From the NYT (click to read), but first I’m gonna say that yes, I was right again:
Excerpt:
President Biden, 81, abandoned his bid for re-election and threw the 2024 presidential contest into chaos on Sunday, caving to relentless pressure from his closest allies to drop out of the race amid deep concerns that he is too old and frail to defeat former President Donald J. Trump.
After three weeks of often angry refusals to step aside, Mr. Biden finally yielded to a torrent of devastating polls, urgent pleas from Democratic lawmakers and clear signs that donors were no longer willing to pay for him to continue.
There’s more, but the race has suddenly become interesting. Will Kamala Harris replace him as the default candidate? (I hope not; I’m a Gretchen Whitmer fan.) Will Gavin Newsom throw his hat into the ring? Or will some dark horse emerge from the convention and go on to trounce Trump?
At this late date it’s probably too late to defeat Trump, but suddenly I feel hopeful again.
So who do you want to run?
Who was the pundit who predicted Sunday?
Mark Halperin on X/Twitter predicted on Friday:
«BREAKING NEWS: Multiples sources outline the apparent state of play on Biden at this time:
* plans to announce withdrawal from nomination as early as this weekend, with Sunday most likely
* Jon Meacham polishing up remarks
* Biden with NOT resign the presidency
* Biden will NOT endorse Harris [Well, he got that wrong.]
* open convention with Harris and about 3 others
* super delegates will not be allowed to vote on 1st ballot
* Harris is vetting at least four possible running mates, including Andy Beshear and possibly Shapiro
Andy Beshear is the gov. of Kentucky. Is that a swing state? Not sure, but maybe it helps winning those states anyway.
Josh Shapiro is gov. of Pennsylvania. So a swing state.
Sorry to say, but locking up those few states are the key to winning this thing.
KY is solid red
Well, I won a $100 bet.
A Whitmer-Shapiro team would sure up the tipping point states…but won’t happen.
Agree.
Thanks for keeping us informed. I’ve turned everything else off as I can’t take the chatter anymore. History is happening…
Note that Biden strongly endorsed Harris on his way out the door. I think this makes her virtually a shoo-in for becoming the nominee. If so, the question now becomes who will be the Dem’s VP pick.
Al Franken, anyone? (Mostly kidding.)
I don’t think Harris can win. Her issues were first the border, on which she didn’t do jack, and then abortion, which she can palaver about ad infinitum but it’s in the hands of the states now, now the federal government. We need an open convention. If that picks her to run, fine,, but I woudn’t be happy.
I agree. If K. Harris is picked for the top of the ticket, it’s Trump 47.
Al – who could have beaten Trump, Hillary and anybody else was #metoo’d out of politics by a woke mob. Incl Sen Gillibrand (NY). On “charges” nobody could take seriously at all.
Consider that.
D.A.
NYC
It still angers me that Al Franken was thrown out like that. Any republican who did far worse would have just shrugged it off, as would his party and constituents.
But I’d like to see him make a comeback.
Obviously, I’m a woman and that angered me just as much. He was a gem. That was one of the incidents that drove me out of the Democratic party. That was wrong!
Yup!
+1
Joy Reid and a black guest (sorry, I forgot his name) had a discussion that if Biden were to drop out and Kamala Harris didn’t get the presidential spot, that the Democrats would LOSE the black vote. And losing that spot to a white woman might just will just show the black Democrats that the Democrat party just isn’t ready for a black who happens to be a woman. Bypassing Kamila seems like a losing proposition. FYI, I have no problem with Gretchen Whitmer for VP but if she hurdles over Kamila Harris, we’re screwed!
I suspect that both the Democratic party and America as a whole are amply ready for a candidate who happens to be a black woman (just as, with Obama, they were ready for a candidate who happened to be black).
However, what America is not ready for is a candidate picked primarily for being a black woman.
Except as vice president?
I am getting the “crawlies” from some of the speech you used in this comment, Leslie, and I’m not known for being particularly careful or delicate with my own speech. “You people” and “they could still be useful” just doesn’t sit well with me. It sounds disparaging to black people as a whole to me. You don’t mean it that way, do you? You did attribute it to the Democratic party, but I’m not comfortable with it and feel the need to state that.
Sorry to Bob Jochums (#5). My reply down there is a duplicate post that has nothing to do with this mini thread. My apologies. Please disregard.
