Will US Democrats support a WOC as their candidate or will they by pass Kamala Harris?

[IwantToRetire]

Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race and Endorses Harris: Live Updates

After intense pressure from within his own party, President Biden said he was ending his campaign and backing Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his place. Ms. Harris said she would seek the nomination, adding: “Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/21/us/biden-drops-out-election

If I know the Democrats, they'll run her despite her unpopularity, and they will lose. Making a statement seems to be more important to them than winning. Far better to run somebody who can win, giving them the chance to actually help WOC.

Interesting, I got the impression from US based news sources that there had already been moves to get her sidelined.

But then I say news, but it could well just have been the opinion of a commentator. Its hard to know anymore from which position they are saying anything.

Some senior Democrats have already come out in support of Harris.

But this election will probably hinge on swing voters – many of them disaffected Republicans and independents.

So the question is really, "Will swing voters support a woman of colour?"

Or I suppose, "Do the Democrats believe swing voters will support a woman of colour?"

I heard this on Radio 4 today and as BBC took it all with a pinch of salt, but it was about why some Black Americans support Trump.

But as the programme went on it became clear that it is Black American men who support Trump, and most (?) Black American women support if not Biden personally but always the Democrats.

I don't think that is the question. A lot of disaffected republicans and independents supported Nikki Haley over trump, so we know that they will for the right candidate.

It's will they support Kamala herself?

More importantly, will democrats? She is not even popular among her own party.

I don't think a woman can win the US election. And especially not a woman who isn't white.

That's a reflection of the US than any comment on the ability of US democratic women.

I think Trump will win. I think the assassination attempt sealed it. No Democrat candidate will have the time needed to change that.

The narrative is all about Trump and that's not going to change. Trump doesn't allow it.

Biden couldn't win this election though. And continuing to stand and only standing down now, hasn't helped matters.

Supporting Haley over Trump doesn't really make them swing voters between parties, though.

I mean, some might well be. But it's not quite the same thing.

I agree that whether potential swing voters will support Harris herself will matter, of course.

I was speaking to an American friend last week, she lives in South Carolina. Although she is a Democrat her opinion is that America as a nation just isn’t ready to elect any woman as president, regardless of her ethnicity.

Apparently, if she runs they can use the money they've already raised because she was standing jointly with Biden. If they change candidates they can't use the money. So my bet is she'll be the chosen one. She'll need a running mate though.

Given that Hilary Clinton won the popular vote and the Electoral College made sure Trump got in, I don't see Harris having any chance. I'm glad Biden's not running, but the Democrats have probably thrown the election away regardless. It seems to be a choice of horrors in the US for women.

And Hilary Clinton was Hilary frickin Clinton. She was an enigma on par with Trump. Kamala isn't even close to having Hilary's presence and command.

I read that neither Biden nor Obama are backing Kamala and that the choice was down to the govener of california or michigan, as apparently they have the best chance of beating Trump

Biden endorsed Harris very quickly, so not sure where you read that.

It seems to be a choice of horrors in the US for women.

This is the bottom line, isn’t it? Harris is perceived as being in thrall to gender identity ideology, but is perceived to be very strongly pro-choice regarding women’s reproductive rights.

Trump is perceived as the reverse, and/or a man who will say and do anything to get re-elected, and who will shit on women anyway.

I've been reading and failing to understand the process that will be needed to go through to make whoever it is the official candidate.

Apparently they were going to try and cut down on some of the publice procedures (to protect Biden) and use some sort of online voting.

But now it may have to go back to basics. Which, and am happy to be corrected are that each state has to agree and then their delegates have to formally present who has won their state selection.

And for whatever reason this is really soon.

I am wondering whether through unintended as much as intended bias the process could be rigged.

This is just because I have never got over the fact that Clinton got more actual votes than Trump but didn't get to be President.

This is a very long article and there may well be a better explanation of the process https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/21/open-convention-democrats-biden-drop-out/

Biden hasn’t been endorsed by the Democrat Congress yet, that’s next month. Trump was just endorsed by the Republican one (scary MAGA people wearing ear bandages)

They need to do it that way or else the states cannot put the nominee's name on the voting ballot.

They really have fucked themselves.

With Kamala Harris, Democrats would bet against US history of sexism, racism
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/with-kamala-harris-democrats-would-bet-against-us-history-sexism-racism-2024-07-21/

endorsed by the Democrat Congress yet, that’s next month

That's what I meant about not much time (isn't it 14th August) but presumably in each State the Democrats are already prepared but no time for horse trading over new candidates now that Biden has stepped down.

I think that they’ll pick Harris because picking anyone else (even another WOC) will make the party look bad for not following unspoken rules like VP being the nominee after POTUS.
I know that Trump is hoping to go up against Harris and I think he’s going to win.

Hillary Clinton, with all her accomplishments, achievements, and had lived in the White House for two terms previously couldn't get elected President over Trump (I'm aware she got more individual votes).

There is no way on earth that Americans will vote in an Asian-African-American woman over Trump. Since Kamala Harris been VP she's been invisible on the world stage, yet when Hillary was Secretary of State under Obama, she was everywhere!

I heard George Clooney's name being whispered as the Democrat candidate. I don't know anything about what his knowledge of politics is, but I'm not sure that matters!

She is his vice president. How can he say he has confidence in her as his VP and someone who can take over as president should he be incapacitated, and then suggest someone would make a better president? There was no choice for Biden on that.

She won the popular vote by 3 million.
Trump didnt, he won the electoral college vote.

This is just because I have never got over the fact that Clinton got more actual votes than Trump but didn't get to be President.

That can happen in the UK too. Conservative constituencies tended to vote more unanimously for their MP whereas Labour constituencies were closer. (Not the last election though). So the Tories would get more votes but fewer MPs.