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9:26 am, July 22nd, 2024 - 80 comments
Categories: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, us politics -
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from RNZ
US President Joe Biden dropped his faltering re-election bid on Sunday, amid intensifying opposition within his own Democratic Party, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the party’s candidate against Republican Donald Trump.
Biden, 81, in a post on X said he will remain in his role as president and commander-in-chief until his term ends in January 2025. He has not been seen in public since testing positive for Covid-19 last week.
“While it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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 the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote.
If officially nominated, Harris, 59, would become the first Black woman to run to lead a major-party ticket in US history. A former attorney general of California and former US senator, she ran unsuccessfully for president against Biden in 2020.
“My intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party – and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump.”
That’s a relief
Ms Harris will likely do well with women and younger voters who are essential to denying Mango Mussolini.
The last thing needed is another “coot in a suit”.
I wouldn't count on her doing well with women. We knew (and knew of) too many who didn't want Trump, but didn't want a bar of Hillary either, and abstained.
Past picks have shown that misogyny is more powerful than racism so I suspect Kamala will stay vice and they'll put a white guy up against Trump.
Although now that Biden can act with impunity – maybe they should put up Obama. If there is anyone who could send Trump into a fatal froth, it's Obama.
I'm really sorry for Biden. He's been a really good president looking from afar, apart from all the show-pony stuff. Things got done quietly and quickly without making the USA look like a failing state.
"maybe they should put up Obama. If there is anyone who could send Trump into a fatal froth, it's Obama."
I suggest that you read the twenty-second amendment to the US Constitution.
They cannot "put up Obama". The Constitution doesn't allow it.
Keep up, Alwyn, the context is female candidates and they were referring to Michelle Obama, I think![surprise surprise](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/omg_smile.png)
Really?
And when he (she) says "Biden can act with impunity " I suppose I am meant to assume that it is Jill Biden being talked about?
You’re supposed to use your brain.
The comment re. impunity relates to this comment in particular:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf
As far as I know, Jill Biden is not POTUS.
Overturning of Roe v Wade, womens reproductive rights, is not popular with women of all stripes.
Like Barack Obama, she has the advantage of having no ancestry from black slaves.
She has a lot in common with many students of colour at elite colleges, a first generation American born to parents who legally migrated.
Her father came to the USA in 1963
(A dual national – Jamaican-American – of black African and Irish ancestry he was later professor emeritus at Stanford University)
Her story is about legal migration to America – and about those born there living in a meritocracy, where anyone can rise to the highest office. It is not about born into wealth and privilege.
Her story is about an American melting pot, not critical race theory.
A lot will depend on how the media responds, and on which influential funders and backers get behind Harris.
Did Pelosi's attempted intervention have some impact?
Is she any good ?, she's been invisible to this mildly politically aware fulla
Many Democrats prefer Gavin Newsom.
Harris may be tainted by her close association with Biden.
I spied luxon with Newsom the other day , he Newsom exuded arrogance and looked exceedingly in love with himself , so probably right for the job!!
You don't win public office in the US by being a shrinking violet.
Newsom would be ideal for a lot of Democrats: he's got genuine progressive and populist bona fides, has great name recognition (important when voters won't have much time to get to know a candidate before election day), is an extremely confident public speaker and debater, and as the governor of California clearly has the experience to handle the job.
But, they also can't afford any hint of division or doubt and need to coalesce around a candidate yesterday. And at this point, that means Kamala Harris. She is the sitting VP after all.
If I was counselling Newson I'd suggest waiting until the next electoral cycle. That way, Trump will either be dead from cheeseburger related complications, term limited, or a washed up loser.
Assuming there is still a United States to be elected the leader of. Or elections at all, of course.
Pretty good summary. I'm sure it will be Harris and according to Simon Marks on RNZ just now she is busy getting delegates to switch their support ahead of the convention. One state already has.
I think Newsom and Whitmer will keep their powder dry until 2028. Though she will need a VP candidate. Pete Buttigieg?
Who takes up the vice-president slot is an interesting question.
Generally, the rubric for choosing a VP is someone that can bring either new state or new demographic into play, but also won't risk losing a governorship or senate seat.
