Joe Biden has reportedly become more open in recent days to hearing arguments that he should step aside as the Democratic presidential candidate after the party’s two main congressional leaders told him they doubted his ability to beat Donald Trump.
While continuing to insist he will be the party’s nominee in November, the president has reportedly started asking questions about negative polling data and whether Vice-President Kamala Harris, considered the favourite to replace him if were to withdraw, fares better.
The indications of a possible rethink come after Biden tested positive on Wednesday for Covid-19, forcing him to isolate for several days while curtailing a campaigning visit to Nevada that had been part of a drive to show his candidacy was very much alive.
It also coincides with fresh polling data showing that he now trails Trump by two points in Virginia, a state he won by 10 points in 2020.
I’m holding out hope for Newsom. The unfortunate truth is that too many Americans are racist and/or sexist, and the combination of those factors could sink Harris (who, it should be said, I would happily vote for).
There are a lot of people out there who are desperate to vote for someone who isn’t Biden or Trump. The buzz and excitement generated by an entirely new ticket (Newsom-Whitmer?) would blow Trump out of the water.
As a Californian, I’m always surprised when people think Newsom has a chance. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say I’m a fan but I think he’s done a lot of good (just wish he’d distance himself from PG&E especially) but I always rather assumed that in today’s political climate, anyone from California is considered toxic. Is that not the case?
Among the GOP certainly. But we aren’t counting on their base voting for him.
Harris is from CA too.
I’m quite aware; I voted for her!
You and I are in lockstep on this. Whitmer, I think, would help to deliver Michigan.
I still would like to see Kamala in the Cabinet. She now has plenty of foreign experience. I think she would do well as Secretary of State or perhaps even Attorney General.
Yes, surely bypassing the current VP who is both black and a woman in favor of a white man will go over super well.
It’s Harris or Biden. That’s the choice.
Since I never hear anything about this angle-
The other reason it kinda “has to” be Harris if it isn’t Biden, relates to campaign finance rules. If he steps aside, she can continue to use their campaign funds.
If it’s neither, then whoever is nominated basically has to start fresh raising money, and with a huge time disadvantage.
ELIF why they’d have to raise money? Campaign money is used to campaign, which you also said they wouldn’t have much time to do. So… Why would they need gobs of money?
No it fucking isn’t. The only thing Harris is good at is being an argument that Biden should stay in the race because she’d lose it even worse.
Ok, so voter groups aren’t monolithic but do you honestly think the optics of passing over a black woman who currently is #2 to have two wholly unrelated candidates be on the ballot (or keeping her as the VP choice) will be lost on black voters?
Just like everyone else here- people are throwing out wishlist bullshit without thinking of the actual political ramifications.
If you were to listen to half the people here you’d have tossed the incumbency advantage even before Biden did that debate, nominated AOC, and ensured a Mondale style wipeout repeat.
I think that Harris is an extremely hard sell as a former prosecutor who has really poor approval polling. If we made sure the ticket included someone who has done real work for minority communities then I don’t think it’d be a serious issue.
I was strongly opposed to Harris getting the VP slot in the first place and I think she’d genuinely struggle to win against Trump.
I dont know why anyone likes Newsom. Whitmer is a far better choice.
I don’t know specifically about Newsom but I do have to agree that there may be people in the middle who really don’t want to Trump but really won’t vote for a woman, let alone one who isn’t lily white. They won’t necessarily vote for Trump but they don’t necessarily need to. Just not voting at all could do it. That said anyone who isn’t an independent is (I effing hope) voting against Trump no matter what.