Biden's rescue operation: Leap left to survive

Why it matters: Biden's moves have kept top Democrats from stampeding away from him — even as many remain privately uneasy with the 81-year-old president staying at the top of the ticket and serving another term.

• Amid worries he could lose and drag down Democratic House and Senate candidates with him, just 20 Democrats in Congress have called on him to step aside.

Driving the news: That's partly because of promises that Biden — long a centrist Democrat — has made to his party's progressive wing.

• Biden said this past week that if he's re-elected, he'd call for legislation to cap landlords' ability to hike rent prices, push for a large-scale elimination of medical debt, and pursue other plans that have been applauded by progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Biden's chosen leadership at the Democratic National Committee also is pushing to use an electronic roll call to lock him in as the party's presidential nominee weeks before its convention begins Aug. 19 in Chicago.

• The sooner Biden is technically the nominee, the sooner he and the party can quash Democratic rebels' push to replace him on the ticket.

Biden's team also has continued to tightly control his public appearances, even as many allies have urged him to be more spontaneous and ditch Teleprompters.

• Biden's few unscripted moments in front of cameras since the June 27 debate haven't inspired wide confidence, but have been good enough to prevent many more defections.

Zoom in: Biden has done some interviews with subtle crutches.

• In a phone chat with MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Biden could be heard shuffling papers and acknowledged at one point that he was reading from "a list of lies."
• In his first interviews after the debate — radio calls with Black radio stations in Philadelphia and Milwaukee — his team later acknowledged it had drafted and pre-submitted the questions to the hosts.

Biden's team also managed his calls with Democratic lawmakers.

• Mayors and members of Congress could not unmute themselves in recent Zoom calls, as the White House controlled who was able to speak. The White House said that was standard procedure for such group calls.

When the Congressional Hispanic Caucus jumped on a call with Biden, members were informed that "this is a Zoom managed by the Biden campaign."

• Biden's team said it was indeed controlling the call, but did not ask for nor receive questions in advance.

What they're saying: White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Axios that "in the last two weeks, President Biden has done a one-hour, in-depth press conference and unscripted interviews with ABC News, 'Morning Joe,' BET, NBC News, Speedy Morman, and the Houston Chronicle."

• Bates added: "He has spoken off the cuff to world leaders — who highlighted the leadership he showed at NATO — as well as to members of Congress, the AFL-CIO, and to American veterans."

Progressives also have cheered Biden's recent moves.

• After the Congressional Progressive Caucus had a call with Biden, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) told Axios the president teased many policies the caucus wants — which he said is "not a complete coincidence," based on where Biden is now drawing support on Capitol Hill.
• "This is his base," Sherman said of the Progressive Caucus, "You see who has called upon him to move on, and who has called upon him to stay, and the Progressive Caucus lines up with those who have asked him to stay."

Sanders penned an effusive op-ed in the New York Times for Biden's re-election over the weekend, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also has been publicly supportive.

• Sanders wrote: "Enough! Mr. Biden may not be the ideal candidate, but he will be the candidate and should be the candidate."

The influential Congressional Black Caucus also has largely been effusive in its support.

• That's given Biden a lifeline with lawmakers representing two of the most important parts of the Democratic Party's base.

Bottom line: Some moderates are frustrated that they'll pay the price if Biden remains at the top of the ticket, unlike many progressives and members of the CBC who are largely in safely Democratic districts.

• But the Biden team's moves have been sufficient to keep many Democrats from speaking out publicly.