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

It has been more than evident for well over a year that Biden has dementia. His condition has been rapidly accelerating before our very eyes. I simply cannot understand why he was kept in place? I had to assume that someone else was actually running the show.

For voters, the question isn't who is fit enough to be president today, 22 July 2024.

It's who will still be fit to be president on 19 January 2029.

(That's unless the ticket is essentially advertised as a "Vote Blair, get Blair then Brown" deal, as one of the UK elections was).

Republicans have had to pivot their rhetoric on the hop from "Biden isn't fit to run for the next term" to "Biden is completely unfit right now", because they can't do anything else.

Partly because that's the ground they've been working on for so long, and partly because of their own candidate's age and poor fitness.

Ronald Reagan was an experienced politician by the time he became president.

As for DT, well I have no excuse for him becoming President without any experience 😂

Republicans have had to pivot their rhetoric on the hop from "Biden isn't fit to run for the next term" to "Biden is completely unfit right now", because they can't do anything else.

...which is precisely the hot question on US media right now, after Frank Biden's clusterfuck of an interview a few hours ago.

KH might end up having to invoke the 25th.

She also got a problem, which is by no means a small one, of legal challenge - Republicans could quite well argue that they now have to start an entirely new campaign against Harris after spending $$$ against Biden and, if it was known beforehand that Biden was never capable of second term, this amounts to fraud.

if they can bring these challenges in a number of states as some of them have just confirmed they will, then KH won't get on the State ballots in time.

Really is worst case scenario for the Dems and I wonder what happened in the last 24 - 48 hours to force this.

Republicans could quite well argue that they now have to start an entirely new campaign against Harris after spending $$$ against Biden

Yes, this sort of desparation. Though it's interesting to see what they're trying.

TBH I think they'd be cautious even attempting such an argument – not just because of its own lack of merit, but because it wouldn't interact well with Trump's sentencing (currently set for September). His conviction was for felony crimes, so could attract a jail sentence. This is an obstacle already known about, so any sauce for the goose would be sauce for the gander there.

[Edited because I realised it definitely was still relevant to your argument about Harris's nomination. I need two screens...]

He reportedly has Covid doesn't he....perhaps it's become critical?

"A person in the later stages of dementia is likely to have a weak immune system. This means they have a higher risk of getting infections, which in some cases can last for a long time. One of the most common causes of death for people with dementia is pneumonia caused by an infection"

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/help-dementia-care/recognising-when-someone-reaching-end-their-life

Would Covid cause his brother to go on TV and talk about the family just wanted to enjoy 'whatever time we have left' with Jo, though?

From their perspective, the Dems used every legl weapon at their disposal to try to stop Trump from being the nominee, so they may figure, why shouldn't we do exactly the same and give them a taste of their own medicine?

Yes, if he has became critically ill with it. Furthermore Covid accelerates dementia.

I really wouldn't be surprised if he died in the next couple of weeks.

Ah that's awful don't say that

I'd hate it if my old dad was forced to spend his last months tottering around pretending to be president

Gives me Captain Tom vibes tbh

The question is, though, why has this been allowed to go on for so long, when his decline has been evident for well over a year. Why did his wife encourgae him, and who has really been running the show?

Keeping him going has shredded his dignity...it has been awful to watch.

No idea but these are all questions that will be asked and pored over (and hopefully answered) in the coming months and years.

It's incredibly frustrating that the Democrats have left it too late to present a viable candidate and are now compounding that failure by using protocols and identity politics to pick a candidate rather than caring that somebody will beat Donald Trump. It would be great if a woman could become president but I truly do not understand the mindset that would risk President Trump Mark II because it would be mean to mount a challenge against a diverse candidate.

The prospect of Trump is so bad that all they should have been thinking about was finding a winner, not playing at who can be the most virtuous loser. Now, if anyone stands against Harris, that person does not have enough time to make an impression and they will be dealing with the cancel culture mob on their own side.

The circle of senior Democrats around Biden made the mistake of putting their own interests, and desire for power, over the good of the country. And they might have gotten away with it if it wasn't for that pesky TV debate?

Either way, it's a terrible look and shows a real lack of respect for the American people. I don't necessarily agree that they've left it too late to present a viable candidate at all. I think Kamala Harris is eminently viable and will play well with younger generations. She doesn't have a huge amount of time on her side but in a way that might be a good thing? People have until November to get turned off by Trump and his aggressive rhetoric, and Kamala will seem like a breath of fresh air.