FWIW, I think sexism is stronger than racism when it comes to American presidential politics.
I agree, and it’s even worse that everyone pretends that isn’t the case.
The Democratic party’s own polls and the prediction markets disagree.
Poll: “Harris trails four other Democrats who perform better than Biden in swing states vs. Trump.” The four are Mark Kelly of Arizona, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Prediction market: Probability of beating Trump if the Democratic nominee: Harris 37%, Whitmer 53%, Andy Beshear 61%, Josh Shapiro (60%).
I will post links to these separately.
Polling result: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jul/18/kamala-harris-trails-four-other-democrats-who-perf/
Prediction market: https://manifold.markets/ManifoldPolitics/who-would-win-the-presidential-elec
It might show that the black electorate is racist, putting the race of candidates far above the well-being of the country. But that is an open secret.
What it won’t show is that the Democratic party does not care about black voters. The Biden administration has made many appointments to please them, and there is little push-back to the idea that black voters can do no wrong and are imbued with moral wisdom. Even though they endorse the most horrible Republican ever in record numbers. Perhaps Michelle Obama with vice president Oprah Winfrey would be a compromise, to show that the Democrats can also nominate moronic presidential candidates just like the Republicans!
If K. Harris is picked for the top of the ticket, Trump wins.
This is good news. Plenty of time to regroup. 107 days.
Joe did the right thing.
This is not by itself sufficient for the Democrats to win, but it is definitely a necessary condition. Now there is at least a chance.
In my own heart hope is rising again and, after many years of lurking on your blog, I want to post my first comment and wish you and your country good luck in what promises to be turbulent months ahead. May sanity and common sense prevail!
+1
+1
Will any new candidate be deemed as such by election?
The Dem Party can pick anyone they want. Getting that name on some ballots may be a challenge; but the courts should act expeditiously to require compliance (as in the CO case about Trump).
Excellent news; a candidate/party that cares for the country more than themselves. Meanwhile, the GOP has surrendered their credibility to the most unfit person/felon to have been/and yet may be again be potus. I say this as a once-GOP voter.
Any chance we could get Michelle Obama to run? She’d have the chutzpah to beat Trump.
She has repeatedly said she’d not be interested in running. In general, I don’t think we should pick a candidate just because she is a black woman.
That’s not the reason at all
What I MEANT is that people want her despite her repeated claims that she isn’t interested in the job, because they think a black female is what’s needed to beat Trump.
Seriously, bald White dude Jeff Bezos as VP choice ! Why? Because many people who voted for the pale orange guy in 2016 went on record saying ‘He is a ‘successful’ businessman, so he is fit to run the country’. So choose a mega-billionaire businessman, and enough dim people may think, ‘if he can build Amazon from nothing, this is the best sales guy to run the Free World’.
Bezos may be slightly less overtly sociopathic than Musk, but I wouldn’t want him as VP either.
There’s a story out saying she polls 20 points better than Trump.
I would be happy with Michelle Obama. She might be able to beat Trump. But I think she will refuse all advances.
The idea that a candidate must be a black woman to beat Trump is absurd. (Re.: November 2020.)
I like Yang, but he is too focused on the FWD Party in general to run, he also probably wouldn’t win. I changed my voter registration from D to FWD about 5 months ago.
Kamala would be fine, really. She’s very underrated. Whitmer would be fine. Newsom would be fine. Can any of them beat Trump? Yes, actually. Trump is unpopular and quite vulnerable and if we Democrats can unite around our candidate we can win.
Agreed
I would vote for Shekandar (the enormous flaming skull with serpents for eyes) before I’d consider Trump. But Newsom is not acceptable (although I’d vote for him too). He has too much crazy far left baggage to survive the national stage. Also, sad to say, we need someone who could lock in swing states, and a slick governor from California with terrific hair just won’t do it.
Kamala has more experience in the POTUS position than Obama did in ’08. But his charisma goes a long way. She’ll be fine, a rock would be better than Trump.
You’d think that anyone with a pulse and the ability to string together a coherent thought should be able to beat a blithering fool who has been proven to be corrupt, greedy and a pathological liar… but in reality that blithering fool is also a pretty talented cult leader, so it may not be that simple.
