In a rare news conference on Thursday, President Joe Biden addressed the question of whether delegates pledged to support him at the Democratic National Convention had his blessing to support another candidate. Biden responded, "They're free to do whatever they want." While the president recognized that the Democratic Party rules allow delegates to vote for the candidate of their choice, he downplayed the complexity of replacing him as the nominee.

Most of the convention delegates, Biden pointed out, are currently considered to be pledged to him due to his overwhelming victory in the Democratic primaries. He expressed confidence saying, "Tomorrow, if all of a sudden I show up at the convention and everyone says we want someone else, that's the democratic process. It's not going to happen." However, the process of replacing him is more intricate than he indicated.

Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a member of the Democratic Party's Rules and Bylaws Committee, shed light on the process of replacing Biden. She noted that legally, according to party rules, he could be replaced anytime up until the roll call at the convention. However, politically, it would be challenging due to the limited national stature of the potential replacements and their insufficient time to develop relationships with the diverse group of delegates.

Kamarck also emphasized that the delegates, who are elected in congressional district conventions, are not elites but rather politically engaged individuals from various fields. She clarified that the delegates are expected to vote "in all good conscience for the person they were selected to represent," although the interpretation of this rule remains unclear and untested.

While there have been historic instances of challengers at Democratic conventions, such as Edward Kennedy against Jimmy Carter in 1980, or Ronald Reagan against Gerald Ford in 1976 for the Republicans, the likelihood of a contested roll call vote is currently uncertain.

The Democratic Party is considering a proposal to conduct a virtual roll call vote before the convention starts, partially to comply with Ohio's early ballot access deadline. However, with Ohio now relaxing its deadline, party leaders might proceed with the virtual vote to quell any questions about Biden's nomination.

Ultimately, the decision-making process regarding the roll call votes and potential replacement for Biden will be determined by the respective committees in the coming weeks leading up to the convention, which is set to commence on August 19 in Chicago.

As the convention approaches, political discussions and speculations continue, but the ultimate outcome will depend on the dynamics and choices made by the delegates during this extraordinary process.