Biden drops out of the 2024 presidential race, leaving the Democratic nomination open - CBS News
This is uncharted territory but might be the best chance our nation has at this point to prevent Trump from securing the power of the presidency.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
President Biden announced Sunday that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, a seismic event that will leave Democrats scrambling to select his replacement just weeks before their convention.
"While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for my term," Mr. Biden posted in a statement on social media.
Mr. Biden said he would address the nation later this week.
Former President Donald Trump, who was officially nominated by the Republican party on Thursday night, told CNN after the decision that Mr. Biden is the "worst president by far in the history of our country," but he said that he thought if Vice President Kamala Harris is the nominee, she would be easier to beat than Mr. Biden.
Never before has a sitting president and presumptive nominee dropped out of the race so late in the process, and Mr. Biden's decision to do so underscores the severity of the crisis that enveloped his campaign after his disastrous debate performance against Trump.
In the days following the debate, a growing chorus of Democrats openly expressed concern over the president's health and mental state, his ability to defeat Trump in November and his capacity to lead the country for four more years. The pressure to step aside steadily increased as Democratic lawmakers and governors went days without hearing from Mr. Biden directly, allowing questions about his future to swirl within the party ranks. And a growing number of Democrats on Capitol Hill publicly called for him to step aside.
In the weeks since the debate, the president tried to push back, insisting in a series of public appearances and meetings with Democratic elected officials that he was committed to staying in the race. "I'm not going anywhere," he vowed. But even longtime allies began to urge him to change course.
The pressure eventually became insurmountable, with top Democrats in Congress telling Mr. Biden that he should step aside and allow a replacement to face off against Trump in November.
Mr. Biden is the first sitting president who is eligible for reelection to decline to run again since President Lyndon Johnson stepped aside the spring before the 1968 election. Johnson's vice president, Hubert Humphrey, won the Democratic nomination that year and lost to Richard Nixon.
Only a handful of first-term presidents in American history have not sought a second term, the last being Rutherford B. Hayes, who declined to run again in the 1880 election. James Buchanan and James Polk also chose not to seek the presidency a second time. Calvin Coolidge, who assumed the presidency in 1923 after the death of Warren Harding, won his own term in 1924 and declined to seek another full term four years later.
A disastrous debate
For months, the Biden campaign and allies reassured the public that the president was up to the rigors of leading the free world, often dismissing questions about his age and fitness even as polls consistently showed Americans had concerns. Mr. Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term.
But on the night of the debate on June 27, over 50 million Americans watched the president, lacking his teleprompter and without notes, struggle not only to refute Trump, but to articulate his own policies. Mr. Biden, never the most eloquent speaker, repeatedly lost his train of thought and confused his answers, at one point saying his administration "beat Medicare."
The flubs baffled members of his own party, many of whom soon recognized the political peril of having Mr. Biden at the top of the ticket if the overwhelming majority of voters considered him not fit to serve.
Before winning the White House in 2020, Mr. Biden called himself a "bridge" to a new "generation of leaders," causing many to wonder if he would only serve one term. In the aftermath of the debate, he explained that his thinking had changed, and the divisiveness in the country led him to believe only he could defeat Trump.
After days of his campaign and other allies trying to contain the fallout, the dam had broken, and the president faced pressure from a growing number of Democrats on Capitol Hill to step aside and let a new nominee step up to the plate. He resisted that pressure for more than a week, defiantly and publicly stating that he would not drop his reelection bid. But he continued to misspeak in interviews and speeches, doing little to allay concerns about his ability to win in November.
Calls for him to step aside died down in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt of Trump on July 13. But behind the scenes, Democratic leaders in Congress were reportedly urging him to make his exit, and polls showed large majorities of Democratic voters saying they preferred a different nominee. News of that private pressure campaign began to break on July 17, coinciding with a call from powerful Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for Mr. Biden to drop out.
The Democratic National Committee also pushed back a virtual vote that would have cemented Mr. Biden's status as the nominee, saying on July 17 that plans for a quick resolution would be pushed back until August. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were said to have encouraged the party's rules committee to delay the vote.
What happens next?
States have already held their primaries, meaning Democratic voters have no time or mechanism to pick a replacement directly. At this point in the process, it's up to Democratic delegates — state and local party officials who were selected during the primaries — to decide who will replace Mr. Biden at the top of the ticket, either at August's Democratic National Convention in Chicago or beforehand. However it ultimately happens will be a logistical nightmare for Democrats in the weeks ahead.
The convention is scheduled to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago.
The party affirmed Friday it would hold a virtual roll call between Aug. 1-7 to formally select a nominee to ensure access to the ballot in Ohio. amid a dispute about the state's ballot certification deadline. Whether that happens now that Mr. Biden has dropped out remains to be seen.
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I think so, but it is a political Hail Mary.
I don't agree at all that it's a Hail Mary this is going to energize the Democrats maybe to a level they haven't been in a long long time
It is a Hail Mary because we are so late in the election season and thus are in entirely uncharted territory with many unknowns. If Biden had stepped out prior to the primaries then this would be an entirely different situation.
It didn’t work for Dems after Truman and Johnson. But they bowed out leaving more time the country to know their replacement candidates. Maybe it will work with only 3 months left.
I don't agree 3 months and a couple weeks is more than enough time to do what needs to be done
In the days before instantaneous communication it might not have been enough time but today no there is enough time
I said that less time might be an advantage since more time wasn’t in 56 or 68.
We will now get a very good idea of Trump's appeal outside of his cult.
The cult will of course stick with Trump. Will the Ds now coalesce around the new nominee? I think so.