In this particular instance, we can add the need for someone with sufficient name ID to be recognized by the average voter. And is preferably from the Midwest to help keep Wisconsin and Michigan in play. Which are 2 out of 3 of the states that will likely decide the election either way.
Given that criteria, the list of candidates is fairly slim and limited (probably) to current or recent governors and senators.
So potentially Gretchen Whitmer if you wanted to double down on the female progressive vote and lock down Michigan (and potentially Wisconsin). Or if you're looking for a male, you could also look at JB Pritzker in Illinois, or Tim Ryan, who lost his senate race in a pretty deep red Ohio to JD Vance by a bare 6 points.
Pete Buttigieg would also count (who is from Indiana after all). But if Americans aren't ready for black female president, they definitely won't be ready for an openly gay vice president.
Josh Shapiro would also be an option if you wanted to look at Pennsylvania instead, but then they would risk losing a pretty important governorship.
Newsom has endorsed VP Kamala Harris so will definitely be wating for the next election cycle
American voters seem to find it difficult to get their heads around the novel concept of a woman leader so why doesn't Biden step done today to allow people to get used to the idea of female president? Four months seems like a nice honeymoon period.
My thought is that Harris is a bit too beltway for the swing states. Michelle Obama would be great. But I understand she isn't interested.
One thing Biden should do before he goes, is revisit his decision not to appoint two members to SCOTUS to compensate for the Gorsuch in Garland out cheat of Mitch McConnell.
Term limits and removal for corruption, that he is looking at now, are insufficient.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SCOTUS-Report-Final-12.8.21-1.pdf
For mine it should be retirement at age 75 for a Justice and age 80 for a Chief Justice.
Clarence Thomas then goes immediately – replaced by Biden. And Alito next April.
This path allows Biden to leave office with a 6-5 Democratic Party appointed majority on SCOTUS.
Just incidentally, Donald J Trump is now the oldest presidential candidate in US history!
He's too old, he's too old, he's . . .
UK Independent puts the case for Harris as Dem candidate.
It's possible she could swing more young and black people, plus more women to support her. Also, she inherits Biden's funding and campaign organisation.
But there's a lot of uncertainty around what might happen.
AOC has played a blinder in all this. She isn’t going to be the romantic but ultimately doomed progressive insurgency that was Saunders run for the democratic nomination. She stuck loyally to Biden – winning the Dem establishment – and now she'll throw her weight behind Harris. She wants to be president in 2028 or 2032.
link to tweet missing??
Link is in the quote – it was very long so to save space I put it in the first few words of the quote.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/522747/live-updates-us-president-joe-biden-pulls-out-of-election-race
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-drops-replace-harris-trump-polls/story?id=111648515
I believe that now with Joe Biden no longer a distraction in Trump v's Democratic nominee polling, the vote will swing towards the more sensible and younger candidate.
OMG this is such a heart attack.
Bearded Git we need to organise and book a Democrat Party gig for Convention day.
Has the US finally grown enough in political maturity to elect a woman of colour? There have been attempts to get an ERA since the 1920s… always defeated by a male-led ultra conservative coalition which career/dynasty presidents of either stripe have been too craven to oppose. The ease with which state legislatures have moved towards curtailment of reproductive rights, and the way the Trump camp is playing up the hyper-masculinist angle suggests that hasn't changed. Add in the depth of "blue collar" disillusionment and anger as life becomes more precarious and the American Dream morphs into a nightmare or is revealed as a trompe l'oeil … and Harris as President is a stretch.
Yes. I think it will be extraordinary if Harris does become Pres. But unlikely.
Just remember who is the Repugnant Candidate: Trump, a twice-impeached felon and instigator of the January 6 insurrection. Furthermore now the Republicans will have to deal with issues of mental competence and an ageing candidate. The narcisstic clown is now the oldest ever candidate for President!
she might not even get the nomination.
I'd be extremely surprised if she doesn't. Apart from a few leading Democrat's she is receiving endorsements from across the Democratic spectrum including an early endorsement from progressives such as AOC.
Weelllll… Harris's donations page is apparently getting almost as much traffic as Grindr was getting during the RNC so that is a good sign.
The Democrats thought they were getting a Female Barack Obama but ended up with a Brown Hillary Clinton.
