We're going to need more popcorn.
The Democratic National Committee Convention Rules Committee announced that the "virtual roll call" that will officially nominate Joe Biden as the once and future Democratic Party nominee for president will be held sometime between August 1 and August 7.
The exact date will be determined by DNC leadership next week after a second committee meeting.
The "virtual roll call" is totally unnecessary. The idea was first discussed last April when Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose sent a letter to the DNC pointing out that because their convention to nominate Biden won't happen until after the Ohio ballot deadline, he may not be listed on the ballot.
It was a gambit, of course. Alabama had a similar problem, and the state legislature passed a law changing the deadline. Ohio had previously employed the same fix for both Republicans and Democrats.
Sure enough, in late May, the Ohio legislature passed a law changing the deadline for ballot access until September. That should have ended the controversy.
Alas, Democrats had to find a way to hurry up and nominate Biden before the revolt to replace him could completely coalesce. So they played a game of pretend. They are pretending that the law passed by the Ohio legislature and signed by Governor Mike DeWine might suddenly and inexplicably be altered by those meany Republicans and deny Joe Biden a place on the ballot.
It's silly, stupid, and rather insulting. But as a gimmick to get Biden nominated, it's all they have.
"My goal as counsel is to ensure we address and avoid all unnecessary legal risk on the way. And that's why we need a virtual nominating process. It's why the wisest, most prudent course is to have that process conclude in time to allow us to file a certified nomination in Ohio by August 7," said Dana Remus, a former White House counsel advising the DNC on the process.
Unfortunately for Biden, other delegates and Democrats don't want to play "pretend." They're dealing with the real world and want to arrive in Chicago for the Convention with the opportunity to replace Biden if he hasn't already withdrawn.
Some organizations have been contacting delegates to educate them on how an open convention would be conducted, and what would happen to the roll call vote if Mr. Biden were to step down.
Two groups unaffiliated with the DNC that were formed in recent weeks — Delegates are Democracy and Welcome Party — held a webinar Friday with longtime DNC rules and bylaws committee member Elaine Karmack as a special guest, to field questions from delegates and other listeners. Chris Dempsey, founder of Delegates are Democracy, explained that the group's work is meant to inform about the nomination process, and it is not advocating for Mr. Biden to leave the race.
"You can understand the incentives of why it's not being discussed [by the DNC]. They don't want to put this out and undermine the president," he added. "We're trying to fill that gap, which is an understandable gap, but it leaves us all worse off if we don't address it."
The biggest roadblock for the anti-Biden forces — besides the candidate himself — is the radical left. They know that any effort to replace Biden is likely to blow up the party. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned of the "enormous peril" in replacing Biden.
“If you 10,000% are super-convinced that the candidate, or president, cannot beat Donald Trump, then do what you think is in your good conscience. But I have not seen an alternative scenario that, I feel, does not set us up for enormous peril,” she said.
As the reality of what they're trying to do hits them. many Democrats who might have been inclined to urge Biden's withdrawal may hold their fire for a few days. If Biden doesn't want to go, he won't go.
Even if that means a Democratic disaster in November.
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