So, as usual, the critical factor will be how the independents in the swing states compare Trump (78, with his historically considerable baggage and being unfit to hold any political office) with Harris (59, with her less than stellar performance as VP).
And he said communication then and now are light years apart, making it less of an issue.
So we agree, it’s less of an issue.
It will may also make Chicago more TV fun.
So the belief is democrats are going to react to being manipulated and told ridiculous lies about Biden's health for years, by getting even more excited to support one of the chief promoters of that lie? I guess alot of people cling to their abusers.
Truly cult like behavior from Democrats .
As you know, JR, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things" (The Shawshank Redemption) but when historian Allan Lichtman was right 9 times out of 10 and he predicts that Trump will beat Harris or any other Democrat now, the Dems are going to need more than your hopes and prayers.
I'm really starting to believe that the roadblocks, bans and walls that America has been dealing to China has invoked what has been reputed to be (although not proven) the ancient Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times" because I don't think anyone can deny right now that these are "interesting times".
I'm aware of what Lichtman said, but I think he's applying past criteria to what is a whole different kettle of fish this time.
Tell you what, JR. I see only one possibility for the Dems to beat the Republicans in November, and that is if most of the women of America have enough respect for themselves, for their personal rights and freedoms, and refuse to allow politicians and courts to dictate what they can and can't do with their own bodies, and they get off their asses and vote for their personal freedom in November, because if they don't it's because they want to remain "second class" and live out their lives as "handmaidens". There are a lot of women who DO have the motivation and intelligence to do what is best for themselves (and for the nation), but if enough had taken a stand already the Republicans would have been decimated by now. As for those who meekly acquiesce to their husbands' control, they can damn well LIE to their husbands that they voted for Trump and their Republican oppressors when they did otherwise, if they've got the balls to do the right thing.
Evening...
If a partner asked/told me who to vote for... it would be their first and last time..it is no one's business who votes for whom..
People seemed to be totally obsessed with who you vote for..and it's not even compulsory..
Thank goodness they only spent 15 minutes on the news tonight re Biden..was 30 minutes on Trump re the attempt..
There is hope for our media yet...
I think it's a dream that nobody is influenced by their spouses, peers and/or the media.
I doubt it. I've told this story plenty of times. Back in the late 1950s when I was the editor of my university newspaper our model was The Christian Science Monitor, not only for its format but also for its content - it was NOT then and still not a religious medium. Year after year back then it won the national award for being the LEAST biased newspaper. It has leaned somewhat left since then. The fact that that award is no longer presented to ANY newspaper is for obvious reasons.
It is very different here Buzz..out of all my rellies I would not know who votes for who.. couldn't tell you who my friends vote for and that is much the same everywhere..
No one really discusses it and no one cares..as it's no ones business...
If people stopped sprouting out who they do and don't might not be half the trouble in the States as there is now...
If political adds come on TV most people laugh and bag them out as everyone knows it's all BS and a standing joke..
What they say and actually do is two different things...most of the pollies have their snouts in the trough...
My grandfather wouldn't take my grandmother to vote on Election Day during most of their marriage. He was a Republican, she liked the Dems, but she never learned to drive. He was afraid her vote would cancel out his, so he just...wouldn't take her. So she didn't get to vote.
My Dad was so upset when he found that out. "I'd have taken her myself, if I'd only known." But she wouldn't say anything against Grandpa, and Dad left the house right after high school to join the Army, so he never knew.
It’s arguably the most patriotic thing he’s ever done. It’s extraordinarily hard for people to give up power - especially the level of power and control wielded by the President of the United States.
Fully agree. Also, it is incredibly difficult for a proud individual to acknowledge his own shortcomings.
it was an amazing act of patriotism, now seemingly unique to one party...
Exactly, people are still saying the same about LBJ.
Perhaps. Something struck me, this weekend, listening to all of the comments being made on the various networks though. I heard, repeated several times, when he "learned" he was stepping down as the nominee. Funny choice of terms, but I heard it more than once, from different people. Looking into that too much? Maybe. But still, very odd that this is the term chosen, learned.
I’d like to see that. Can you link to any of them?
... and there it is. I would have waited...
There is no way in hell that Kamala Harris can win a national election. Joe had no choice but to pass the torch to her but she is simply not qualified to carry it. The Dems are going to have to start fresh at the convention, and right now their stable is lacking any warhorses.
I think it is hilarious that 4 short years ago she had to drop from the race before any primary because no one wanted her, garnering less than one percent of the cote. Now, four years later, she is supposed to be the savior of the democratic party?
Do you think the lemmings that did not like her four years ago are going to go to the democrat drumbeat and do what they are told?
Have you forgotten that four years ago Vice President Harris gave President Biden the winning edge with women and minorities to whoop Trump's fat lying ass? Harris still has that big win going for her...
Exactly, everybody knows that many vote for the vice president and not the top of the ticket. The VP candidate may be more important to woman and minorities.
Interesting... Prior to the Trump shooting, Harris polled 3 points higher than Trump nationally - after it was tied. We'll see all sorts of polling this week, including in swing states and we'll know.
This is not difficult to comprehend.
The D party needs to quickly replace Biden. The logical choice for many reasons is Harris. Harris is not a strong candidate in my estimation but she is a decent one. And here is the key point, bugsy, when compared to Trump in terms of being presidential, integrity, age, intelligence, character, etc. she is a giant (as are most viable candidates).
Couple Harris with a grounded governor like Josh Shapiro and the Ds have a ticket that people could actually vote for rather than simply voting against Trump.
The nation (the electorate) now has the opportunity to put a team in the White House that is similar to all others in history rather than empower a vindictive, loose-cannon narcissist who demonstrably will abuse the powers of his office for his own purposes rather than serve the nation.
