Does “President Kamala Harris” sound like a good fit? The White House has now declared Harris is “the future of the Democratic Party.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pronounced Harris as President Joe Biden’s political heir, at one point referring to her as “president,” when asked about his 2020 campaign remark that he would be a “transitional” candidate.
“One of the reasons why he picked the vice president, President [sic] Kamala Harris, is because she is indeed the future of the party,” Jean-Pierre said at her regular briefing.
This contradicts the interaction during Wednesday’s White House briefing. When a reporter asked whether Biden was considering stepping down as the Democratic nominee, Jean-Pierre replied, “Absolutely not.”
A New York Times story hours earlier had reported that Biden had told an unnamed ally that he was weighing whether or not to stay in the race.
“The president said no, it is absolutely false — that is coming directly from him,” Jean-Pierre insisted.
Harris is seen as a likely top contender, according to polling after Thursday’s debate.
In a potential matchup between Harris and former President Donald Trump, they were nearly tied with 42% supporting her and 43% supporting the former president, according to a Ipsos poll released Tuesday.
Another poll released by CNN Tuesday found that a matchup between the vice president and Trump resulted in a 45-47% split between Harris and Trump compared to the 43%-49% split between Biden and Trump.
If Biden does step down, Harris would be the obvious heir apparent. But she would not be guaranteed the nomination nor, her detractors note, do her poll ratings indicate she is a surefire bet to do any better against Trump.
Many people, including leading Democrats, fear that Harris, whom they pan as awkward in public engagements, would boost Trump’s chances even further.
For example, she is known to repeat the same non-sensical line often in many speeches. She often repeats “What can be, unburdened by what has been.” Played back-to-back, it doesn’t make her look smart.
“She would cackle her way all the way to the Oval [Office] if she could,” a Democratic detractor told The Post.
Besides for Harris, which other contenders are seen as possible replacements?
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. She has pushed back against Republican critics including Trump, particularly ones who criticized her pandemic policies.
The Ipsos poll had Whitmer trailing Trump 36% to 41% in a 2024 race while the CNN poll had her 42% to Trump’s 47%.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been a staunch Democrat on several national issues including women’s rights, immigration and the economy.
In the Ipsos poll, Newsom fared 39% to Trump’s 42% and in the CNN poll he received 43% to the former president’s 48%.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has been viewed as a rising star in the south after he won reelection last year.
The Ipsos poll showed a Beshear-Trump match-up would result in a 36%-40% split between him and the former president.
Former first lady Michelle Obama has repeatedly said she has no interest entering the presidential race for years. Her name, however, keeps coming up as a potential candidate.
Many people believe she is the only Democrat who can beat Trump and a new poll on Tuesday appeared to confirm this.
The survey, conducted by Reuters/Ipsos, found Obama was the only Democrat with a lead on Trump in a hypothetical match-up, garnering 50 percent support to his 39 percent.
However, she is also seen as a deeply polarizing figure to many Americans, largely due to past statements that critics feel should disqualify her from the presidency.
For example, during her husband’s 2008 campaign, she Obama said, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country”.
This comment was met with widespread criticism, and many people questioned her patriotism.
In other instances, she demonstrated an ungrateful attitude toward America.
As popular as she is among many Americans, she may not truly be the best candidate to serve as the leader of the free world.
Biden has several public appearances coming up including an interview on Friday with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, scheduled campaign trail appearances in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and the possibility of a news conference during next week’s NATO summit in Washington.
These appearances will influence public opinion and ultimately determine whether Biden continues in the race or drops out.
Even so, many experts are already predicting that Biden will drop out of the race and not seek reelection.