Harris looked good at the start of 2019 but was gone before the first votes were even cast in Iowa, and not over anything dramatic. She just slowly deflated.
She was rejected by Democrat voters, not "racist, misogynistic Republicans". And they rejected her because she turned out to be a tin-eared politician with no personal charm or charisma and a record of twisting with the wind – a fact shown by Tulsi Gabbard who tore into her about all the poor buggers she'd thrown in jail on marijuana charges, back when Harris thought that "getting tough on crime" would make her name. She also seemed to be clueless on policy, hence the word salads.
Moreover, when people looked into her campaign they found massive staff turnover, which also happened to her staff when she was a Senator, California DA and the SF DA. In other words she's as horrible in person as she is in public, as has been testified to by countless ex-staffers who said she's awful to work for. Not reading briefing papers and then blaming her staff being just one example.
So not a good retail politician and not a good behind-the-scenes operator either, as her VP job has shown. Even Biden's staff have been pissed with her uselessness on things they've handed her to take care of (although TBF the Border thing was a hospital pass).
Add in those word salads and the general air of cluelessness and Democrat voters had every reason to reject her – which is notably why Obama hasn't endorsed her now. He knows an electoral loser when he sees one.
The Democrats can do better – not much better, but a bit better with other candidates,
Gosh Tom, you have so much inside knowledge, such a fountain of information…..wow…just wow!
The answer lies in Tom's last sentence.
Heh, not everyone likes a know it all…Ms Harris will do ok imho.
She's running against Trump.
She can quote Vance. She can quote those who worked in his past administration, they say worse things about him. She can quote those of GOP on Capitol Hill back in 2015-2016 and again in 2021 – when they thought they might be rid of him. Even Tucker Carlson.
I've been reading several news items and opinion pieces today about Pres Joe Biden's withdrawal from the USA presidential 'race'. Then there's this, courtesy of course from N Z Herald – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/joe-biden-quitting-the-presidential-race-is-too-little-too-late-hes-been-humiliated-tim-stanley/URS4AJ5R2FDHDGZ6LEWRK2HBEE/
See new posts
How it's going.
.
@M_McDonough
Here is the exact timing & impact of Biden's announcement on ActBlue donations today:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GTDN11WbwAARjmZ?format=png&name=medium
https://x.com/M_McDonough/status/1815177017303908791
@KBAndersen
In the last nine hours online donations to the Harris presidential campaign have reached around $60 million. The haul for the first 24 hours is going to be an extraordinary number, surely record-setting.
https://x.com/KBAndersen/status/1815221881890328598
Cool Stat!!
Looks like Harris gets to keep every dollar on hand and spend it on behalf of her candidacy.
@stphnfwlr
It’s getting FEC official — Biden for President campaign just filed this notice amending it to the Harris for President committee.
https://x.com/stphnfwlr/status/1815128123664400759
Could Harris take over the Biden-Harris campaign cash?
Yes, although there are some caveats.
Since their campaign account was registered with the Federal Election Commission in the name of both candidates, Harris could use those funds for her own presidential effort if Biden were to drop out, according to Kenneth Gross, senior political law counsel at Akin Gump and former associate general counsel for the Federal Election Commission.
https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-biden-fundraising-election-campaign-donations-5709f07420b4f138caa884361653368e
Tom Hunter is bang on. Watch her debate from 2019 (?) with Tulsi Gabbard and cringe.
I'm unable to link. They don't seem to have been algorithmically suppressed – yet.
[Your comment was caught in the automated SPAM-trap because you used a different e-mail address this time. Please stick to the one address to avoid making work for Mods, thanks – Incognito]
Mod note
Click reply.
Google search.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Watch+her+debate+from+2019+%28%3F%29+with+Tulsi+Gabbard
Chose one of the options available – CBS or You Tube.
Copy the link and place at the end of the comment.
Ryan's interview with US correspondent Simon Marks this morning gives a great potted summary of likely next steps. One point Marks makes is that Biden gained support in the Democratic Party for 2020 by promising to be a 'transitional' president, the transition to be to a younger candidate in 2024. Biden's refusal to step away in 2023means that a full process for building up the profile of a fresh candidate was stymied, and brought him a loss of support within the Party.