I would also hope Whitmer but the black community wants Harris. I would also like Shapiro but not a chance right now. I’m thinking of maybe Andy Beshear, a centrist. But I do not know all his views. Harris and Beshear are prochoice. And Beshear is middle America, being religious and all that stuff.
From my American contacts in your South, the black community doesn’t much like Ms Harris. But they would be absolutely furious if the Democrats threw her, a sitting VP, over for a white guy. This is a case where the enemy of my enemy is my enemy too. The safest way for the Democratic Party to get rid of her for good is to put her in as the nominee and let her get creamed by Donald Trump, just as the Democrats of 1972 were able to take back the party from the McGovernites after Nixon wiped the floor with him.
Who knows, the Dems might even blame the black community (sotto voce) for her being in federal politics in the first place and begin a long slow divorce. “Look where we got to from listening to you people so much!” And besides, where are American black voters going to defect to? The Republicans? They could be purged as influencers but they might stick around as voters, just with less enthusiasm. So they could still be useful.
I’m not suggesting they throw out Harris. But pair her with Beshear as VP might be a winnable ticket.
I am getting the “crawlies” from some of the speech you used in this comment, Leslie, and I’m not known for being particularly careful or delicate with my own speech. “You people” and “they could still be useful” just doesn’t sit well with me. It sounds disparaging to black people as a whole to me. You don’t mean it that way, do you? You did attribute it to the Democratic party, but I’m not comfortable with it and feel the need to state that. Maybe I should ask you to clarify who, precisely, “you people” who “could still be useful” are. I sometimes miss things and always welcome correction.
I don’t mind appearing to disparage black voters as black voters (as opposed to as people), or imagining that the Democratic Party might get fed up with them. I don’t think it’s good for your country to have one of your political parties beholden (with usually 90% support among those who vote) to one particular racial minority and the racially-based activist political machines that beholden-ness contributes to. It colours your entire politics. While the history is different, it is also unhealthy for our country’s politics that one political party could for many years count on taking nearly all the seats in Québec, to the extent that French-Québec sensibilities dictated what issues could ever be on the table nationally. (Ironically, now that Québeckers can vote for an impotent separatist party in federal elections and heavily do, the Liberal Party can no longer regard Québec as the well-worn path to a majority government, and fewer Canadians care about appeasing the province.) But at least people can talk about this in Canada: what is the strategy to win a majority without Québec? It seems to be a taboo in the United States. “But we can’t ever do that! What will black people say?”
Maybe someday the Democratic Party would say that a candidate like Kamala Harris is plainly unelectable and would bump her off the ticket without fear of repercussions. That day is not this summer, it seems. But if the normal political instinct to nominate the most electable candidate is thwarted by fear of blowback from a privileged racial minority that she (sort of) represents and this leads to electoral disaster, yes I can imagine Democratic operatives musing that “you people” have had your time on the stage.
Well, we agree in that I also don’t view Kamala as electable. Even if she were, I’m not a fan of hers. I appreciate your response, Leslie, and I hope you have a good night. I’m sitting here praying (to a god I don’t believe in) that my AC makes it through the night. Our power surged due to a lightning strike directly overhead and the unit shut down for nearly an hour. It’s spontaneously restarted, but I’m having trouble trusting it. Anyway. Goodnight to you.
You’re right about Quebec. You don’t hear much about them these days. No doubt separatist sentiment still exists at some level.
This kind of exchange between Debi and Leslie is why I stick around this web site. Thanks!
I do feel very sorry for Biden. Even with flaws and errors, his intentions were good. Find some peace, Joe. And what now!!!!!
I concur. I hope he shows mercy and pardons Hunter. Then he can be truly at peace in his retirement.
Joe had a fine first term especially before the GOP took over the House. He’ll go down in history as a good President. But it’s sad this had to happen. He did do the right thing in the end.
Whitmer would be good. Gavin Newsom has pushed some woke policies that wont appeal to middle of the road voters, so I think he would be a loser, easy for Republicans to attack. It may come down to Harris with a VP, because of money, time constraints, and the Black vote. Harris is too incoherent, and woke for my taste, but that may unfortunately be the practical choice.
“Incoherent” is the perfect descriptor for Harris. Absolutely perfect. It’s a shame, too.
