> (D-NY), who put out a clinical statement on July 10 that read more like electoral analysis than political rhetoric.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn determining how to proceed as a party, there must be a serious reckoning with the down-ballot effect of whomever we nominate,\u201d Torres said. \u201cWhat matters is not how we feel but what the numbers tell us. An unsentimental analysis of the cold hard numbers \u2014 which have no personal feelings or political loyalties \u2014 should inform what we decide and whom we nominate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A bipartisan poll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/content\/dam\/aarp\/research\/topics\/voter-opinion-research\/politics\/wisconsin-older-voter-survey-2024.doi.10.26419-2fres.00813.019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>conducted by AARP<\/a> in the crucial state of Wisconsin, a must-win for Biden in November, shows him not only trailing Trump by 5 percentage points but running 10 points behind incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). However, it is increasingly rare for voters to split their ballots. In the past two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-is-going-on-minnesota-and-wisconsin-both-had-89-90-turnout-something-that-is-highly-unlikely\/\" title=\"What is Going On? Minnesota and Wisconsin BOTH had 89%-90% Turnout -- Something That Is Highly Unlikely\">presidential elections<\/a>, the only senator to win an election in a state won by a candidate of the opposite party was Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)\u00a0in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>With Biden struggling in statewide polls, Democratic hopes to retain the Senate and block Trump judicial nominees would require voters in several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-more-votes-than-voters-in-key-swing-states\/\" title=\"Trump: More Votes Than Voters in Key Swing States\">key swing states<\/a> to split their tickets in November. Further, private polls are showing ominous news for Democrats as elected officials and operatives gossip about distressing numbers in swing states and swing districts across the country.<\/p>\n<p>These concerns came as Democratic donors were already shifting resources to prevent a Republican landslide in November, in which Trump would not only win the White House but the GOP would control both chambers of Congress as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are doing what they need to do to ensure victory in November and looking at state races, to engage voters at the local level and not waiting for the Beltway crowd,\u201d one donor said. \u201cInstead, they are doing what they need to so that November is not a tsunami.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One Democratic pollster worried that, in the aftermath of the debate, \u201cBiden\u2019s floor gets lower than we would have thought. There are some Democrats, not for ideological partisan reasons, who lose faith in Biden and vote for someone instead.\u201d The pollster added that those people wouldn\u2019t become Trump voters, but they might vote for a third-party candidate or stay home.<\/p>\n<p>This becomes particularly meaningful because of how polarized politics has become and how few swing voters there are. As Pete D\u2019Alessandro, a veteran Iowa progressive consultant, pointed out while the polls \u201conly moved 2 or 3 points\u201d after the debate, \u201c3 points moving is a pretty big move.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also noted how much it served as an obstacle for down-ballot candidates just for taking up oxygen. \u201cif they are talking about this, there is less chance for all of these candidates to talk about what they are going to do when they are elected.\u201d After all, he pointed out that every paragraph in a news story about Biden\u2019s age is one less to discuss Medicare or Social Security.<\/p>\n<p>Swing district Democrats had taken steps in the immediate aftermath of Biden\u2019s debate performance to separate themselves from the former president. Both Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), who represent districts that Trump won in 2020, acknowledged their belief that Biden would lose in November. However, those ranks expanded on July 10 when Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), another swing district Democrat,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3076400\/vulnerable-new-york-democrat-pat-ryan-calls-on-biden-to-withdraw-from-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> called on<\/a> Biden to step aside. Ryan, who was the only Empire State Democrat to win a competitive House race in 2022, is likely to be joined by other Democrats in tough campaigns over the coming days.<\/p>\n<p>The message among Biden\u2019s allies on Capitol Hill was increasingly one focused on the negative case against Trump. In particular, they cited the danger of a second Trump term in office and the Project 2025 agenda put together by top Trump allies as a blueprint for a second term. At times, it seemed reminiscent of Biden\u2019s infamous 2007 Democratic presidential debate jibe at former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, \u201cThere\u2019s only three things he needs to make a sentence: a noun, a verb, and 9-11,\u201d as Democrats\u2019 defense of the embattled incumbent often seemed simply to be a noun, a verb and Project 2025.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), a vociferous defender of Biden, told reporters Tuesday, \u201cWe understand that the threat isn\u2019t our president, the threat is our former president. We understand the policies they are trying to usher in whether through Project 2025 or the MAGA cult itself. Everything is anti-DEI, anti-women\u2019s rights, reproductive rights, everything is anti-people of color. We understand the stakes, and we understand that it is important to stay the course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the question is how much negative partisanship can hold the dam back if Biden stays on the ballot. The polls are only getting worse and the prospect of white-knuckling through four months of campaign appearances by the incumbent is not a recipe for down-ballot success in November.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_22488\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"playlist\":\"22488\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democratic lawmakers are increasingly distancing themselves from President Joe Biden following his poor debate performance, as they fear he may negatively impact down-ballot candidates. There are concerns about Biden&#8217;s ability to win swing states and retain control of Congress, with some Democrats calling for him to step aside as the nominee. Private polls are showing troubling results for Democrats, leading to a shift in resources to prevent a Republican landslide in November. The focus among Biden&#8217;s allies in Congress is on highlighting the dangers of a second term for former President Donald Trump<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3222,"featured_media":2293223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/WB.WhiteHouse2.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3620,34197,34766,32076],"class_list":["post-2293222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-biden","tag-congressional-democrats","tag-debate-aftermath","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/WB.WhiteHouse2.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2293222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3222"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2293222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2293222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2293223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2293222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2293222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2293222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}