President Joe Biden, May 2024 (photo from his campaign Facebook page)
Normally I wouldn’t send you two posts on the same day, but President Joe Biden just announced, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
In today’s statement, Biden thanked Vice President Kamala Harris but did not endorse her to be the Democratic nominee. I would guess he will do that when he addresses the nation later this week.
What do you think? My initial thoughts:
Harris will be the nominee; no one serious will challenge her.
Donald Trump fumbled by picking JD Vance (who does nothing to expand the Republican coalition) and giving a rambling, incoherent RNC acceptance speech.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
A few minutes after I sent this out to subscribers, Biden posted on X/Twitter,
"My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."
Hello Laura 👋, I am Mr.Johnny Ishmel Henry, I am registered to run for president of the United States of America. My FEC identification number is, C0086037, I'm like a diamond 💎 that has been purified by the fires of attrition and is now ready to be placed on the mantle. If I can be of assistance, please let me know.
I’m relieved that the drip drip drip is now done. No matter who becomes our nominee, now we have a chance. Just confirms my faith that Joe Biden is a great American, putting the country over himself.
President Biden has listened and acted honorably in the interests of our nation. Now we should honor him and his service by defeating the MAGA forces across the board.
In my view, the Democratic Party---through the Democratic Process of an Open Convention--- has the sole right to select the Democratic Party's candidate for President.
In my view, anything less serves to undermine the Democratic Party and American Democracy!
Let the best candidate win, based on the merits of their individual candidacy---and on no other basis!
I think what people in america and especially democrats are tired of is this crowning a king or fake WWJD trope. We have a process as democrats and we need to use that. Harris definitely has a right to be in that group of democrats to be considered. If she's smart she would advocate for that regardless. Coming up to convention in what is definitely one of the most important years and election for americans, we desperately need that democratic process to bring us back from the edge. Right now the Republican party is literally a hivemind, heil hitler and yes boss.. The democratic process that this country has always benefited from is a sharp contrast and crowning harris is going to disrupt that. I think we should suck the air right out of the trump vacuum by holding debates town halls whatever. Remind the American people how it's done. Let's put pressure on our delegates and super delegates to challenge this decision by Biden. We democrats the big D and the little d, have been asking for better choices for so long. Heck , everyone in america has been asking for better choices. We have a really unique opportunity to do this and it can be done and it will be hard.
Thank you Laura so much for your great reporting. Really appreciate you!
Reading the comments leaves me with a feeling of inevitable doom. The elected VP of the Country should be and I would say must be the successor to Biden. The last thing needed now is the normal Democratic cluster &$8? !!
Frankly, I am surprised at the negative tone of this conversation. Most people I know are relieved that Joe made the decision he made today. Kamala would not have been my choice as VP, but seems to have matured during her time as VP. With a strong, articulate VP they will, I believe, be able to give Trump and Vance a real challenge. The DNC has been so inept in so many ways, including their failure to adequately support congressional candidates in Iowa and elsewhere in the country. I am worried that they may play an honest role in the selection process.
Harris will be the nominee and can beat Trump. She has to take direct aim at Trump and Vance and make it clear why voters have an alternative. For those who think Trump has the election locked, remember Ms Clinton was considered the first woman president at this point when she was running against Trump. Between now and November is an eternity in politics..a lot can happen. I love it!
I was at the Iowa Farmers Union summer picnic last night and Laura Belin was a speaker so appreciate this timely follow up. The evening's discussion was punctuated by a mix of dire worry - what could happen if Trump gets in? - and celebration of the amazing and wonderful things that are possible if we quit being at odds with each other and take bold steps to hold elected officials - whose actions are violating human rights and common sense values - accountable for where most of Iowans and US citizens are.
Biden's stepping down - I hope - will throw the Trump campaign a fast one. If the Dem.s can come together around Harris, I frankly think this is a shot of fresh energy that is so needed. If Harris is the nominee, who might be considered for the VP? The opportunity to signal - forward building vision that is informed by and supportive of ALL Americans, capacity to address the serious issues we are facing, usher in the next generation, etc - could be powerful. I'm feeling hopeful. As another commenter said, this provides a huge opportunity - it's all of ours to use it wisely!