It’ll never happen, but I’d like to see a unity ticket where the Democratic nominee picks a defiant Republican like Adam Kitzinger for VP. Pair the right Democrat with the right Republican and voters on both sides might just be willing to hold their noses and vote. It would be a Hail Mary pass that could just win the election and put the country on a path to healing. You might say I’m a dreamer…and you’d probably be right, but it sure would shake things up!
Interesting thought. I like it.
That is interesting.
I like the edited version of that line which I saw in a movie:
“You might say that I’m a dreamer… …
But I’m not.”
I agree. Put together another “Team of Rivals” like Lincoln did. But this time start that with the VP.
“Here comes the Sun.” George Harrison
Hallelujah chorus, Handel’s Messiah !
Emmanuelle Haim’s versions of this [ youtube, her recording ] with the Concert D’Astree are the most appropriate for today, quite gentle for most of its course, just biden its time. But the Mormon Tabernacle choir Hallelujah on youtube is the most sleepy joe.
Probably good news but it doesnt go far enough. Biden should now resign from the presidency and allow Harris to complete his term. Then Harris can compete in the nomination process with other candidates. She is definitely experienced for the job, with an impressive background in governance and law. She will draw the votes of the worriers, the independents, the undecided by clearing out the Biden nonsense. I believe that she could defeat Trump for obvious reasons regarding her record, her policies, her public image, her experience, and her defense of the rule of law.
All those Dems, liberals, independents etc will have someone to vote for that isnt a dangerous liar and criminal.
Yes, it follows that if Biden can’t run, he also can’t serve.
Not necessarily, at least if you’re referring to serving out the rest of his term. Many voters were concerned that 2 or 3 years can make a lot of difference when elderly people begin to slow down.
I suspect his Covid is a lot worse than his staff has admitted.
And who steps in as VP? Speaker of the house Johnson. And who gets to
certify the votes? Johnson. Not a good scenario imho.
No one, typically. No VP until the next election.
If Biden did resign, Harris might (be empowered and allowed to) do something about the southern border. What was Harris specifically supposed to do about the border? Re: FDR VP John Nance Garner’s opinion that being vice-president was “not worth a bucket of warm spit.”
“What was Harris specifically supposed to do about the border?”
Something? Anything?
What leaders do is figure out the issue and propose (or make) changes.
Not dropping out would have lost him the presidency and would have cost the Democrats both houses of Congress. It would have also ruined Biden’s legacy. It’s sad that age and infirmity necessitated his withdrawal. I saw my grandfather retire after 50 years as a medical doctor when he was stricken with the onset of dementia. It’s heartbreaking for the man and for his family.
It’ll be difficult to jettison Kamala Harris, but we’ll see. The Democrats need Michigan and they need Pennsylvania. A Whitmer/Shapiro ticket would be excellent. But I’m expecting Harris to be at the top of the ticket, with either Shapiro or Whitmer as VP. But my imagination is limited. Something unexpected may yet emerge.
Overall, this is a positive development. The Democrats need to get going if they hope to beat former President Trump!
Harris/Whitmer: surely an all-female team is a step too far just yet?
Unlike the all-male teams they’ve had every other time from the beginning of time until the last time?
Many want to blame the lack of enthusiasm for K. Harris on sexism or racism.
That may be true for some. But she’s been a political zero since being nominated for VP. (IMO, Biden played it very badly by committing to a black* woman for his VP pick in 2020. This immediately hobbled Harris as a diversity-pick only. He should have just picked her with no prior commitment.)
(* Or was is POC? Not sure. But either way.)
Well, I’m sorry, but yes, I rather think so. I’m not talking about principles, talent or practical ability: Whitmer appears to be near the front of the pack on all three (I’m not yet convinced about Harris). But in the crude terms of electability, a F/M team surely stands a better chance than an F/F one.
This is almost physics.
The greater the leap in the design space, the more likely that it will be a failure.
Your question answers itself: A M-M ticket is no change at all.
If you flipped it, I’d be enthusiastic.
N.b.: I voted for Obama twice, HRC in 2016, and Biden in 2020. I will vote for whoever the Dems nominate in 2024. Anything to prevent another Trump term. But the Dems better play this well. A coronation of K. Harris will not go down well. They must get the independent voters.
About Harris being “wanted” by the “black community.” And needing to be the candidate to not offend the “black community.”
Really?