The real race is for VP nomination. It won't be Whitmer, two women would be suicide. Won't be Newsom, that would be two from California and as well, California isn't a swing state. I am picking Josh Shapiro, a reasonable looking white guy from Pennsylvania who'll reassure people.
No itch for Buttigieg?
It would be the butt of too many jokes……..
I'd pay money to watch Buttigieg v Vance.
Having a Democratic Governor in Pennsylvania is an asset. He is only 2 years in.
It might be a second term Governor, there it is Newsom and Whitmer. The other option is a Senator up for election in a safe state, such as Warren.
Beshear is not a national candidate for Democrats.
She will have to do an Obama and pick a straight, white Christian male. Buttigieg is very bright and would make a great president but a Harris/Buttigieg ticket would be too much to win this time. I'd love to see him as Secretary of State. A great option would be Arizona Senator Mark Kelly – veteran fighter pilot/astronaut with 39 combat missions, also very smart, and comes across with a type of 'non-politician' military command presence which makes Americans comfortable. Harris has a very academic California liberal persona and Kelly complements that very well.
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Mod note
And Tulsi has not forgotten Harris:
Every day that passes without Biden being seen (not since July 17) causes questions about him continuing to be President to increase in frequency and volume.
If Kamala Harris wants to be an elected President she could crack open this election right by rounding up the Cabinet and using the 25th Amendment to force Joe out. Admittedly it's not as easy as it sounds:
Biden's WH staff may no longer be so keen to argue that, given how he threw them under the bus with his announcement on X to step down – which is how almost all of them found out. I still think Harris won't do it – but she should. It would cement her as the Democrat nominee, show she can be organised, tough and ruthless (in your face, Trump), and boost her in the polls by actually being President.
It would also be the right thing to do for America.
Why would any Democratic Party nominee
1.act in accord with GOP talking points?
2.cause division in their own party and place of work, the White House?
3.want to associate being organised, with being tough and ruthless?
There is a point of difference to not being like Trump …
As for Trump and GOP retail politics …
I'll take those in reverse order
3.want to associate being organised, with being tough and ruthless?
It worked for Helen Clarke, Michael Cullen and numerous Left leaders that I'm sure you've admired over the years, even if they perhaps made you uncomfortable occasionally. In any case you'll have no worries with Kamala, who is none of those things.
2.cause division in their own party and place of work, the White House?
Division? As if Biden has supporters beyond the staff who had jobs because of him. One of the reasons his campaigns for President died in 1988 and 2008 was that he had no core of supporters outside his grifting family. The response was eye-rolling, "Oh that's just Joe". In fact he still hadn't won even a single candidate in all his Presidential campaigns after the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries in 2020. He can thank Jim Clyburn of the Congressional Black Caucus, for rescuing him as Clyburn realised that the rest of the Dem field would fail against Trump, picked Biden up, dusted him off and told his Dem voters in South Carolina to back him, after which Biden never looked back.
No, there would be no division in the White House or the campaign were Kamala to do this. They'd likely be grateful – well, aside from Jill and Hunter.
1.act in accord with GOP talking points?
What talking points would those be? The ones pushed since 2019 that he was suffering from dementia, which would only get worse, and therefore should not be even running for President, let alone being President?
As opposed to the talking points of the Democrats during that same time: that Joe was just "old", plus attacking such critics as being merely partisan ("Biden is far sharper, more intellectually curious, and far more insightful on global affairs than any House GOP speaker I have met over 30 years.")
Even in the month leading up to the debate we constantly heard about "Cheap Fakes" – until tens of millions of watchers of MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and readers of everything from the NYT and WaPo to Axios finally saw with their own eyes what their sources had been hiding from them for five years.
Believe it or not – and I'm sure you don't – I'm offering this suggestion because I think it produces a good outcome for the USA. Putting my partisan hat on I'm quite happy to see this Democrat shit-show continue on as it has been,
You have not negated my comment
There is a point of difference to not being like Trump …
2..cause division in their own party and place of work, the White House?
Is this consistent with
And failing would make her look weak and ambitious for herself (see 3.).
1.act in accord with GOP talking points?