Good for him. Could have done it earlier, but I’m glad he’s doing it now.
She is of course the likely successor given her access to campaign funds and the fact that many people would expect the V.P. to move to the head of the ticket.
But these are very strange times and Harris is not (by far) the best candidate, so all bets are off as to what will now take place.
... looks like trump is wearing the "too old" yoke now. harris should be the leading choice and the VP choice is now critical.
Good point on old man Trump.
The VP choice is critical. As with Bush 43 and Obama, Harris needs a solid VP with gravitas.
It is hard to bypass the sitting VP as the lead on the ticket. If they go with Harris, I would expect her to pick one of the other leading candidates - Gretchen Whitmer, for example, would probably sew up Michigan nicely.
At this point, it might not be financially practical for anyone else to be the nominee.
Expect lawsuits challenging the funding mechanisms and the processes used to pick whomever is chosen for VP.
MAGA can say that they dislike the propensity to take things to the Justice System, but that is only when the lawsuit is against they or theirs. As we have seen on multiple occasions over many years, Trump et.al. have absolutely no compunction against filing for their interests, even if it is bullshit on the face of it.
Mark Kelly.
Good guy; great resume. I would prefer a governor though.
Yes, experience in the executive branch of a goverment would be a plus.
It has to be Harris and it will be Harris. To put a white guy in there over her would risk some of the black vote and the womens vote and I simply dont think they will take that risk.
Except she was never successful at anything Joe assigned her to.
Military, NASA, well educated, and most importantly is a democrat that won back to back elections in a republican state now a swing state and a border state and great name recognition.
He's certainly not a bad candidate at all, and I'd vote for him over many. It's just that, if I were able to have my druthers, those elections would have been gubernatorial rather than legislative. The jobs are just different, and call for different strengths.
I think he could do the job. But it would require a steeper learning curve than for somebody who had already been a governor or lieutenant governor.
Trump was a game show host and business con man and he got elected. The landscape has changed and I dont think "executive experience" will be a determining factor in the future.
I'm not talking about just getting elected. I'm talking about doing the job well. I think we can both agree that Trump did not, at least in part because he didn't know what the hell he was doing.
I understand what you are saying but I would go with him over some of the named candidates that are governors. Shapario has only been governor for a year.
A smart choice, I think.
I've posted a list of excellent, well-qualified candidates a couple of times on here the last few days and Mark Kelly is definitely on the list. I think he would be a great choice. I included at least three Governors - Andy Beshear, Roy Cooper and Tim Walz. Also from the Senate, I believe Michael Bennet, Mark Warner and Jack Reed would be excellent choices.
Bennett is a very attractive VP candidate...
Do you really think that they will challenge Harris and risk the wrath of the institutional Dem Party. If they did and lost in the general that would be the end of their national ambitions.
My comment presumed Harris is the head of the ticket. I was considering her running mate.
I think we are all discussing the VP candidate with Harris as the presumed top of the ticket.
At least I am since my comment @3 established the presumption of Harris as the presidential candidate.
According to MSNBC tonight, the party is quickly consolidating behind Harris. They are saying she may enough pledged delegates by the middle of the week.
And that makes sense. Harris is the easiest logistical path at this late stage. The Ds absolutely must consolidate behind a single candidate now to have any chance to pull this off.
I doubt they would sacrifice a Senator with the balance in the Senate being so close.
It will be most likely be a Governor
Walz is a great choice as are the others.
And it should be IMO. A governor brings the best executive experience possible to the executive branch (short of being an incumbent).
My comment was about possible Vice-Presidential picks. That seems to be obvious to everyone, except you apparently.
That is a very good point, SP.
Why? Their is no process or funding for picking a VP. If their is any issue it would be how Primary delegates were moved from Biden to whomever, but that can only be challenged by Party members AND after the Conference.
I too like Mark Kelly. He polls well, but so does Whitmer. I think the running mate will also dictate the campaign messaging. If it's Witmer it will be Women Power, if it's a guy like Kelly then it will anti-Trump extremism and a functioning government.
No one has expressed any thoughts on the House race. This is probably the number one reason Biden dropped out. With Biden on the Ticket, the Dems had written off flipping the House. This week changes that.
Because the Rs can. There was an FEC person on the radio this morning saying there were "questions" over the use of the campaign funds that Biden/Harris ticket had raised and whether or not it was legal to transfer those funds. Remember, this is the party of Trump and Trump has never been reluctant to bludgeon with litigation anyone who he sees as a threat. It is quite comical watching Trump play the "victim of the courts" when he has used them many times.
The CotUS is silent on the issue of selection of candidates, but that won't stop the Republican Propaganda Machine from making hay out of the "millions of voters who have been disenfranchised". It does not matter it's legality, and the Trump camp seems blind to irony.
I don't pretend to understand all the intricacies of campaign funding, but I would have to assume the Trump people would have no standing at any lawsuit. I don't see them showing direct harm.
Then that would be up to FEC to investigate and bring charges, not the RNC.
I'm reading online in more than one article that anything sent to the the Biden/Harris campaign can still be used by Harris. If someone else runs at the top of the ticket, all those funds sent directly to Biden/Harris would have to be returned.
agreed. the VP choice shouldn't sacrifice any advantage held in red or swing states unless the candidate is at the end of a term limited office.
As a tactic to disrupt the D recovery process.
They still need standing, and wasting time (and money) with frivolous lawsuits doesn't sound smart, so... yeah that first one should come today?
We have seen how well delay tactics and frivolous motions can work to one's advantage.
The only people having any authority here is the FEC and they would have to take the time to gather data and reports. Something that would take weeks, if not months.
The MAGA House might 'open and investigation'. Something they like to waste time on, but that does nothing.
