Josh Chafetz: well, just to take one quick example washingtonmonthly.com/2024/07/03/i...

1/ I'm agnostic as to whether Biden should withdraw from the race. It's a genuinely tough question IMO. But I have clarity on one thing: He should absolutely not step down as president. If Harris becomes President, the Vice Presidency is empty. Under the 25th Amendment ...

2/ ... confirming a new VP requires majority votes in the House and the Senate. If there is no VP, then Mike Johnson is next in line to the presidency. I think there's a very good argument that the House would not confirm anyone Harris nominated as VP.

3/ We are in a moment of high and rising political violence. ~ 9% of all US presidents have been assassinated, and ~ 13% have been either killed or wounded in an assassination attempt.

4/ Add in the fact that Harris would be the first woman president and only second president of color and it gets scarier. Add in that her replacement would be from the other party and it starts to look like an invitation to assassination attempts.

5/5 If Biden decides to withdraw, he should just say something like, "Being president is a full-time job. Campaigning for the presidency is a full-time job. I'm too old to work two jobs, so I'm going to focus on the one I was elected to do. Vote Harris in November!"

Genuine question: Who is calling for him to resign from office!? Name names.

well, just to take one quick example washingtonmonthly.com/2024/07/03/i...

If Biden Quits the Race, He Should Resign the Presidency | Washington Monthlywashingtonmonthly.com If Biden Quits the Race, He Should Resign the Presidency: Being a lame duck for seven months would be far worse for him—and us—than leaving office and propelling Vice President Harris to the Oval Offi...

Yeah, I've made that argument, and I think it's the correct one....if a VP can be confirmed. I'm not certain that you're correct, but it's a real concern, and I'm probably sold that it outweighs the negatives in Biden dropping out but remaining in office.

The other view....Johnson refusing to hold a vote so that Johnson can remain next in line might be too much even for Johnson, and it would immediately become a huge campaign issue that would play very well for Dems - a very dramatic example of GOP extremism.

I no longer think anything is too much for anyone with an R after their name.

Johnson would probably say he's spoken to the SCOTUS justices who share his concerns and they tell him it's fine do whatever you want

They're gotten away with every kind of obstruction to date, why would they think this is any different? They're immune to public pressure, only donor pressure matters to them.

There is a 0% chance that Johnson would hold a vote. 0%. Never happening. This would be the least bad thing he’s done in ten years. Wouldn’t even blink an eye at it.

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