This Sunday we witnessed the shocking exit of President Joe Biden from the 2024 White House race, a logical end to a troubled campaign marked by a disastrous debate performance against the indomitable Donald Trump. His departure inevitably has led to speculation about his fitness for the top job, just a mere few months from the election.
Following Biden’s retreat, Vice President Kamala Harris is being pushed into the limelight, now the default Democratic candidate to battle Trump. Being thought of as the torchbearer of a flailing party by default rather than by strength paints a sobering picture of the state of the Democratic party.
The director of the Secret Service is scheduled to appear before a congressional committee on Monday amidst increasing demands for her resignation in light of security lapses at a Trump rally. These failures allowed a young assassin just 20 years old to infiltrate the rally, a shocking breach given the stringent security measures in place for Presidential candidates.
The oversight committee will witness the director’s first public appearance since the catastrophic security lapse on July 13 at a Pennsylvania rally that unfortunately led to the death of an attendee. The ease with which the gunman had access to Trump, despite the purported tight security, has infuriated lawmakers.
As Biden decided to withdraw from the race on Sunday morning, Vice President Kamala Harris had multiple conversations with him, presumably in a bid to finalize their strategy. In a strangely casual and almost undignified attire of a Howard University sweatshirt and workout sweats, Harris spent the day holed up at her residence.
From her residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, Harris logged in more than 10 hours on phone calls to party members, governors, labor leaders, and members of advocacy groups. It appeared she was keen to assert her independence, emphasizing her intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination on her own merit.
During a televised appearance, a comment was made by an individual stating Harris’ credentials as ‘smart and strong’, serving as a good future president. Adjectives such as kind and empathetic were used to describe Harris, perhaps in a bid to add a touch of emotion to the otherwise lacking Democratic party narrative.
Referring to her career in prosecution, the speaker went on to suggest that Harris was ready to assume the mantle of presidency. Continuing the overtures, he also suggested that he would do whatever it took to support her, a bold claim that could be dismissed as pure rhetoric.
Defying the popular sentiment, this individual had managed to hold on to his governorship in a Republican-leaning state even in the face of Trump-supported opposition. This seems as evidence of pockets of resistance against the overwhelmingly popular wave of support for Trump.
In a rather patronizing compliment, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel lauded Biden’s exit from the race, equating it to courage to accept his age and subsequent incapability. This implies that the Democratic leadership may be out of touch with the demands of a strenuously demanding role.
A series of endorsements from various party members followed the announcement, most notably from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democratic senator from New York, who awkwardly praised Harris as a resolute advocate for families, workers, and justice. It’s worth noting that Gillibrand had ridden against Harris in the 2020 Democratic presidential race.
Gillibrand iterated that Harris’ background as a prosecutor, legislator, and a global leader made her incredibly well-suited for the role. With a rallying cry, Gillibrand encouraged a united front, stating that Harris has the tenacity to triumph over The People’s Champion, Donald Trump.
Interestingly, ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, reported a significant surge in small-dollar donations to support Harris’ campaign. Even with Biden’s campaign and affiliates with sufficient cash on hand, it’s noteworthy that the Republican National Convention reported edging them out in campaign funds back in June.
Trump’s campaign had consistently criticized Biden and his policies, underscoring his blunders, and enjoying their anticipated rematch. However, they had also anticipated Biden’s exit and prepared a series of critiques against Vice President Kamala Harris, which they let loose after Biden’s shocking announcement.
It is no surprise that the change in the Democratic landscape less than four months before the Election Day brings a new set of challenges for Trump’s team. While they were primarily contrasting Trump’s youthful energy and mental sharpness with Biden before, now they have to do the same with Harris.
Clamoring to fill the void left by Biden’s exit, various Democratic groups are scrambling to support Harris as their nominee at the upcoming convention. However, it appears the Democratic National Committee Chair is cautioning against a hasty coronation and emphasizing a transparent process to move forward, a sentiment that might reflect an internal division within the party.
Biden Drops Out, Harris Steps Up: A Shakeup in 2024 Race appeared first on Real News Now.
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