I don't see any DC court entertaining any MAGA lawsuit on this issue. What data can they show prior to the Convention in Chicago? It would be worse than the election fraud cases that got thrown out. It wouldn't even slow down Dem campaign spending for a second.
The Ds need to scramble to ensure Harris is on the ballot in all 50 states. I fully expect MAGA lawsuits to try to hinder / delay that process.
Yeah. That's a different argument. Still I don't see where they can do much more than make noise. Courts traditionally err on the side to not disrupt candidates as they did with Trump. The nomination is not binding until the Convention vote next month. We'll see what shenanigans they try to pull, though.
I'm not familiar this source, but I here's what they have to say on ballot issue...
and on the funding issue..
Hard to predict what will happen, but to me it is easy to predict that the GOP will use every slimy trick it can think of to derail the Ds.
they seem to be very competent in alienating potential voters by promoting unamerican concepts...
The FEC Chairman was saying that the issue of funding would have to be looked at.
Interesting. So We've got a Republican on the FEC saying they are going to look at it and a Democrat on the FEC saying Harris already has her name on the paperwork and can still use it. They seem a little divided on the issue.
I'm 98% positive the courts will say they have no jurisdiction on federal election spending.
The FEC is divided with three Democratic members and three Republicans. It has been at a complete stalemate for years and nothing gets done. Unless something has changed recently it remains a toothless organization at this point. Because of the stalemate with a three to three split, I don't believe they have the ability to conduct any investigations despite what the Republican member says.
Even if an investigation is initiated, there is almost no time left to do anything before the election.
It won't even get to a court having to make a decision about the FEC's jurisdiction.
I agree it's ineffectual and the timeline is too tight. One guy online stated that there really is not transfer of funds anyway.
I was thinking we were talking about some Republican group trying to halt Harris campaign spending by filing a lawsuit in...say Texas or Louisiana. The courts would drop that pretty quick...
That's the contention that has been made over the last couple of weeks since the possibility of Biden dropping out of the race came up. I think it's valid.
Undoubtedly they would "forum shop" and file in the jurisdiction where the lunatic fringe Judge Kacsmaryk is the sole judge and gets assigned all of the cases. He would definitely grant their request.
That does not stop the Trump Campaign from claiming that it is crooked. That is all it has to do.
This is not about truth. The Trump campaign cares nothing for that.
This is not about Jurisprudence, because the Trump campaign cares less for that.
This is about winning at all costs. That is what Trump does. That is who Trump is.
The only way to beat him is to make him sound as foolish as he is as much of the time as possible. Point out and call out every fallacy. The true MAGA will not listen because he is their Savior... Or at least they think he is. But others can and will listen.
Point to the obvious lies and call them out. From what little I saw of the convention last week, it would seem that the prime objective of the Republican party was to paint the country as evil and week because of Democratic rule. Show that it is not. Show how the Biden administration brought much more to the table through peace and alliances than through isolationism.
Doesn't anybody want to beet the asshole Trump? He fucking wanted to remain in power even though the people had told him "No", even though everyone around him was telling him that he lost the election. I mean, for stick-to-it-iv-ness and remaining on message, he wins. So everyone must differentiate between his message of hate to the message of moving forward facing the challenges of the present.
He cares not one whit for democracy. The question we all have to ask ourselves is ," Do I?"
They are already doing that. It's partisan noise for the base. It doesn't help their cause.
I'm very eager to start seeing new polling numbers.
I expect to see two or three cases filed next week when Harris' name goes out to have ballots printed, but the timeline is so tight now it works against plaintiffs. I expect at least one to be upheld by a partisan judge and then overruled within hours on appeal.
This link is very instructive:
The election laws in the three states the Republicans have mentioned for bringing their challenge are totally contrary to the Republican's scheme.
The real challenge Harris might face is if the activist right wingers on the Supreme Court decide to help the Republicans despite what the law is.
She'd be great, but traditionally there should be some differences between Pres and VP candidates. Usually that would be geographical-- if one was a Southerner the other should be from another part of the country-- not another Southerner. And if one was a New Englander the other from a different area.
Similarly, if one is a woman, the other should be a man.
Here are several possibilities-- i think most would be good choices and add a lot to the ticket:
IMO any of these would add the most to the ticket: Sen. Kelly (Arizona), Gov. Beshear (Kentucky), Gov. Shapiro (Pennsylvania).
I see there was a formal complaint filed with the FEC yesterday by the Trump campaign. It barely made a ripple in the news cycle. The Trump campaign lawyer conceded it wouldn't be resolved before the election.
I also see some shit for brains House Rep from Tn submit articles of impeachment for Harris saying she lied about Biden's mental state for 3 years. It's freakin' ridiculous.
Do you think many voters still think like this? I honestly don’t know. It strikes me as a relic from the 18th and 19th centuries, when people still identified as Virginian, Pennsylvanian, etc. Maybe at a regional level?
In my gut, I don’t think it would be a great idea for Harris to pick a running mate from the West Coast, but maybe no one cares about that anymore.
There is one thing for sure about this though. It is making Putin and China scramble to send new talking points to the republican party.
Trumps complaining that Biden is cheating and caused the GOP to waste their entire RMC convention on the wrong candidate.
Priceless.
Yeah, Democrats should be so proud of lying to the American people about who they intended to nominate. You tricked the American people by failing to follow our institutional norms, again. Yay for cheating!
Your comment is insane. There really is no other way to describe it.
It wasn't Biden's fault the GOP wasted their whole convention on Trump.
This is funny as hell, is it not? Trump whining about Biden being unfair. What a man-child.
Funny doesn't even half describe it. It's absolutely hilarious. And he sounds desperate.