Are you counting on all American black citizens (13% of the population) to vote by racial preference?
I don’t find it the case In Real Life that this is how black Americans behave.
This election is for the most powerful person on planet earth, and executive #1 as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
How does her race (and what percentage black is she?) qualify her to command enough nuclear and conventional weaponry to destroy the world in 20 minutes?
I agree. I think — and I have no data – black people in America dislike Kamala and don’t really see her as black even.
See how black groups stood behind Biden the most.
D.A.
NYC
ps- as is not uncommon, I saw this news at WEIT first! (I was in an uber for the past three hours! 🙂
I agree with your agreement 🙂 I would put her on once again as the VP candidate paired with a moderate white male. My choice would be Jason Crow, but that won’t happen [maybe in 2028] or Pete B [won’t happen because he is gay]. So perhaps Beshear or Shapiro. As others have noted, not Newsome or any other Dem who can be accused of being Woke.
She certainly doesn’t look black to me at all. But I’m a Canadian.
Funny, you don’t look Canadian.
Am reminded that, in certain quarters, there was concern whether Obama was “black enough.”
Some Black people call her “Cop-ala” Harris, because she was a district attorney who put Blacks in jail. They see her as an Uncle Tom who works for The System. How widespread this attitude is, I don’t know.
Well, if I remember correctly she’s half Indian and much less than half black. But claiming to be black is more politically useful than claiming to be Indian in American politics even if, as in her case, it’s less true.
The Great Democratic hope is J.D. Vance. Who is so bad that he might possibly do for Trump what Sarah Palin did for John McCain.
If they don’t mind Trump why would they dislike JD Vance?
Since predictions are so popular here, I will make one. Kamala Harris will be the nominee. No one else has the national credibility that she has, and given the Democratic constituency, there is no way casting aside a VP of color for a less prominent white candidate is a winning strategy. And, on a positive note, she brings a lot to the table, as pointed out by Jennifer Rubin in this morning’s WAPO. She appeals to younger voters (another necessary constituency), she has been very forceful in her promotion of women’s reproductive rights, as a former attorney general she is well positioned on crime and qualified to go after the Trump SCOTUS, and as VP she has both been elected to natural office and gained experience on the international stage (and supportive of Israel). Yes, the Democrats have a deep bench – Whitmer, Buttegieg, Roy Cooper, Andy Brashear, Gavin Newsome, and JB Pritzger (and no doubt others) – but I don’t see any of them stepping in on such short notice and mounting a national campaign. I’m a realist – count me as all in for Harris.
https://wapo.st/3Y81nBx
Harris is unfit and unelectable. She’s a joke as VP.
You may well be right. But (as a disengaged but sympathetic observer from across the pond), can I ask how you think she would shape up in the one or more debates with Trump that she will surely have to undertake? From what I’ve seen of her, she runs the risk of being steamrollered.
The views about reproductive rights of Ms. Harris, just as for any other Presidential candidate of either party don’t seem to be relevant. There is nothing the U.S. President can do about abortion except, I suppose, to invoke the Commerce Clause or pack the Supreme Court and hope the states — red states — get another abortion case to it. Besides, all Democratic candidates have to be pro-choice. That doesn’t distinguish her in any way whatsoever.
Edit: By referring to the Commerce Clause I am acting as keeper of the flame for our departed friend Ken Kukec who discussed it knowledgably here.
Whatever happened to ol’ Ken? I used to enjoy reading his comments. Did he simply vanish one day?
I’m sorry to have to say that he died recently. There is a tribute to him on this site here:
https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2024/06/20/thursday-hili-dialogue-493/
Besides the hurdle of choosing the ‘one’ and the VP comes some other issues. How does the Biden election machine of money, advisors, and handlers, transfer to the new candidate? Do they even transfer? Will they even want to go? How do you get the new candidate up to par where they switch from talking points about their own state or district to being able to talk about world politics? You’d hate to have a gaff about naming countries or world leaders, for example. That sort of thing can be like poison.
The question of her VP choice is a good one. The bench is weak.
The bench is only seen as weak because the primaries were handed to Biden and no one wanted to be seen as disloyal.
Prof. Allan Lichtman said that Biden’s war chest would be allowed to pass to Harris, as she’s considered an incumbent of a sort. It wouldn’t pass so easily to anyone else. Incumbency is one of his favorable ‘keys’ in predicting an election outcome.
