IIf many Democratic lawmakers have been going through phases of mourning over President Joe Biden’s candidacy since his disastrous debate, on Tuesday most appear to have reached the acceptance phase.
In crucial House and Senate meetings on Tuesday, a consensus appeared to emerge that Biden is likely to remain at the top of the ticket despite lingering concerns and internal divisions, according to several Democrats who attended the sessions. Only one additional Democrat called on Biden to abandon his reelection campaign after the meetings, indicating a subtle but significant shift in the caucus toward continuing his candidacy.
“We have to recognize that the president is the nominee until he says something different,” Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat and Biden campaign surrogate, tells TIME. “Biden made the decision to remain, so we have to do what we can to win [in November].”
Echoes Rep. Ilhan Omar, a progressive Democrat from Minnesota: “I don’t live in a delusional world. The president will be our nominee and we will support him.”
As House lawmakers emerged from a morning meeting at the Democratic National Committee that was described by several attendees as a “family conversation,” several Democrats publicly reaffirmed — albeit cautiously — their support for Biden. Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat who privately advocated Biden’s resignation just days ago, emphasized the need for unity moving forward. “He will be our candidate and we all have to support him,” Nadler told reporters, reflecting a sentiment shared by many within the party ranks.
Despite the outward show of solidarity, the meetings highlighted deep divisions within the Democratic Party, especially in the wake of Biden’s poor debate performance. Concerns about Biden’s electability against former President Donald Trump have sparked frank discussions among party members, some of whom have openly questioned his ability to lead the party to victory in November. But after Biden pledged to stay in the race in a letter to congressional Democrats on Monday, the meetings left members without a clear path forward. “House Democrats are not even in the same book, let alone on the same page,” Rep. Steve Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat, told reporters. The status quo — Biden remaining the candidate — appeared to gain grudging acceptance, even as some members urged the president to make more public appearances and prove he’s up to the job.
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“We need to make sure that our candidate for president can campaign with the vigor that everyone [our] candidates have, if not more,” says Colorado Sen. Michael Bennett, a Democrat. “I need to be able to see this [Biden] is ready to go out and campaign day and night with vigor and passion, certainly in swing states and in states across the country.”
Tuesday’s meetings certainly won’t be the last opportunities for Democrats to discuss the issue. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, told reporters that the caucus meeting was an opportunity for members to openly express their concerns. “These discussions will continue throughout the week as we work toward a common goal,” Jeffries said, hinting at ongoing efforts to overcome internal divisions and rally support for Biden.
While some House Democrats have expressed public or private reservations about Biden’s candidacy, influential voices within the party including the Congressional Black Caucus and prominent Democratic lawmakers including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, reaffirmed their support for Biden.
But despite the prevailing mood of resignation regarding Biden’s candidacy, concerns persist about his age and perceived cognitive decline – factors that have fueled speculation about his ability to campaign effectively against Trump. On Tuesday night, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey called on Biden not to run for reelection, becoming the 7th House Democrat to do so publicly — joining Reps. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Mike Quigley of Illinois, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Angela Craig of Minnesota and Adam Smith of Washington.
Asked what Biden might do to change his mind, Smith, a ranking Democrat on the armed services committee, told TIME he would vote for Biden if he were the party’s nominee. But he added: “It would have been helpful, right after the debate, to get a doctor to do a full and transparent health exam, release that information publicly, have the President come out and give an hour-long press conference and say, ‘Things wild ones happen, brain fog hit me, bad timing, I’m fine.’ I think it would have been helpful, but of course they didn’t do it and several days passed.”
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Others believe Biden’s planned press conference for Thursday, at the end of the NATO summit, will be pivotal. If he performs strongly, “it will change the whole picture once again,” says Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, which is backing Biden as a candidate. “People want reassurance that it was just a terrible day.”
The clock is ticking for Democrats to make up their minds, with the convention just weeks away. “This has to be done fairly quickly,” Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat, says of the White House’s outreach to key stakeholders, including members of Congress and party leaders.
Some Democrats are still betting that their voters would choose Biden over the alternative — no matter what happens this week. “We will vote for a head of cabbage and a chihuahua,” Rep. Becca Balint, Democrat of Vermont, says of voters in her state. Asked if she thinks Joe Biden is the best candidate to beat Trump: “I’m not commenting on that. I really am not.”
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