This is a heroic step by President Biden. Whether he is capable of leading the country for another 4 years is almost besides the point. Perceptions become reality, especially in these times. Now, the Democrats have a chance to rally the troops and get behind a candidate who hopefully has a better chance of beating Trump and protecting our Democracy. President Biden has served nobly and effectively these past 4 years, now it is time to get behind Kamala!
I was relieved and then saddened that we have reached the point where this has happened. It was the correct move by Biden but it took far too long for his to reach this decision. Republicans will now come after him and demand he resign since he won't be running for office. On the positive side, the Democrats now control the news cycle and, if played correctly, the should control this through the convention. While it may not be ideal to anoint Harris as the candidate, denying her this position will tear the party apart. A lot now depends on who the VP candidate will be and how well they work with Harris and how they balance out the ticket. The Trump/Vance pairing is just Trump and Trump Lite. I'll be opening the checkbook this week to help out the new candidate.
This news raises the question I have had about Harris since she ran for president in 2020: How has such an obviously inept politician continued to rise?
Sadly, Biden is more electable than her. Jesus. The democratic party is always the victim of its own spin golly. It’s forever the party of Will Rogers……
Just throwing this out there: Does it improve our chances of beating trump if Biden turns over the reins to Harris before the election? I am thankful to Biden for the many good things he accomplished, especially trying to accommodate frustrated progressives like me, but I am even more grateful he has stepped aside. I am also glad it’s Kamala he’s endorsing. We do not have the time to fuck around if the party opts to try to pick someone else and risk a long, ugly, divisive debate over a different successor.
I am sick at the news. Party leadership? Open debates? WTH! I stand by my original belief. Democrats don’t lose elections, they throw them away. Despite what we were constantly being fed on the news there were plenty of us that believe (d) his record and his vision were our greatest strength. DT and the GOP made us believe it was his age. How sad. I wonder what the GOP leadership is telling Chuck Grassley today.
Excellent point. When Iowa reelected Grassley we committed the same egregious error that Biden would have been. There IS a time to step aside and thankfully Biden did it.
Not really… He may have been given a long term health outlook that doesn’t bode well for a full second term, but not something imminent in the next 6 months. The one advantage of stepping down now is that it would give Harris the advantage of incumbency.
Thanks, Laura. Good catch about Johnson being second in line if the President steps down. That’s a horrifying thought. Biden deserves the chance to finish his term and continue to make the government work for all people, not just the wealthy and connected. He will do well.
People talk about how little time is left for the Harris campaign or any Democratic campaign to get up and running which is nonsense in today’s world. Remember that it took James Comey only 20 minutes to destroy Hillary Clinton’s chances to win in 2016. A day can be all it takes to change everything. Ask Joe.
LBJ stepping down as a candidate in 1968 is the closest parallel we may have. Humphrey was not a candidate at the time. Not perfect parallels, of course.
Project 2025 is more of a risk to our country than .Biden remaining as President.
Johnson withdrew in the face of tremendous anger over Vietnam but few, if any, claimed that he was mentally and physically unable to serve, a contrast with Biden.
Democrats lost in '68 at least partly because voters perceived them as the party of chaos.
The highly irregular news today of a sitting Democratic president who won the primary announcing his withdrawal under pressure from panicked office holders means that Democrats are again the party of disorder.
I think the majority of voters will be relieved this situation is getting resolved. A clear majority of Democrats didn't think Biden should be seeking another term.
II feel strongly that we should have an open convention, preceded by a series of town halls with prospective candidates so that voters can see and appraise the bench of solid candidates.
