Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor has made it clear that he supports President Joe Biden’s reelection efforts amid recent talks of replacing the commander-in-chief following a shaky debate performance.
At times during the late June debate between Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, the president appeared to be hazy and struggled to finish his thoughts. Reports then immediately began to surface that registered Democratic voters, and even party leaders, became concerned about Biden’s ability to oust Trump in this November’s election.
Names of potential replacement nominees including Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and even former First Lady Michelle Obama were floated and juxtaposed against Trump for polling purposes as calls for Biden to step down from his post grew louder. Nonetheless, the president insisted that he will remain in the race and that he is confident in his ability to defeat Trump just like he did in 2020, debunking rumors of any last-ditch efforts to remove him from the ballot.
Though some on the Democratic side of the aisle are not quite convinced of Biden’s electability versus the former president and once again candidate Trump, Taylor stood firm in his support for Biden and said that he and Mississippi Democrats alike are excited to cast a ballot for the Biden-Harris ticket on election day.
“Every delegate from the state of Mississippi will be traveling to Chicago for the [Democratic National Convention] emboldened by the last four years of this presidency and are very excited about voting for him again,” Taylor said on MidDays with Gerard Gibert.
Looking back at the debate between the two top polling candidates seeking the Oval Office, Taylor acknowledged that Biden had a few moments that may not have reflected well on camera but pointed to Biden’s performance in the White House as the ultimate selling point for voters.
Taylor appealed to voters on the fence about the president’s fitness for the job to reflect on what he believes to be some of the biggest wins of Biden’s tenure so far and compare his stint to Trump’s time in Washington D.C.
“We have to be mature voters. If you’re looking at that last debate and you’re saying to yourself, ‘Oh my goodness. There is a cause for change or pause,’ or anything like that, let’s be very adamant to look at the records of the last four years and compare both candidates,” Taylor said.
“Sometimes I may have a gaffe. Sometimes I may have a pause, but surely my track record should speak instead of a couple of seconds of air time.”
One of the biggest victories of Biden’s term, according to Taylor, has been economic success. The chairman highlighted the U.S. economy rebounding after the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of experts continuously predicting a looming recession. Taylor also pointed to a study showing wage growth among Americans surpassing the rate of inflation — a chief concern among voters across the country.
Another positive Taylor emphasized was dwindling crime rates nationwide. FBI crime data reveals that the U.S. has continued a post-pandemic trend of crime being on a sharp decline. Most notably, there was a 13% drop in murders between 2022 and 2023, a feat Taylor credits to Biden’s leadership.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Biden is anticipated to be selected as the Democratic Party’s nominee during the DNC set for August 19-22 as Trump is expected to be given the nod as the GOP candidate at the Republican National Convention next week. Meanwhile, independent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is continuing his campaign as a third-party candidate.
The general election is set for Tuesday, November 5
