President Joe Biden’s chances of winning re-election are not a sure thing, and as time goes by, it becomes even more apparent that the American public has serious doubts about his ability to perform his duties. Polling has shown that people are concerned about the president’s age and cognitive acuity. Democrats are increasingly worried that this might be an issue for his campaign.
But at least some have floated an idea that they believe could help drag him over the finish line: Dump Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate.
A number of columnists have penned op-eds suggesting that the president choose someone else to partner with him in his quest for a second term.
Several columnists have an idea on how to make President Joe Biden more electable in 2024: Drop Vice President Kamala Harris and pick a new running mate.
Yes, voters think Biden may be too old to serve another four years, according to recent polls, but three columnists believe that a stronger running mate will gain traction in the country or even in the party.
David Ignatius wrote a piece arguing that the president “could encourage a more open vice-presidential selection process that could produce a stronger running mate.”
Eric Levitz recommended that Biden go with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Raphael Warnock, or another Democratic lawmaker.
Central to the issue is Harris’ abysmal approval ratings.
As of Sept. 12, 39% of registered voters had a favorable opinion of Harris and 54% had an unfavorable opinion — a net rating of -15 percentage points, according to a Times average.
In June, Harris hit a record low for vice presidents, with a paltry 32 percent of respondents indicating they held a positive view of the VP.
To put it simply, Harris isn’t doing Biden any favors by being his second in command.
Of course, this puts the president in a rather tricky position – I’ll give you three guesses as to why.
Yep, you guessed it: If Biden ditches Harris, progressives will call him racist, sexist, and mean. Indeed, one of the biggest factors Democrats touted about his campaign in 2020 was that he chose a quasi-black woman to serve as his running mate. They had high hopes for Harris, which were quickly dashed when the nation realized she lacked competence and the ability to communicate effectively.
That being said, those suggesting that Biden part ways with Harris are right, of course. She is not doing anything to help his chances of winning re-election and could become even more of a liability in the future. In reality, he could just choose another black woman to replace her, which might go a long way toward assuaging the woke concerns of the hard left.
But the point might be moot, given the fact that Biden has already said he would continue with Harris as his running mate. If he sticks to his guns, then Democrats will have to find another way to counteract concerns about his age and evident cognitive problems. If this fails, then their best hope might be putting former President Donald Trump, who will likely be the Republican nominee, behind bars. Even then, victory is anything but a foregone conclusion for the current president.