The Absence of Joe Biden on the New Hampshire Primary Ballot: What's the Reason?

The New Hampshire state primary is currently taking place for Democrats, but President Joe Biden is not participating. This is because the Democratic Party decided that South Carolina should be the first state to vote. However, New Hampshire refused to move its primary, leading the party to strip it of its delegates. Instead, Biden is relying on a write-in effort to avoid the potential embarrassment of losing to Dean Phillips, a Democratic congressman. Despite a lack of attention and delegates, the Democratic primary is still moving forward. The Democratic National Committee chose South Carolina to go first in 2024, arguing that its diverse population better reflects the country. Although New Hampshire was required by its state constitution to remain first, it lost its delegates as a result. Biden chose to follow the party's decision and did not register for the primary. This decision has opened up the possibility of a loss to Phillips, who self-funded his challenge against Biden and believes the president is a weak candidate who could lose to Donald Trump in the general election. Phillips has invested over $5 million in ads in New Hampshire, while Biden has only spent $156,000. However, there is still a push among Biden's allies for voters to write-in his name on their ballots, potentially leading to a victory. A recent poll suggests that the president has a significant lead among likely Democratic primary voters, despite the unusual circumstances. Besides Phillips, Marianne Williamson, an author and motivational speaker, is another improbable contender in the New Hampshire primary. Some activists are also encouraging fellow Democrats to write "ceasefire" on their ballots instead of Biden's name due to his support for Israel. Although none of the candidates will receive delegates from campaigning in New Hampshire, the strategy seems to be to demonstrate Biden's weakness among voters and the need for the party to consider another candidate. Phillips argues that competition is essential for democracy and wishes more Democrats would run.