Going back to 2019 is unwise since Biden won debates vs Trump in 2020. And was then still able to move better than Trump.
Crying wolf did not work in 2020.
That the capacity for long hours of work declined is obvious. But the same applied to Reagan falling asleep at cabinet meetings.
The GOP needs to walk away from the issue as the old guy running, is now Trump.
Old age, forgetting small things, is just the beginning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Clarke_(field_hockey)
1.3.want to associate being organised, with being tough and ruthless?Looks like the Trump attack advertisements on Harris have started already.
Harris's introduction was for the benefit of the blind and visually impaired in attendance.
But lying sacks of shit lie, eh Tommy.
/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/kamala-harris-woman-blue-suit/
Someone of the State Freedom Caucus who believes the Arch-Angel Michael is fighting on their side.
https://x.com/SFC_Network
Reminds one of those who believe in this Arch Angel fighting some end time battle in heaven to usher in tribulation on earth. Hopefully the "raptured" into their kingdom won't be able to vote, leaving the secular left on earth to win.
Harris's introduction was for the benefit of the blind and visually impaired in attendance.
Ah! Kamala Harris: the choice of the deaf, dumb and blind!
Sounds about right.
BTW, have you been re-programmed in the BIG RAT since the Trump-Biden debate? I assume so if you're now fluffing for Harris and forgetting Joey?
The next POTUS.
Is this consistent with…
Only if you ignore that the latter quote is from 2021 and mine is from today as well as ignoring the comment I made in the previous post to the effect that:
“Biden’s WH staff may no longer be so keen to argue that, given how he threw them under the bus with his announcement on X to step down – which is how almost all of them found out.”
That’s already baked into the cake.
Still with the old age talking point eh? The debate ended that. We’re way past that spin – even Democrats are now way past that spin. It’s senility as everyone now knows.
Speaking of talking points I saw the Left running with that within 24 hours of Biden’s announcement. Again, doesn’t work in the face of free-wheeling 2 hours speeches and quickly ducking after being shot.
But I’m sure you’ll keep pushing it.
Tom Hunter et al MD?
Mary Trump, psychologist
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/22/mary-donald-trump-interview-bestseller-racism-incompetence-cruelty
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/07/22/gop-response-biden-withdrawal-confused-weak/
The Republicans are not only confused they are now very concerned that their leader the great orange chosen one that had God on his side is in for another painful but honest ear full.
Mary Trump, psychologist? Nah. I give you Anthony Fauci, MD…
Oh, and Mike Johnson is just stirring for shits and giggles. Good for him. With any luck we’ll see a series of GOP lawsuits around the 50 states to try and keep Biden on the ballot papers. They’ll lose of course but it’ll be fun while it lasts.
Gain of function research on human viruses was banned by Obama, Fauci said it it did not include gain of function research on the bat coronavirus – thus successfully adding a spike protein to it in China by Dec 2019.
Former national polling had Harris trailing Trump, as Biden was.
Early polling suggests this is no longer the case. That said, the election is determined by the EC – where state polling is more useful. DP candidates can win more popular votes and lose the EC (as in 2016).
https://www.realclearpolling.com/latest-polls
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/national/
JD “Mr Gilead” Vance (channelling his inner Don Brash) explains how only women who have children have a stake in his America.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350352893/donald-trumps-vp-pick-criticising-childless-kamala-harris-earns-widespread
Religion and Evolution.
Looking at that chart it seems to me that secularists, while winning their war against Christians in the West, are basically parasites, growing by consuming other groups’ children. If each group stuck with their own, like different species, the secularists would die out.
But don't worry. Christians are the least of your worries, even in the West, though I doubt your 60's-80's socialist take will accept that. 🙂
BTW, love the next Democrat Talking Point: from “Old Age” to “Project 2025”.
You must have missed it, but Project 2025 was raised while Biden was still a candidate.
The trend from religion to secularism in the USA is one reason for the Second Revolution (making the USA an overtly Christian nation) language of the Heritage Foundation. It is a revival of the fear of a demographic change that occurred during the Obama presidency.
The real issue, as per demographics, is global warming (this is not just a feminist lifestyle issue but an appreciation that the planet is finite) and immigration.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-24-07-2024/#comment-2005743