... it's hilarious. the maga party has been caught flat-footed and tagged on the chin.
You're going to hear them complain that the democrats should not be allowed to throw in a pinch hitter. They've spent 4 years and multiple House investigations to try (and fail) to tear down Biden, democrats should not be allowed to throw all that republican time, effort and money away.
Seriously, what will Comey and Jordan do for the rest of the session?
molest underage congressional interns?
Biden is out of the race, his history in congress is no longer relevant.
His history carries the weight of his endorsement behind it.
update their grinder profiles?
Did you mean Putin and Xi Jinping or Russia and China?
That is true .
Spread lies and disinformation, aka, more of the same.
All Democrats were lying about who they wished to nominate?
Or maybe just some?
(Which ones, specifically, do you think were lying?).
Dems raised over $60M yesterday after this news.
Pollsters will be out in force this week, including in swing states. We'll have an idea what's current, so by next months Conference where the party is likely to go. I don't expect any serious challenges to Harris. I'm curious what her messaging will be in in run up to the Conference. I think Dems need something to uplift and energize them. And who will now be her running mate?
$80 million in online small donations in 24 hours...
It's now over $100 million in online donations and some of the big donors withholding donations from Biden have publicly backed Harris.
the only statistic trump understands. I can almost hear trump blaming his idiot son eric from here.
There were some left slanted articles in my newsfeed last night talking about how Trump might now be second guessing his VP pick as Vance was chosen to energize the MAGA base against what they expected would be a sure win over Biden. Now that Harris is the presumptive nominee he's a liability and Harris can quote all the shitty things Vance has said about women. Again they were partisan sites and pretty much quoted each other, but it was funny.
I've seen a few of those articles and heard a discussion about it on NPR I think...
I've heard a lot more about it, and I really like the implosive potential...
gee, it seems maga can't be happy with their god, or their demigod's decisions or performance...
Here in Appalachia, there are all kinds of memes about how he's a fake "Appalachian."
My favorite one was "J. D. Vance puts his cast iron in the dishwasher."
That is a good one
So who do you think would be be the best candidate?
Tim Walz and Josh Harden are my first choices. But if either of those are VP I will be pleased.
I know Walz sent in requested info to the vetting team.
If Harris moves to the top of the ticket, then the Ds do at least have the opportunity to bring in a solid V.P. like Tim Walz or Josh Shapiro.
I would like to see Pete Buttigieg but not sure the USA is sufficiently objective enough, in 2024, to support a gay V.P.
Black voters will have an oversized influence on the VP selection. I'm not sure any of the names you mention would get the approval of Black voters.
Kamala Harris has to turn out the Black vote to have any chance. And it's not clear that Harris, by herself, can turn out Black voters. Harris will need a VP that can shore up her left flank, too. IMO Walz, Shapiro, or Buttigieg would be a liability under current circumstances. Time is too short for the electorate to get to know the VP pick so whoever is selected must garner attention right out of the gate.
So, who? Stacy Abrams? Raphael Warnock? Cori Bush?
If the head of the ticket is both Black and Female, I do not think the Ds need to worry about picking a VP in order to attract that demographic.
Which is why they might go for Buttigieg
Why would they 'go for' Buttigieg?
Biden's support among Black voters was softening. There is a tradeoff between independent/suburban voters and Black voters. Keep in mind that Harris is from the west coast which won't be an advantage in this situation. Harris can't give up one of those voting blocs and expect to win.
Obama had Biden (the moderate with name recognition) to hold independents/suburbia. And Obama had a full campaign season. Harris is 2nd and doesn't have the same advantages. Assuming that Harris can hold the Black voter bloc just because she is Black would be a dangerous assumption.
Buttigieg might have an advantage because he has been more visible on the national stage. But I'm not sure Buttigieg can come across as a moderate. That means Harris would have to assume a more moderate position. Harris has to stay the course; she can't rock the boat.
The Black voter bloc is not likely to exit from the Ds to Rs and exit from a black, female nominee to an old, white, vindictive narcissist scoundrel.
The issue in 2024 is still the independent voters in swing states.
Well, duh. But that's not the problem, is it? The problem is enthusiasm and turnout. That's always been the problem with minority and special interest voters.
Same problem Biden had. Harris has to stay the course and not rock the boat. That means Harris won't have the time to focus attention on minority and special interest voters. That's gonna be the job of the VP pick. Too many of the swing state are in play so I'm not sure one of the governors will help that much. Harris is going to need a rock star VP with recognition and political cred for minority voters.
Harris basically has 10 to 12 days to put together a ticket and secure the delegates. Yeah, it's likely they'll fall in line but any sort of insurgence will attract a lot more attention than usual. The DNC convention is going to be really, really weird this time. The party business will be done well before the convention. And I'm not sure a mega-rally in Chicago will be as effective as time on the stump out in the states.
The risk for Democrats is they look fake and phony. A state-by-state roll call vote of the delegates will be pointless. And Harris doesn't need to give an acceptance speech if she is already the official nominee. It's going to be an unconventional convention. And there's still the potential for protests and political violence (from the political left) breaking into the news cycle.
You were the one raising the significance of this bloc; don't give me that 'duh' bullshit.
There is no predicting this at this point Nerm.
based upon some issues independents may have had with biden, I'm speculating that we'll soon see evidence of a noticeable difference one way or another and it will favor harris. either way, a stark comparison of a healthy party versus a party that has rotted from the inside has been presented to the voters.
funny, I got the impression that nerm didn't think harris was black enough.
The hallucinations are getting stronger.
What is Black enough?
Black enough for what? Black Jobs?
What's next? A New Brown Bag Test?
Get Outta Here!