100% for Joe. 100% for Kamala. At 81, I don’t want to live out the balance of my life living in a government led by a narcissistic authoritarian fool. If I had the unfortunate lapse Joe had at the non-debate debate, my wife would have taken me to the ER, and (I’m pretty sure) counseled me to step aside. Joe was great at the 2024 SOTU speech, in Normandy, and he rebounded at the NATO conference, but I’ve been on pins and needles hoping he won’t stumble. Apparently, those in a higher pay grade worry too. And polls suggested a Trump advantage. So, I feel like fate is playing the better hand. Thank you Joe. If you’re in town, always ready for a beer. You rank with Abe, FDR, Obama and the other greats. PS. Hated Hillbilly Elegy. The man’s wife appears to be left-leaning and a lawyer in San Francisco. Don’t tell me she will sit well with the crazy MAGA crowd. On to victory. Plus a D majority in the House. 💙💙
First, I'm 1001% in for Kamala Harris. Secondly, I'm coming into this discussion late but I want to give a shout-out for President Biden. Yesterday, Sunday, 21st, I was deep in grief since I have been a vocal, strong advocate for President Biden as a candidate and have a Biden-Harris yard sign which I'm keeping up for now. Just to give an opinion I doubt anyone else has thought about that I would like to state as my final hooray for Joe before I let my grief turn to support for Harris. Everyone said how bad a job Biden did in the debate with Trump so I'd like to give my spin on it after reflection. JB was on medication for a cold and had laryngitis. He was trying to give factual complex answers in 2 minutes (almost impossible. Try it.) Biden could hear Trump's taunts while he was trying to answer questions even tho we couldn't. Trump only answered one question. He didn't need to prepare because he wasn't planning to answer any question. The 1 question: How proud he was of the 3 Supreme Court justices he appointed and the fact that they got rid of RoevWade. Question: How well would anyone debate a liar who doesn't play by the rules; doesn't care about the Constitution or Rule of Law? Maybe under the circumstances JB did poorly because it was impossible to win in the situation he was in None of us could. Others have said JB will go down in history as the best president since FDR and LBJ. He deserved to supported. Now onto the Harris support. Let's do it.
I may be wrong, but I think it far more important to defeat every Republican beneath the President! Putting Trump, assuming he wins, in a box where he can do nothing, would be satisfying! If Harris wins, so much the better! We can right the ship by passing the legislation that is needed to over turn most of what has been forced upon us all. Either way, it is a win-win proposition if we can pull it off!
True, but if all the down ballot Democrats lose, he might as well declare himself dictator and end what we all have known as a loosely Democratic government! This has been a triple balanced Government between the SupremeCourt, now compromised, the legislature, that must be preserved in a balanced way, and the President, Again, if Trump wins, that too will certainly be compromised. Ending the Republican hold on the two houses of Congress would give the Democratic Party an opportunity to fence in the man who would be King, if he wins. If he takes the legislature with him, its a done deal.
Well only God may know in advance how all this will work out! While any of us may have thought this move by Biden was necessary….now what is the question and how this will resolve the uncertainty.
Something I've not seen addressed yet is his Covid diagnosis. Even if he has recovered, long covid effects may prove disastrous. Not something anyone needs to deal with, esp POTUS.
No it does not. No corporate donor class candidate is going to win. It’s that simple. They will not be able to win the popular vote let alone overcome the cheat.
If she's ready now, it makes sense to move her into the post as President. What is she waiting for? What is the Democrat Party waiting for? Is their appreciation of leadership from the Oval Office important?
. . . . unfortunately Harris does not exude the "working class" portrait that Biden was still able to handle.
Will she be perceived as the mantelpiece abortion candidate, or will she somehow be able to come off clearly and foremost as the working class candidate ?
I also wonder how many Biden 2.0 team insiders will accept that Harris has to quickly shape her "portrait" before the Republicans label her as a leftist from California who failed at securing the border and did nothing about the cost of living. Trump will say these things; Harris has a slim window to preempt these attacks. Potential VP candidates like former Congressman Ryan, Governor Beshear, or Senator Kelly should start talking about working-class issues even before any VP decision is made..
