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July 12, 2024 09:02 AM UTC

BREAKING: Rep. Pettersen Calls On Biden To "Pass The Torch"

  • 16 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood)

Caitlyn Kim reporting for Colorado Public Radio on the first member of Congress from Colorado, Rep. Brittany Pettersen of JeffCo and points south and west, to call on President Joe Biden exit the 2024 presidential race in favor of “one of our many capable Democratic leaders.”

“Joe Biden saved our country once, and I’m joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again. Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, who is the greatest threat to the foundation of this country that we have ever faced,” she said in a statement.

In explaining her reasoning, Pettersen told CPR News that she really struggled with the decision because she considers the president “a genuinely good human who’s done so much for our country.” She noted that, having worked as an organizer for the Obama-Biden campaign in 2008, “he’s meant a lot to me personally.”

“And while it was difficult,” Pettersen said, it was “a right and clear decision.”

“The biggest threat is another Trump presidency and we have to speak out now because my son and my constituents can’t suffer the consequences,” she said.

Pettersen joins Colorado’s senior Sen. Michael Bennet, whose frank assessment of the race earlier this week helped break a logjam of dissenting voices in the party even as the White House fights hard to quell the growing movement to push Biden out of the race. Although Rep. Pettersen appears to be first out of the gate and will thus drive the news this morning, it’s been reported that a significant number of Democratic members of Congress may be about to issue their own calls for Biden to withdraw.

We’ll be watching for that as the day goes on. Watch this space for updates.

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16 thoughts on “BREAKING: Rep. Pettersen Calls On Biden To “Pass The Torch””

  1. Saying that you aren’t a “Biden Democrat” could benefit those in redder districts like CD3 and Frish. I don’t know what a freshman congressional member in a safe blue district gains from it. 

    I get she and few others wants a NEW candidate. It reminds me of Pliny the Elder and the qoute “Fortune favors the bold” most forget his choice doomed his entire expedition to death in the pyroclastic flow of Vesuvius. 

  2. I haven't heard any "…and then" from people who are calling for Biden to step down, but also the "…and then" doesn't matter much to me. I see Trump as such a threat to our country that I'm willing to vote for any Democrat who can beat Trump in an election. I really want that win to be a route so that the inevitable accusations of unfair elections have even less of a chance of being believed.

    I like that Democrats are expressing doubt about Biden. I'd MUCH rather have this than everyone falling in line because we're afraid of Biden casting us out because we weren't loyal enough to him the way Trump does to people who question him.

    Saying "I don't think Biden is the right choice. I'm unsure who should be the choice, but we should come together to figure it out" is refreshing to me. I know the very public conversations about Biden's capabilities will be twisted into bad-faith sound byte bombs by Republicans, but they're gonna do that anyway.

    It's much better than what we hear from the GOP which is "Trump is the only true leader. Anyone who doubts that is un-American".

    1. Here's the problem.  We ring our hands over our nominee.  We used to do it in private.  Now we do it in public.  This does not help.  At all.

      I don't want to be like them, but this is not the way.

  3. As of last night, Pettersen is on the Washington Post list of

    The Democrats calling on Biden to drop out of the 2024 election

    Among 264* congressional Democrats

    22

    calls to drop out

    I'm still waiting for someone to find a top-of-the-ticket national or statewide race where an incumbent dropped out or was pushed out and the party went on to win with a substitute.   I'm coming up empty —

    On the other side, when an incumbent drops out and the other party wins:

    • 1952 Truman
    • 1968 Johnson
    • 1972 VP candidate Eagleton

    Allan Lichtman,  creator of the 13 Keys to the White House, also points out the harm of significant (though ultimately unfruitful) challenges to an incumbent, Unfavorable outcomes there include Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bush 41,

    The whole thing is a random roll of the dice.  I don't see any clarity on predicting outcomes either way. 

  4. Saw the tail end of Biden's rally from Detroit on MSNBC just before 6 PM. Looks like he hit several home runs with his commentary and really put it to Trump.

  5. What I like is that Democrats are free to speak their minds and voice their concerns. Makes for a more robust conversation. Also puts a little fire in Biden's belly to win back his supporters. He is going to come out of this dark night fired up to win.

    1. I hope you’re right.  I really do.  He seems to be amassing that fire.  So, we’ll see. But, I also believe we need to hit Trump hard. Need to tout Biden’s accomplishments and agenda. Make people realize the threat that is Project 2025. We can’t do that if we’re talking about whether or not Biden should continue to be our standard bearer.

      1. I don't think the problem is the candidate. The problem is the impatience of some to start the campaign. I'm not sure that full throated defenses and expression of the full breath of Democrats desires is served to be broadcast now month in month out. Infact rope a doping Republicans into beating up on Democrats could help the electorate root for the underdog. That last month pour it on like a maple syrup controlled by a kid eating pancakes with no self control. 

          2. Democrats want Biden to be a dancing on water screaming embodiment of Democrats desires. Not only is Biden not that NOBODY IS! 

            The greater political junkies universe want the campaigns to be in full swing. Nobody else does.

            Democrats should understand their audience isn't political junkies looking for their fix. The election doesn't really matter in most people's minds till October. That's when the anti-Biden people need to come home and set off fireworks for Joe. 

              1. When the Democratic National Convention has the nomination done in mid-August, the statements about ability and "passing the torch" should stop.  

                The new strategy of talking about the first hundred days makes a great deal of sense.  Linking to the need of a Democratic House and Senate and pushing policies that are popular as a contrast to Project 2025 and the GOP Platform gets beyond the specifics of Biden's abilities.

  6. "Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders"

    Many leaders? Name one who is ready to be president, and why I should be confident that person could win an election with just a half year of campaigning.

    Where was this person during the primaries? Where were you?

    Are you going to fall back in line when no one else steps up to claim the mantle? Or are you just another "wanna watch the world burn" types?

    You know how I know Biden can be President? Because HE IS right now. And we still have the freedom and wherewithal to even have this "angels dancing on the head of a pin" conversation.

    Good f&^%ing grief, the media/peanut gallery handwringing over one debate performance.

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