(NewsNation) — Democratic strategist James Carville believes that President Joe Biden is “going to come to the conclusion” that running for reelection is “not a good idea.”
In a recent New York Times op-ed, Carville suggests former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama should play a role in selecting choices to replace Biden.
Carville said the Democratic Party should not choose to automatically nominate Vice President Harris or another prominent Democrat to replace him.
“We’ve got to do it out in the open — the exact opposite of what Donald Trump wants us to do,” Carville said. “For the first time in his life, Mr. Trump is praying. To win the White House and increase his chances of avoiding an orange jumpsuit, he needs Democrats to make the wrong moves in the coming days — namely, to appear to rig the nomination for a fading president or the sitting vice president or some other heir apparent.”
He said Democrats should hold four town halls, one in each region of the country, between now and the start of the Democratic National Convention in mid-August.
He said Clinton and Obama are the two “most obvious and qualified people in the world to facilitate substantive discussions.”
“They may not represent every faction under our party’s big tent. But they care as much about our democracy as our nation’s first president, they understand what it takes to be president, and they know how to win,” he said.
While discussing the topic on NewsNation’s “CUOMO,” Carville said the Democratic Party is “up against a wall.”
As for Biden dropping out, “He’s going to resist it, and he’s going to listen to his family,” Carville said on “CUOMO.” “He’ll get there sooner opposed to later. … I don’t predict things, I’m just telling you it’s inevitable. People will get the message to him. His family will understand, and they’ll make the right decision.”
Biden’s letter to lawmakers
Earlier Monday, Biden said in a letter sent to Democratic lawmakers that he’s “firmly committed” to running in the 2024 election.
Writing in the letter that he’s had “extensive conversations” with party leadership, elected officials and voters over the past 10 days, Biden added they have “good faith fears and worries” about what is at stake in this election.
“Believe me, I know better than anyone the responsibility and the burden the nominee of our party carries,” Biden wrote.
However, “the question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now,” Biden wrote. “And it’s time for it to end.”
Biden has fielded questions over whether he should be the Democratic nominee for president following a highly criticized performance at the first presidential debate two weeks ago. As he debated presumptive Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump, Biden stumbled through his words and appeared at times to be confused. Although Trump made multiple false statements during the debate, concerns over Biden’s age and mental fitness took center stage.
To Democrats in Congress, though, Biden wrote: “I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.”
“We have a historic record of success to run on,” Biden wrote.
NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer and The Hill’s Jared Gans contributed to this report.