"Vice President Kamala Harris will now be in the awkward position of leading the ticket to "defend democracy" after being made the nominee through succession by defenestration."
Great question. The delegates were in theory bound to support him on the first ballot. But if he doesn't enter his name in nomination they can vote for anyone at the convention.
I expect hundreds of delegates to endorse Harris within the next 48 hours.
That’s the only realistic option. I don’t believe that the bank account that the Biden-Harris campaign can be accessed by any other candidate, nor does anyone else have the infrastructure of offices, volunteers, etc. I think that the only real question is the VP choice.
It seems like his intention was to eventually pass the torch to her when he picked her as a running mate, plus the election is so close, I agree with you that she’ll be the nominee, though it is curious that he didn’t endorse her in his announcement.
A few minutes after I sent this out to subscribers, Biden posted on X/Twitter,
"My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."
Hello Laura 👋, I am Mr.Johnny Ishmel Henry, I am registered to run for president of the United States of America. My FEC identification number is, C0086037, I'm like a diamond 💎 that has been purified by the fires of attrition and is now ready to be placed on the mantle. If I can be of assistance, please let me know.
I’m relieved that the drip drip drip is now done. No matter who becomes our nominee, now we have a chance. Just confirms my faith that Joe Biden is a great American, putting the country over himself.
President Biden has listened and acted honorably in the interests of our nation. Now we should honor him and his service by defeating the MAGA forces across the board.
I am relieved and concerned. Before I was just concerned. Go Kamala.
Have been holding my breath and am relieved if a bit sad. My hope is that Harris is Trumps worst nightmare and our future president!
In my view, the Democratic Party---through the Democratic Process of an Open Convention--- has the sole right to select the Democratic Party's candidate for President.
In my view, anything less serves to undermine the Democratic Party and American Democracy!
Let the best candidate win, based on the merits of their individual candidacy---and on no other basis!
Richard Sherzan
I think what people in america and especially democrats are tired of is this crowning a king or fake WWJD trope. We have a process as democrats and we need to use that. Harris definitely has a right to be in that group of democrats to be considered. If she's smart she would advocate for that regardless. Coming up to convention in what is definitely one of the most important years and election for americans, we desperately need that democratic process to bring us back from the edge. Right now the Republican party is literally a hivemind, heil hitler and yes boss.. The democratic process that this country has always benefited from is a sharp contrast and crowning harris is going to disrupt that. I think we should suck the air right out of the trump vacuum by holding debates town halls whatever. Remind the American people how it's done. Let's put pressure on our delegates and super delegates to challenge this decision by Biden. We democrats the big D and the little d, have been asking for better choices for so long. Heck , everyone in america has been asking for better choices. We have a really unique opportunity to do this and it can be done and it will be hard.
Thank you Laura so much for your great reporting. Really appreciate you!
Reading the comments leaves me with a feeling of inevitable doom. The elected VP of the Country should be and I would say must be the successor to Biden. The last thing needed now is the normal Democratic cluster &$8? !!
Frankly, I am surprised at the negative tone of this conversation. Most people I know are relieved that Joe made the decision he made today. Kamala would not have been my choice as VP, but seems to have matured during her time as VP. With a strong, articulate VP they will, I believe, be able to give Trump and Vance a real challenge. The DNC has been so inept in so many ways, including their failure to adequately support congressional candidates in Iowa and elsewhere in the country. I am worried that they may play an honest role in the selection process.
Harris will be the nominee and can beat Trump. She has to take direct aim at Trump and Vance and make it clear why voters have an alternative. For those who think Trump has the election locked, remember Ms Clinton was considered the first woman president at this point when she was running against Trump. Between now and November is an eternity in politics..a lot can happen. I love it!
Conflicted, sadness, relief ... hope!! Moving forward - fired up and ready to go!! (to quote an old Obama campaign line).