I have a hard time understanding how a genuine independent would consider voting for Trump. And now that the Ds will likely have a fit, youthful, experienced, energetic candidate who is not a scoundrel the choice, one would think, is crystal clear.
Supposedly, "she" raised $50 Million in the last 8 hours.
As you can probably tell, I find the choice in a Harris v. Trump matchup to be obvious. Outside of blind partisanship and / or a fantastic (i.e. the MAGA crowd) portrayal of Trump as a religious, powerful hero of the people, what sound-reasoning would result in voting for a proven scoundrel like Trump?
Trumps complaining that Biden is cheating and caused the GOP to waste their entire RMC convention on the wrong candidate.
The noise from trump, Vance, McConnell, Mike's Johnson and Scalise sounds like they live in a different country.
It's all hysterical lies and exaggerations ala Goebbels.
Priceless.
Unfortunately there is plenty of proof that there are 50 million examples of people who believe the Trump lies.
How funny. The election is rigged! What a predictable moron Trump is.
Freudian slip?
Exactly, they are like Goebbels and now is like the 1930’s.
I didn’t know that Freud wore a slip.
No.
Except for the airlines, reliable hot and cold running water, electricity, the internet, atomic energy, HVAC
and trail mix?
Pearl Jam
He wore high heels also.
Is that not a great statement on American democracy?
Above $100 million now
So it not really like Goebbels 4.1.16
Wow, they had really lost faith in Joe.
It certainly speaks to the power of donors.
Beth Liebling is Black?
They hadn't lost faith in Joe. They have been energized by a candidate whom they can vote for.
I don’t see the distinction you are making. Joe kept their faith in Joe but couldn’t vote for him?
So sad about Freud.....
If you say so, I’ve never been sad about Freud.
I did not see anyone draw the comparison between this time and the 1930's.
I did see, however, the allusion to Goebbels' infamous quote about lying repeatedly and the fools that one could gather by doing so.
Exactly, that’s why Obama became the first to give up public funding, his 2008 decision marked the beginning of the end for the public funding of democracy in the US.
Not at all. Instead of voting against the lying piece of excrement that Trump is they can vote positively without holding their noses. This election is hers to lose.
How long have you thought that voting for Joe required holding your nose?
I am not the one who is thinking that. Other people, according to many reports, were. It is the whole ageist thing (amongst other issues). I happen to agree with many of the policies and aims of the current administration.
So Dems are simply ageist, without evidence(
Why do you persist in mislabeling and misinterpreting my commentary? If there is a way to misconstrue, you do seem to.
I disagree.
Here's why: they already have the top of the ticket (Pres. nominee) considered to be "Black". So the fact that one of the top two is Black would make it OK-- they don't need both spots!
Disagree all you want. The tradeoff for Democrats has always been between Black voters and independent voters. That's why Democrats run split tickets. The way Democrat politics works, Harris cannot pander to both the Black demographic and moderate independents at the same time -- the politics of the two voting blocs oppose each other.
Another thing to consider is that Kamala Harris is west coast and second generation immigrant. Harris may not be black enough to satisfy Black voters.
I don't know what you mean by mislabeling. Misinterpretation is generally a factor of unclear communication or my ignorance, take your pick.
To wit:
I was talking of the voters/public in general not specifically the Democratic Party or Democratic voters. My whole comment 4.1.39 :
The blue text I forgot, and as soon as I read my comment, added. I believe you commented in the interim while I was correcting my omission. I am not a Democrat. I lean towards liberal libertarianism (lower case libertarian). I do not like political parties because they become entrenched, make up issues, and then use those issues to divide the people up so that they can remain in power. So, I have no particularly clear insight into the Democratic partisan mind nor do I have any particular insight into the Republican Partisan mindset. I can make observations and discuss how I think they fit into the larger scheme of things. You know, give my opinion.
Once upon a time this site (and it's predecessor) was a place to have discussions with people of disparate opinions and to have reasonable and logical debates. Through this process of discussion and debate everyone learned and hopefully grew in understanding.
Somewhere along the line the tenor of the debate became infected with partisan fervor. Members grew less able to concede any point; less able to admit they were incorrect on a factual basis, even when shown to be so. Now we are reduced to largely minute snippets of snark and incomplete information mixed with mis- and dis-information that when it gets called out rolls on like it was never questioned. Like the answers to, "Who won the 2020 Presidential election?" and "Was the 2020 Presidential election free and fair?"
Did you know that one of the devices a troll uses is to get his victims to write lengthy responses to snarky questions?
The race is now a prosecutor versus a convict.
I believe Democrats will consolidate immediately and strongly behind Harris and that independents/swing voters and never Trump Republicans will be on board.
Democrats know there is one primary objective in this election, defeating Trump.
The Democratic donor pipeline will open up with a flood of cash.
The only question is who the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate will be from a list of very good choices.
Vance was an absolutely terrible pick by Trump and we thank him for that.
Biden's historic, patriotic and selfless decision will act as the catalyst for Trump's final political demise.
Given the amount of "loyal" people in the Democratic Party who were asking him to, he didn't have much choice. Let's just hope that they can form ranks march in a straight line as well as MAGA voters can.
I agree, the Ds had already poisoned his chances. All the Rs had to do was play Ds demanding Biden step down with the caption "Even Democrats do not want him" or any number of equivalents.
It is impossible to say if this will result in a win for the Ds, but at this point it seems as though replacing Biden is the only shot they have.
I am not at all thrilled with Harris at the top of the ticket, but she could get a solid VP and, regardless, Harris is far better for this nation than Trump (hard to find a viable candidate who is worse for this nation than Trump).
