Prominent Bay Area Democrats join calls for Biden to step aside
The pressure for President Joe Biden to drop out of the Presidential Race continues to increase. Democratic leaders are publicly calling for him to step aside, including some from the Bay Area.
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who represents much of Santa Clara County, is one of the latest democrats to pen a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to step asside.
"Well, it's been an agonizing decision honestly," said Lofgren. "But as the days have gone by, more and more data points to a bad outcome for President Biden in his effort to defeat Donald Trump."
As a member of the January 6th committee, she believes it's imperative to keep President Donald Trump from returning to office.
"We know that Donald Trump is unfit to be president. He incited a riot to overturn the election. He posted in his own words that he intends to terminate parts of the US constitution if elected president," said Lofgren. "It is essential for the American people that he not be successful in his quest for the presidency."
Another Bay Area congressional rep, Representative Jared Huffman, is also calling on Biden to drop out. Back on July 4th, Huffman told CNN he would support the presidents decision to step down.
"If he decides now is the time to pass the torch in the interest of everything he's done and everything we care about, I will consider him a hero once again," said Huffman after praising Biden's term as president.
Reporting about Biden's decision to potentially step away has been conflicting.
Cal State East Bay Professor Nolan Higdon says he's not surprised by that.
"For years there's been a lot of reporting about how Biden in particular but also his staff around him in general really struggle to make decisions," said Higdon.
Many democrats are saying it's Biden's decision, but Higdon questions that.
"If democrats feel this way, I can't imagine them going through with the nomination of Biden if they really believe that a Biden election is going to result in not only the loss of the presidency, but congress as well," said Higdon.
Higdon also thinks there's a possibility of an open convetion, without a clear front runner.
"Some of the internal polling of the Democratic Party has leaked, and surprisingly some of the big names we've heard are not even leading candidates," said Higdon about a potential new nominee. "It was folks like Gretchen Whitmer, or the governor from Pennsylvania. Folks like Newsom and Harris weren't topping the list."
He believes the vice presidential pick would involve a lot of strategizing to balance the ticket.
Despite all the talk of a different direction, Lofgren admits her constituents are split.
"It's a mix," she said. "Some have urged that I do. Some have urged that I do not. In the end, you have to do what's you believe is best for the country and that's why I did this."