Jan Libbey
1:43 PM (5 minutes ago)
I was at the Iowa Farmers Union summer picnic last night and Laura Belin was a speaker so appreciate this timely follow up. The evening's discussion was punctuated by a mix of dire worry - what could happen if Trump gets in? - and celebration of the amazing and wonderful things that are possible if we quit being at odds with each other and take bold steps to hold elected officials - whose actions are violating human rights and common sense values - accountable for where most of Iowans and US citizens are.
Biden's stepping down - I hope - will throw the Trump campaign a fast one. If the Dem.s can come together around Harris, I frankly think this is a shot of fresh energy that is so needed. If Harris is the nominee, who might be considered for the VP? The opportunity to signal - forward building vision that is informed by and supportive of ALL Americans, capacity to address the serious issues we are facing, usher in the next generation, etc - could be powerful. I'm feeling hopeful. As another commenter said, this provides a huge opportunity - it's all of ours to use it wisely!
This is a heroic step by President Biden. Whether he is capable of leading the country for another 4 years is almost besides the point. Perceptions become reality, especially in these times. Now, the Democrats have a chance to rally the troops and get behind a candidate who hopefully has a better chance of beating Trump and protecting our Democracy. President Biden has served nobly and effectively these past 4 years, now it is time to get behind Kamala!
I was relieved and then saddened that we have reached the point where this has happened. It was the correct move by Biden but it took far too long for his to reach this decision. Republicans will now come after him and demand he resign since he won't be running for office. On the positive side, the Democrats now control the news cycle and, if played correctly, the should control this through the convention. While it may not be ideal to anoint Harris as the candidate, denying her this position will tear the party apart. A lot now depends on who the VP candidate will be and how well they work with Harris and how they balance out the ticket. The Trump/Vance pairing is just Trump and Trump Lite. I'll be opening the checkbook this week to help out the new candidate.
This news raises the question I have had about Harris since she ran for president in 2020: How has such an obviously inept politician continued to rise?
Sadly, Biden is more electable than her. Jesus. The democratic party is always the victim of its own spin golly. It’s forever the party of Will Rogers……
Just throwing this out there: Does it improve our chances of beating trump if Biden turns over the reins to Harris before the election? I am thankful to Biden for the many good things he accomplished, especially trying to accommodate frustrated progressives like me, but I am even more grateful he has stepped aside. I am also glad it’s Kamala he’s endorsing. We do not have the time to fuck around if the party opts to try to pick someone else and risk a long, ugly, divisive debate over a different successor.
I am sick at the news. Party leadership? Open debates? WTH! I stand by my original belief. Democrats don’t lose elections, they throw them away. Despite what we were constantly being fed on the news there were plenty of us that believe (d) his record and his vision were our greatest strength. DT and the GOP made us believe it was his age. How sad. I wonder what the GOP leadership is telling Chuck Grassley today.
Excellent point. When Iowa reelected Grassley we committed the same egregious error that Biden would have been. There IS a time to step aside and thankfully Biden did it.
I never thought Biden would seek re-election. I always expected him to endorse Harris.
He didn't say why he's withdrawing as nominee, which begs the question of how he can remain as president.
It's easy enough to say that he feels capable of serving but he understands he has lost the trust of many votes.
He can say that but that doesn't mean people will believe him.
Once again the Democratic party behaves in a way that belies its name.
Not really… He may have been given a long term health outlook that doesn’t bode well for a full second term, but not something imminent in the next 6 months. The one advantage of stepping down now is that it would give Harris the advantage of incumbency.
It's not worth the risk. Congress would never approve a new VP, which would mean Mike Johnson is next in line to be president.
Also it would limit the time Harris can spend on the campaign trail.
Thanks, Laura. Good catch about Johnson being second in line if the President steps down. That’s a horrifying thought. Biden deserves the chance to finish his term and continue to make the government work for all people, not just the wealthy and connected. He will do well.
People talk about how little time is left for the Harris campaign or any Democratic campaign to get up and running which is nonsense in today’s world. Remember that it took James Comey only 20 minutes to destroy Hillary Clinton’s chances to win in 2016. A day can be all it takes to change everything. Ask Joe.