Personally I am hoping for a late intervention by Michelle Obama! A Harris-Obama ticket would play so well against Trump and Vance.

I believe Michelle Obama has repeatedly stated she isn't interested in political office.

She has. But she might be persuaded to change her mind because if ever the US needed a decent, honest and able politician, surely now is the time.

I can dream anyway!

Um, no. I think anyone being VP who had to be talked into it would not be a good VP!

Abe Lincoln had to be talked into it; he originally declared that he did not regard himself as fit to be President! He went for it in the end because he wanted to hold the country together and do the right thing for democracy, despite his personal qualms.

I like to think that that kind of selfless public spirit still exists and that people don't just go for P or VP out of their own selfish ambition, but out of moral necessity. If ever US democracy needs holding together and protecting, it's now.

But maybe I'm being too naive and that kind of public spirit doesn't exist anymore, in which case you are probably right!

First of all, no-one believes Trump about states and abortion. The Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe also got in front of the Senate and said they wouldn't. We've seen it play out in state after state; the extremists wind up winning. The rest of the party is firmly committed. Trans issues are not the wedge issue some of you think they are. Over in Virginia, one state over from me, the Republican governor got forced to partly back down on the issue.

The GOP has a massive woman problem, particularly in the suburbs, and figures in the party want to restrict divorce, ban IVF, and enforce the Comstock Act. So the number of people who are willing to risk all that over trans issues is simply not that big. There's a couple of pundits who keep pushing that, but it has never really been true.

If Trump wins, it's because he's lying through his teeth about immigrants and crime, not gender issues. The number of floating voters has become increasingly small. Winning depends on getting out your voters. At the moment, Trump's are slightly less committed, according to polls.

As in spend more time with an aged relative who has retired. As opposed to one working 14 hr days?

I heard one US commentator say that the best VP for KH would be Gretchen Whitmer (hope I've got her name right) but nobody would consider that having a female President and female Vice President would be acceptable.

Whereas 2 males has always been okay!

re Biden's health

I think we shouldn't let social media and Trump politicking mean he is at death's door.

Family may just be saying that by standing down as a candidate they will have time together as family which wouldn't happen if he had been elected for a second time.

I am not underestimating that it certainly seemed in the recent tv appearances that he was not functioning in a way that implied he was aware of what he was talking about (or even where he was).

And I think that is the most important part, whether he was incoherant or not, was it sensible for someone of his age to even consider running for a second term?

And without pointing fingers at anyone (too many want to blame his wife) did no one have the conversation before he said he want to stand for a second term.

Another aspect which worries me and it true here in the UK as much as the US, is judging people by how good they are on tv.

I want to know that if someone is going to be President or PM how they will react to being told Russia has fired a nuclear weapon, or that a hurricane meant that cities in the gulf area were going to be swamped.

I wish they were made to go through as sort of staged emergency situation.

There have been quite a few articles (now conveniently forgotton) that what made Biden so obstinate about staying of was the perceptions that large donors are too arrogant, and think that because they give money they can then say what is right and what is wrong.

And that Biden because of his background (Irish American?) that he has a huge chip of his shoulder of constantly being overlooked by the rich elite.

Clooney's intervention as a major fundraiser was said / rumoured to be that he could be the useful idiot. ie that encouraging him to go public about what was being said by normally supportive Democrates eg Obama if it back fired they could all go silly actor getting above himself. And apparently his OpEd made for instance some of the Democratic Black Women caucuses very angry and dismissed it as the perspective of a privilege white man.

But whatever the truth is it seems that firstly Donars, and then senior Democrats started briefing the media without going public.

ie egging on the media to say what none of them wanted to say.

Which doesn't mean he shouldn't have stood down, but the media makes politics such a circus I dont like the idea that they have the power to make things happen.

Because as we know quite often the media has its own or their owner's agenda.

Isn't it all a bit over dramatised ? Winston Churchill drank brandy and champagne with lunch and dinner every day. Sometimes had hock with breakfast! He also had a siesta in the afternoons. Maybe everyone should? I imagine he wasn't on the ball 24/7. But who is. You're electing someone to preside over the government. Not micro manage the whole thing personally.