” . . . she’s considered an incumbent of a sort.”
Who specifically is doing this “considering” and by what warrant is empowered/entitled to do so?
http://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/21/kamala-harris-biden-campaign-funds-00170136
Assuming Harris will be the Dem candidate (I’m not crazy about her), Buttigieg or Newsom would be a good pick as VP running mate. Dems need to hammer on the booming economy, record stock market, record corporate profits, low unemployment, the beneficial legislation that was passed, plus how crazy Trumpers are and how little the Trump administration did. Alas, Dems always bring a knife to a gun fight.
Harris and Newsom are from the same state.
In a less serious vein, but as a piece of Biden household unfinished business: at one time early on, wasn’t he promising that he would get a cat? Whatever happened with that? Maybe there is time to get a chief mouser for the Oval Office in these final six months.
He has a cat living at the White House named Willow. Willow has been there since about 2022.
Huh. All we heard about were the dogs. The very very bitey dogs.
Thanks Debra. That’s great. I guess that I had forgotten. Another campaign promise kept!
Gotta go with Kamala. One temper tantrum per party per election cycle. We just spent it on getting arguably the most effectual president of the recent past to drop out. For good reason admittedly. But still.
We spent our tantrum. Now get unified and try to keep the White House and Senate.
From the New York Times article by Peter Baker about Biden renouncing running for a second term:
Well, that is the thing to say to vie for VP, maybe.
Biden recently said that he would quit the race only if the Lord Almighty came down and told him to. Is this a telling refutation of atheism or what?
I don’t know who the right candidate is; but I think the following are the wrong candidate for the top of the ticket:
K. Harris. She’s been a total nonentity. (She could surprise me with an Obama-esque performance and growing some charisma; but I doubt it.)
HRC. No, no, and a very loud no! (No more Bushes or Clintons; 2016 was hers to lose and she did manage it.)
Gavin Newsom. He just strikes me as too much phony-factor (and those dinners at the French Laundry during COVID lockdowns — oops!)
Who do I like?
Everything I have heard about Gretchen Whitmer makes her look good to me.
Josh Shapiro looks good to me
There may be other Dem governors out there.
What should the DNC do now? Hold those townhalls that several have suggested. Take the temperature of the voters. This seems like a decent and workable idea. There isn’t time for more primaries. And there wasn’t any real opposition to Biden through the primaries that were held, so for right now, there’s no actual gauge of the voters’ feelings.
We received our WA primary ballots on Friday! WTF do we do with them? The primary isn’t until 6-Aug. I’m keeping my powder dry until then. I can drop it in a collection box on the day of the primary.
The Biden most primary voters voted for, in addition to being unopposed, was not the Biden the nation saw on the stage on 27-Jun-2024. The one they voted for turned out to be a confabulation.
As I have stated many times before, I will vote for whoever the Dems put up against Trump. I would vote for a dead rat before I’d vote for Trump.
Harris is the only one who has legal access to campaign funds and delegates, it can’t be anyone else.
Aaron Sorkin had an interesting op-ed in the NYT suggesting the democrats pick Mitt Romney. While it’s unlikely to happen, it would clearly show the dems are putting country over party (as Sorkin notes).
FWIW, I really wish we could eliminate parties.
A more realistic change would be to have a viable 3rd party that runs down the middle. That would be where the moderates might go.
Agreed
Last time there was a viable third party was the Republicans in 1860. And even they became the Union Party for one election in 1984.
I’m afraid our experience in the UK to date is that under a first-past-the-post system moderate centrist parties get eaten by one of the others. That happened 100 years ago to the old Liberal Party (which had been in government only a few years before), in the 40s to Common Wealth, which won a number of sensational by-elections before disappearing, and to the SDP in the late 80s. But good luck to anyone in the US who wants to try!
“President Biden . . . threw the 2024 presidential contest into chaos . . . caving to relentless pressure . . . .”
Why does the NYT use this bloviating histrionic language? Assuming that chaos is generally not a good thing, I gather that chaos is what the Times editorial board was inclined to risk when it asked Biden to step down. And “caving”? Is that like being spineless and not standing one’s ground? Why not simply say that he stepped down from campaigning for the good of the country, which ICR was one of the editorial board’s talking points?