Biden still had strong support, and he had a choice. The choice he made was to leave the race. Now the choice will fall to the American voters, and I believe that the majority will enthusiastically choose to vote for Harris, especially in light of the truly dismal alternative.
No, know the choice falls to the Dem delegates and superdelegates.
[✘]
No, there will be some process and not a coronation, but the nomination of Harris is a fait accompli (or maybe not. Who knows?) The choice for the American voters is between the Democratic candidate and the Republican criminal.
It is difficult to predict how this will unfold, but I strongly suspect the Trump campaign would have preferred Biden stay in the race.
Of course. Politics is unpredictable no matter what anyone's opinion might be.
I'm sure they would have. They've been gearing up to run against Biden, and now they will have to change their focus in a very short period of time. Too bad for them. I hope they choke on it, figuratively that is.
I agree, the trump campaign's ability to adapt is already hamstrung because a micro mismanager is now in charge.
Do you really believe that?
Pretty much.
As much as Richard and the other confused individuals on here were claiming that Nancy Pelosi had it in for Harris and would never let her run... Ah, well. I guess that her endorsement is really not that important
Snicker
I don’t see the relationship between your reply and my question to Gsquared concerning 5.1.5
Of my Republican friends, they are all very unhappy Biden quit.
Harris campaign raised 27 million dollars this afternoon.
it's north of that by now...
47.5 last I heard.
just broke 50
... in less than 8 hours. that's the kind of statistic that even maga can easily interpret...
Kamala is taking it to the man.
$100+ million cash in 48 hours. I can almost hear trump berating his son eric from here...
Who is Harris with?
Doug Emhoff.
I have to say, it would be a nice change to have a First Couple who doesn't look like one member is going to wake up with a nail file sticking out of his chest.
... more like eyes or neck.
Why would Jill do that?
Who gives a shit? Trump and his anointed heir are facing real competition that America can vote for and not against.
Maybe JBB gives a shit although his memes can be hard to understand. 5.3
Meh. Some septagenarians differ. Though to be fair I am merely penta
It’s hard to get them all to agree.
Usually pretty easy to get the first six to agree--- but its the seventh one that often creates problems!
President Biden just jumped from middle of the pact to the top tier of Greatest American Presidents...
If he stepped down today he would be voted the best.....he wouldn't be able to mess it up anymore.
President Biden is busy whooping Putin and trying to make peace in the Middle-East...
Yes because being a quitter far longer than you should have dropped out makes you great. S/
It really doesn't matter who the Dems nominate, the electorate is going is going to be voting on the issues, mainly on the economy and immigration among other things. The voters are trending toward Trump and the Republicans on most issues, and this abrupt change on the Dem side will probably not help them very much.
Well, economy goes to Biden since he has beaten Trump in almost every standard of measuring it.
Immigration goes against Trump since he blocked one of the most robust immigration laws in history, as written by one of the most conservative republicans in the Senate.
Exactly, the economy is what was keeping Biden ahead in all the polls, especially in the swing states.
You’re right, immigration was also a winning issue for Harris.
don't forget the runaway crime wave sweeping the nation, with the exception of those politically victimized of course... /s
Sorry, I am talking facts not republican gaslighting.
Not all of them.
-----------
let the fun begin
she's sharp and quick, and she's coming out swinging, old white conservative xtian's aren't going to like that.
They are not going to be able to steamroll her the way they did Biden.
MSNBC is saying this was the biggest fund raising single day in Democratic Party history. Over 30 million in one afternoon.
Exactly, just like in the 2020 primaries.
Good deal, big money talks.
They were small donors.
I think we're going to find that Harris has grown as a campaigner from 2020 til now. That is what happens.
So she’s must bet at asking for money.
I don’t call Harris supporters small.
The 30 million dollar total has now been updated to 47.5 milllion.
Well whatever that means, she hasn't asked anyone for anything yet.
Small dollar donors aren't waiting for permission from the big dollar donors they are showing their support with their wallets.
Just like Playdoh.
There was a few articles in my news feed last week about large donors holding off some $90M waiting on Biden to step down. We'll be hearing about that soon too.
large donors holding off some $90M waiting on Biden to step down
but he wasn’t forced out, right?
Kamala Harris' presidential campaign raises nearly $50 million since Biden endorsement | Fox News
I don't really care if he was.
The Big Money-Rush
The conservative response to all this has seemed more like looming desperation than anything else.
That's, because they remember the brilliant campaign she ran in 2019
It was the Buddha I think who said "things change", which is the way the world works.
Politicians routinely grow better in all aspects of communication on the national stage once they have had some practice at it.
It would be completely normal and expected to see that from Kamala Harris too.
Of course, I read a recent WashPost article about how her filmed awkward or silly moments have been turned into TikTok gold and are a hit with the younger generation.
He certainly was pressured to quit. That is obvious. And it took quite a bit of pressure even with his debate performance and inability to recover from same in subsequent interviews and pressers. If an incumbent wants to run, it is very difficult to counter that.
Hopefully it will turn out to be a good move for the Ds and Trump will be denied the power of the presidency.
The question now becomes will the Dems endorse Kamala or will there be a contender for the nomination? Time is a factor too.
She has already well surpassed the delegates needed for the nomination. The Ds are going with her.
Correct!
Nope.
No longer relevant.
breaking news: Senator Playdoh has just announced she's no longer running-- and she ain't playin' around!
Maybe she just doesn't have the doh.
She probably didn’t write it. Was not a word salad
You might be right. More and more folks lately are turning to Chat GPT to write their stuff.
Maybe I should use CatGPT to do my next movie game.
I wonder-- is this the first time in a political race where we have we have a former DA going up against a convicted felon?
Well, for sure it's the first time a convicted felon is a candidate.