Oh, I think so.
What people will see is a president who doesn't think he's up to running for re-election but believes he's up to running the country.
They will also see in Harris a de facto nominee who didn't achieve that status through the primary process.
Too cute by half and totally expected.
John,
LBJ stepping down as a candidate in 1968 is the closest parallel we may have. Humphrey was not a candidate at the time. Not perfect parallels, of course.
Project 2025 is more of a risk to our country than .Biden remaining as President.
Hi Ralph. Truman stepped aside in 1952 after Estes Kefauver beat him in the New Hampshire primary.
Ralph, I remember '68 all too well.
Johnson withdrew in the face of tremendous anger over Vietnam but few, if any, claimed that he was mentally and physically unable to serve, a contrast with Biden.
Democrats lost in '68 at least partly because voters perceived them as the party of chaos.
The highly irregular news today of a sitting Democratic president who won the primary announcing his withdrawal under pressure from panicked office holders means that Democrats are again the party of disorder.
I think the majority of voters will be relieved this situation is getting resolved. A clear majority of Democrats didn't think Biden should be seeking another term.
Nevertheless they cast their primary votes for him.
Democratic leaders keep doing end runs around the democracy they claim to be defending.
D’s do need to stabilize and right the ship
That's putting it nicely.
II feel strongly that we should have an open convention, preceded by a series of town halls with prospective candidates so that voters can see and appraise the bench of solid candidates.
100% for Joe. 100% for Kamala. At 81, I don’t want to live out the balance of my life living in a government led by a narcissistic authoritarian fool. If I had the unfortunate lapse Joe had at the non-debate debate, my wife would have taken me to the ER, and (I’m pretty sure) counseled me to step aside. Joe was great at the 2024 SOTU speech, in Normandy, and he rebounded at the NATO conference, but I’ve been on pins and needles hoping he won’t stumble. Apparently, those in a higher pay grade worry too. And polls suggested a Trump advantage. So, I feel like fate is playing the better hand. Thank you Joe. If you’re in town, always ready for a beer. You rank with Abe, FDR, Obama and the other greats. PS. Hated Hillbilly Elegy. The man’s wife appears to be left-leaning and a lawyer in San Francisco. Don’t tell me she will sit well with the crazy MAGA crowd. On to victory. Plus a D majority in the House. 💙💙
Gerry Ott
First, I'm 1001% in for Kamala Harris. Secondly, I'm coming into this discussion late but I want to give a shout-out for President Biden. Yesterday, Sunday, 21st, I was deep in grief since I have been a vocal, strong advocate for President Biden as a candidate and have a Biden-Harris yard sign which I'm keeping up for now. Just to give an opinion I doubt anyone else has thought about that I would like to state as my final hooray for Joe before I let my grief turn to support for Harris. Everyone said how bad a job Biden did in the debate with Trump so I'd like to give my spin on it after reflection. JB was on medication for a cold and had laryngitis. He was trying to give factual complex answers in 2 minutes (almost impossible. Try it.) Biden could hear Trump's taunts while he was trying to answer questions even tho we couldn't. Trump only answered one question. He didn't need to prepare because he wasn't planning to answer any question. The 1 question: How proud he was of the 3 Supreme Court justices he appointed and the fact that they got rid of RoevWade. Question: How well would anyone debate a liar who doesn't play by the rules; doesn't care about the Constitution or Rule of Law? Maybe under the circumstances JB did poorly because it was impossible to win in the situation he was in None of us could. Others have said JB will go down in history as the best president since FDR and LBJ. He deserved to supported. Now onto the Harris support. Let's do it.
👍✌️
I may be wrong, but I think it far more important to defeat every Republican beneath the President! Putting Trump, assuming he wins, in a box where he can do nothing, would be satisfying! If Harris wins, so much the better! We can right the ship by passing the legislation that is needed to over turn most of what has been forced upon us all. Either way, it is a win-win proposition if we can pull it off!