Since Harris is currently the presumptive candidate, I’m behind her all the way. If someone else takes the lead, I’ll be behind them all the way.
I’m tired of all the nit-picking. No, I’m disgusted with all the nit-picking. For the sake of democracy, we do not have the luxury of nit-picking.
In the meantime I’ve highlighted Harris on the photo of our flags, posting it on X-Twitter (fwiw):
https://x.com/Jon_Alexandr/status/1815143529922105611
When the democratic ticket has solidified, I’ll make a new flag and fly it proudly.
My wife and I will continue to donate funds to democracy supporters, and we will now likely donate until it really hurts.
Hear hear! Nit-picking and misogyny. It seems that America is keen to elect any old criminal intent on becoming a dictator, just as long as he has a penis, but if it’s a female candidate they have to be absolutely perfect in every way or else “we don’t like her”.
Since you mentioned penises, remember the adage in mating preference that you can’t guilt someone into getting an erection.
Works in politics, too. If penises win elections, go with the candidate who has one. If they lose elections, do the reverse. Otherwise you’re in social work, not politics. Different racket.
It must be noted that women now make up more than half of eligible voters who put those penises in office.
Although I share your sentiments, the Dems must put forward a candidate that can take the independent vote, otherwise Trump will win.
I don’t think K. Harris is that candidate; but I will enthusiastically vote for her if she is nominated. And I will promote whoever the Dems nominate as much as I can.
Remember the poor support Dems gave HRC in 2016 (many I know spent the campaign bad-mouthing her and whingeing about not getting their Bernie — look what that got us!)
Given a blank slate, Harris would not be my first choice, but I’m certainly behind her now.
Yesterday I was pleased to learn from one of my heroes during and subsequent to the Apollo space program — Poppy Northcutt — that former astronaut Mark Kelly is on the Harris shortlist for VP.
https://x.com/poppy_northcutt/status/1815148346472014156
I’ve been donating a nominal $5 monthly to Kelly’s efforts for a couple years. Although I’ve read that Harris is a fan of science, Kelly would give the ticket a solid science base (among other issues that I find important). Also, I think Kelly would be appealing to independent voters.
Kelly would be a good choice, I agree.
Of the people well placed to run a campaign at this late hour, I think Kennedy would have a shot at beating Trump. Harris, likely not. (Trump is a bit concerned about Kennedy, has adopted several of his positions, and he has already made a not-so-veiled offer of a position in the Trump Administration if Kennedy were to drop out.) I don’t foresee people like Beshear or Shapiro jumping in this late in the game, unless it is at the VP level. Each has definite appeal, but each lacks experience in foreign affairs and military matters. It would be difficult to get up to speed so quickly. I see the more ambitious among the Democrats waiting this one out and eyeing a contest against JD Vance, should he even survive a Republican primary in 2028.
If Joe Biden finally came to the conclusion he was too unpopular with the American people then every other Democrat who is in this race should do the same and question him- or herself if he is popular enough to win this. This election is not about making your final career step, it is about defeating a horrible wannabe-dictator and saving American democracy.
I always thought Kamala Harris to be a sharp woman and definitely having the ability to fill the president’s seat. But as others pointed out: The American people don’t like her.
Speaking from this side of the pond, I don’t know much about any other candidates, and not much about Kamala, but a small word of encouragement. Over here the Labour Party was consistently c20 points clear of the Tories in our election. When the gap over there is only 3-4 points I suggest that there might still be hope. The main danger, I think, for the Democrats would be if there is an unseemly struggle for who succeeds Biden. Divided parties find it harder to get elected.
The US Democrats are excellent at the circular firing squad.
I feel really depressed about the wave of misogyny that is about to hit 🙁
There may be some of that, I grant you.
But I think they should choose some other candidate (than K. Harris) because she’s a political non-entity. I don’t think she can beat Trump.
I’d be more excited about Gretchen Whitmer. I have said through the entire election: Can we please have Gretchen Whitmer v. Nikki Haley?
Harris is the only option if they want to retain the incumbency advantage.
Having Harris also makes it easy to tap Biden’s funds. A different candidate would have serious difficulties, and not just for that.
I think Harris has a very good chance of beating Trump decisively, especially if she picks a good VP. For a variety of reasons I don’t think any other potential democratic candidate has a better chance at this moment.