One of the questions swirling around now is if the Democrats are going to hold a primary to let the people decide or are they going to install somebody possibly against what the people want.
They almost certainly will not. There is not enough time.
And that may not sit well for some.
Of course not. It is impossible to satisfy everyone. But we have never faced something like this in our history. We have no precedent to guide the path. But what is clear is that the Ds are on an extremely short runway so they will be forced, out of necessity, to forego time-consuming processes (e.g. a primary).
Personally, it does not bother me a bit. Harris is a better candidate than Biden (at this stage) and thus is better equipped to prevent Trump from gaining the powers of the presidency.
On this we will have to disagree. Harris' record (as an escort, a prosecutor, senator or VP) is not one to boast about. Her inability to articulate will be a serious problem on the world stage.
a mixed race woman as the D candidate for POTUS will be kryptonite to both racists and thumpers in the rwnj coalition. I'm anxious to witness the future verbal acrobatics trump will utilize to avoid all future debates.
Sure, Jeremy, Harris not only achieved a law degree and passed the bar, but was elected DA, then AG, then Senator, and finally V.P. But in spite of people voting her into higher offices with more responsibility you think that means nothing.
Are you seriously trying to compare Harris with Trump in terms of ability to articulate? Do you ignore Trump's meandering, pointless speeches?
No doubt Harris will drive the point home that Trump was the lynch pin that killed Roe v Wade and hindered the personal choices of all women in the USA.
How did trump hinder the personal choices of women in states that have kept the same laws or made abortion easier since Dobbs?
I hope the right wingers keep shrieking that stupidity because it's going to send EVERY woman in the country to the polls to vote for Harris.
Harris' record (as an escort, a prosecutor, senator or VP) is not one to boast about. Her inability to articulate will be a serious problem on the world stage.
What was so hard to understand about my comment? It's hard to studder in a forum like this.
So you think we aren't permitted to look at her full history. Good think I'm not you.
hilarious projection.
That question ignores all the states who have now enacted legislation that restricts abortions.
Those are the cases where the Trump-seeded SCotUS Roe v Wade decision affects women.
This should not need to be explained.
That's about as full of shit as Director Cheatle today.
it's got to be tough to find sane employees willing to take a bullet for a useless pile of shit felon...
So you think we aren't permitted to call out reactionary propganda for the bullshit it is. Definitely very good think I'm not you.
good think you didn't studder...
That, too.
Never said that. I merely mentioned her background.
Lol. YOu claimed it hindered the choices of ALL women. That's silly. Words have meaning
Is this the best you can do ... nit picking ... incorrectly?
This is the point I made:
The point is that Harris will appropriately peg Trump for reversing Roe v Wade. Roe v Wade provided ALL women in the USA the option for an abortion. That nationwide option is gone and is now up to the individual states.
And as I noted, this was an unpopular reversal.
Clearly you have no rebuttal as evidenced by your pathetic attempt to nit pick.
Civil rights laws are national.
2nd amendment rights are national.
1st amendment rights are national
etc.
but abortion rights should be decided by the states? This makes no sense other than that is what has been decreed by a partisan Supreme Court.
An earlier SC decided that there IS a right to abortion nationally, and that ruling from the 1970's was overturned by the Roberts court.
Women should not have to travel to another part of the country to get health care. The Congress will one day have to address this. The whole country should be one way or the other, not piecemeal.
Obviously.
In fact, that's why she's hardly been able to hardly raise any money at all so far!
She doesn't have to-- he's only too willing to do it himself!
Trump: "I Got Rid of Roe v. Wade"
Maybe she articulates in French. She spent 3 of her high school years in Montreal.
And they are in the constitution.
It's not a constitutional matter. Hence the SCOTUS ruling.
Then take it up with their state government where it is easier to effect change.
Possible Harris running mates...
Issues here are name recognition. Most Americans don't know most of these people, or where they stand. Apparently Harris had a phone call with Gov Shapiro yesterday.
I think it will be from a swing state, which narrows it to the top 3 on the list plus Kelly.
I'm not sure sitting governors want to give up their perch to be vice president, so my guess would be Mark Kelly.
I really like Mark Kelly, but I'm not going to make any predictions on this topic. All I can say is, before this weekend I'd never heard of Josh Shapiro and this weekend his name has been all over my news feed.
Living here in Arizona, I hear very little from Mark Kelly except when his staff sends out fund raising requests. But I've never forgiven him for his stunt where he attempted to buy an AR-15 and walk out the door with it but the sale didn't get done and he later said he was trying to do so in order to show how easy it was to buy an AR-15 and he planned on giving it to the Tucson Police Dept. But on the ATF form 4473 there is a section where the purchaser must declare if they are purchasing the gun for someone else and he marked it as a purchase for himself. To lie on that form is a felony crime, for a sitting Senator to lie like that should have been bigger news. I suspect had a Republican done so the cry to prosecute would have been heard far and wide.
I don't like it when politicians make stupid and blatant lies and I've never voted for him after that stunt.
If that's the worst thing he's done since becoming a Senator, I can live with it. I'm not voting for Dems. I've voting against the MAGA stupid.
yeah, right ...
Once she picks one they will know-- there will be a lot of coverage.
Well that seals it. Pelosi just endorsed Harris with "immense pride". ............./S
Does anyone have anything timely on Democratic Delegates? The WaPo has something a half hour ago, but it's behind a paywall. Everything else I've found is dated yesterday.
PBS Newshour 2 hrs ago
Also:
And three of her high school years were spent in Montreal, Canada, when her mother had a research position at McGill University - so she has Canadian experience which IMO is a pretty good thing.
I just got polled from Emerson College...
Thread 15 removed for no value.