If he controls the executive branch, he can do a lot!
True, but if all the down ballot Democrats lose, he might as well declare himself dictator and end what we all have known as a loosely Democratic government! This has been a triple balanced Government between the SupremeCourt, now compromised, the legislature, that must be preserved in a balanced way, and the President, Again, if Trump wins, that too will certainly be compromised. Ending the Republican hold on the two houses of Congress would give the Democratic Party an opportunity to fence in the man who would be King, if he wins. If he takes the legislature with him, its a done deal.
Well only God may know in advance how all this will work out! While any of us may have thought this move by Biden was necessary….now what is the question and how this will resolve the uncertainty.
Something I've not seen addressed yet is his Covid diagnosis. Even if he has recovered, long covid effects may prove disastrous. Not something anyone needs to deal with, esp POTUS.
It's a fair point. Some people develop long COVID, and he is over 80.
Has to be Harris
No it does not. No corporate donor class candidate is going to win. It’s that simple. They will not be able to win the popular vote let alone overcome the cheat.
If she's ready now, it makes sense to move her into the post as President. What is she waiting for? What is the Democrat Party waiting for? Is their appreciation of leadership from the Oval Office important?
It doesn't work like that. Reagan didn't step down so Bush could be president at the end of his term.
Of course Republicans want Biden to resign now, so Harris will be less able to campaign, and Congress will be able to block her from naming a new VP.
I recognize this as speculative political activism rather than fact-based journalism from 548 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
Thanks Pat Kinney. Good catch.
. . . .let's return to robust New Deal, social-democratic approaches to public policy.
Please, let's flush Clinton et al neo-liberal idiology that's helped bring on Trumpism among other things. . . .
. . . Harris, after 4 yrs of national exposure, is still quite unpopular among rank and file voters.
Convention delegates should pick the candidate among several qualified individuals.
. . . . unfortunately Harris does not exude the "working class" portrait that Biden was still able to handle.
Will she be perceived as the mantelpiece abortion candidate, or will she somehow be able to come off clearly and foremost as the working class candidate ?
On July 11, I posted a Substack that introduced a similar issue with solutions. See my: Words of Insight from Another Harris. https://ralphrosenberg.substack.com/p/words-of-insight-from-another-harris?r=9e9e3
I also wonder how many Biden 2.0 team insiders will accept that Harris has to quickly shape her "portrait" before the Republicans label her as a leftist from California who failed at securing the border and did nothing about the cost of living. Trump will say these things; Harris has a slim window to preempt these attacks. Potential VP candidates like former Congressman Ryan, Governor Beshear, or Senator Kelly should start talking about working-class issues even before any VP decision is made..
Joe or the DNC does not get to pick the replacement. That should be up to the constituents DEMAND A brokered convention!!!
"Vice President Kamala Harris will now be in the awkward position of leading the ticket to "defend democracy" after being made the nominee through succession by defenestration."
-- Jonathan Turley on X.
You certainly are negative! I prefer to perceive this as an opportunity! Time to move on!
Every crisis is an opportunity. The caveat is, the DNC not exactly working for “with the people”
Your comment would have more merit if you addressed the argument itself.
I am feeling a strange mixture of sadness and hopefulness.
What happens to his delegates?
Great question. The delegates were in theory bound to support him on the first ballot. But if he doesn't enter his name in nomination they can vote for anyone at the convention.
I expect hundreds of delegates to endorse Harris within the next 48 hours.
That’s the only realistic option. I don’t believe that the bank account that the Biden-Harris campaign can be accessed by any other candidate, nor does anyone else have the infrastructure of offices, volunteers, etc. I think that the only real question is the VP choice.
It seems like his intention was to eventually pass the torch to her when he picked her as a running mate, plus the election is so close, I agree with you that she’ll be the nominee, though it is curious that he didn’t endorse her in his announcement.
He did endorse her a few minutes later in a separate post.
Then I think you’re definitely right about her being the nominee.