Is Replacing Biden With a New Nominee Undemocratic?

President Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race over a month after primary elections concluded, prompting media dialogue on whether the democratic process is being subverted.

Undemocratic Democracy: Andrew Prokop of Vox (Left bias) argued that the forcing out of Biden by “Democratic power brokers and donors… may be undemocratic in practice, but in a sense (is) democratic in intention” because the party is aiming to win the election by “picking a nominee who (they hope) can win more people’s votes.” Prokop argued the 2024 Democratic primary was already undemocratic because “Polls showed the voters would in theory have preferred someone else, but they weren’t offered a realistic opposing candidate,” by “party elites.”

Nothing New: Michael Shellenberger (Center bias) and Alex Gutentag of Public (Center bias) argued that 2024 is the third consecutive presidential election where “Democratic Party elites” have subverted the Democratic process. The two cited the Democratic National Committee’s “manipulated money and process to help Hillary Clinton defeat Bernie Sanders” in 2016 and pushing out of then-candidates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar so Elizabeth Warren could split the progressive vote with Sanders” in 2020 as undemocratic actions.

Democratic Failure: Eric Boehm of Reason (Lean Right bias) wrote that the Democratic Party “failed” by not ensuring “a robust primary campaign that would have put Biden under the microscope.” Boehm added that whatever happens, “the outcome would have been more fair and democratic if it had played out over several months rather than a few weeks.”