President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he is dropping out of the race after numerous Democrats called for him to pass the torch to another candidate. Now Democrats are faced with the task of choosing a modern candidate to run against former President Donald Trump, and there are signs that Vice President Kamala Harris could be the one to take over.
BREAKING NEWS: President Joe Biden ends re-election campaign, remains POTUS
In the weeks before, Democrats had quietly agreed that Harris could become their party’s candidate.
Behind-the-scenes discussions about supporting the vice president were reportedly fueled by concerns about Biden’s electability given his apparent cognitive decline.
However, the uncertainty surrounding the process of selecting a modern candidate had led many Democrats to hesitate to publicly voice their opposition to Biden’s candidacy. “Informal talks about how a fight to replace Biden at the top of the list would play out have been raging behind the scenes for weeks,” said CNN.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Many Democrats seem to see Harris as Biden’s natural successor should he cave to pressure and drop out of the race. “She’s campaigning vigorously and is the natural successor. If the president is not the nominee, it will be important that we get behind her immediately,” said a Democratic member of the House who wished to remain anonymous.
Elizabeth Warren weakly says Biden “really has to make a big decision” and pushes for Kamala
Speculation about a possible Harris campaign is fueled by internal polls among Democrats showing she could fare better against former President Donald Trump. In fact, Biden has reportedly asked about the possibility of Harris defeating the Republican nominee.
Internal polls showing that Harris could at least lend a hand to galvanize Democratic enthusiasm and support the campaign are becoming more common. The argument that she could put together a campaign the fastest is becoming stronger. Daydreams that she would be more dynamic and forceful in opposing Donald Trump are becoming more solid.
Many are deliberately holding back on hypotheticals, as Biden’s aides say he plans to return to the campaign trail next week once he recovers from Covid-19. But if that suddenly changes, two dozen leading Democratic politicians and officials told CNN, they can’t realistically imagine any other way things could end.
Some are pushing for a quick and closed process in which delegates would approve the swap as part of their planned virtual nominating plan before the convention.
Some oppose the idea of ​​a coronation, either because they prefer others or because they don’t like the way it looks. But while there is talk of quickly organizing a series of flash primaries or town hall meetings, no one agrees how that will work, with just over 100 days left until the election and far less until the scheduled Democratic convention in Chicago. Still, it’s an idea some Harris supporters support, doubting anyone would seriously challenge her, such is the complacency behind the scenes.
Harris seems prepared for the possibility that she could become the modern standard-bearer of the Democratic Party after Biden’s withdrawal. “In some ways, she’s running for president right now,” said Ashley Etienne, a Democratic activist.
Still, there are still concerns about how the process might turn out if Democrats push for an open trial at the convention and the chaos that could ensue. This was probably why Democratic leaders insisted that the party should stick with the president. But now that point is moot.
With the Democratic National Convention approaching, it is clear that the party is running out of time to make a decision. Now that Biden has removed himself from the equation, the party will begin the process of replacing him. If reports are any indication, Vice President Harris will be the choice.
