Should Biden Replace Kamala as V.P.?
No, and I Wish The Press Would Stop this Stupid Parlor Game
Too much talk has been thrown out lately on whether President Joe Biden should replace Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket in 2024. This kind of ridiculousness comes up every time an incumbent seeks a second term. Pundits love to speculate and fill air time with dumb parlor games that don’t go anywhere.
You can read my previous deep dive into Harris as V.P. and the Vice Presidency generally here:
In a nutshell, the Vice Presidency is a position that by design and practice makes whoever holds it look bad. Harris has been fine in the role, nothing spectacular, but her star has diminished some because of the effects of just being VP. With Biden’s age, more focus will be put on Harris as a potential replacement (something not really considered by voters since 2008 with Palin and with an incumbent since 1984 when Reagan’s age was a main concern). Harris doesn’t really have a solid base outside of obnoxious uberliberals1 and Californians which makes her an easy target for GOP attacks. As Mike Murphy put it, “The GOP are going to run against a Dead Biden and a Live Harris.”
Dems, always the frightful, pessimistic bunch, are worried she’s not up to the task and that she is going to cost them a very winnable election in 2024. Biden’s numbers are low for an incumbent, but Harris’s are worse.2 Her numbers in swing states Biden needs are very underwater and she is not particularly great at retail politicking. The parlor logic goes that ditching her in favor of someone to shore up the President’s weaknesses would go a long way to ensuring a win and invigorate an otherwise dull, boring ticket. That is what is driving all of this stupidity of whether Biden should ditch Kamala.
Why Ditching Kamala Harris is a Very Dumb Idea
Whenever any candidate gets the nomination, we are inundated with speculation about who the VP pick will be. “Its the first and probably most important decision a Presidential candidate makes!” we hear over and over again. What would it say then about Biden if he then kicked Kamala to the curb in favor of someone else? “Oops, I made a mistake four years ago? Sorry?” That really does not reflect well on the top of the ticket, particularly one who’s mental cognition and judgment are going to be front and center during the election. You dance with the date who you took to the ball.
Next to consider is why candidates select Vice Presidents to begin with; to shore up either personal, political or geographic shortcomings. Politically, he’s been around the Senate forever, so he still knows how to get things done. He’s more of a moderate Dem so he is pretty secure there, but could still shore up his more liberal supporters who want someone just shy of socialist. Personally, people like Biden but find his age and persona outdated and would prefer someone younger and more representative of the younger generations of the future Democratic coalition. All of those reasons favor keeping Kamala Harris as Vice President.3 As a woman and person of color too, it helps diversify a ticket for a party that prides itself on diversity.
The only real knock against her is geographic, since she adds nothing to the ticket in terms of Electoral Votes. Biden is going to win California by 30-40 points. In contrast however, she may be a detriment in some swing areas since she can’t be a useful surrogate in places like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona except in the most liberal areas already going to Dems. Still, is that horrible? Not really. It gets the top of the ticket more exposure in those areas, with people he identifies with and feels comfortable.
Lastly, hypothetically speaking, let’s say Biden actually wants to get rid of Harris, who does he pick in her place?
Gretchen Whitmer? I could name a lot of potential candidates in 2028 who would revile this choice as giving her a leg up in four years.4
Wes Moore? He was just elected Governor less than a year ago. Let him finish at least half a term before promoting to a bigger stage.
Jon Tester? Doesn’t add anything substantive and guarantees losing a Senate seat.
Gavin Newsom? He’d outshine the top of the ticket faster than you can say “San Francisco,” which is never a good look for any Presidential ticket. And didn’t his ex-wife date the son of the guy Biden is running against? Do you really want to see Kimberly Guilfoyle the focus of a Presidential campaign?
Someone else from California or New York? Don’t make me laugh.
Pete Buttigieg? Because nothing screams quality more than “Transportation Secretary” who again, doesn’t bring anything electorally.
Amy Klobuchar? See what was written for Gretchen Whitmer.
Elizabeth Warren? The combined age of the ticket would be 155+ years.
Bernie Sanders? The combined age of the ticket would be 160+ years.
I fail to see how any of these people, or anyone else really, is that much of an improvement over Kamala Harris to seriously warrant consideration. So please, everyone, let’s stop this stupid nonsense and speculation about Biden getting rid of Kamala. So long as she still wants the job, it’s going to be hers on the ticket.
End of Discussion.
PurpleAmerica’s Cultural Corner
The last time I wrote about Kamala Harris and the Vice Presidency, I was called out afterwards for including the Christian Bale movie “Vice” but completely omitting the HBO Comedy “Veep” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. I’m still kicking myself over it; there have been very few really outrageously funny shows the past 15-20 years, but Veep is definitely one of the funniest.
I don’t know. Biden has a real connection with Selina Myers in this clip. Maybe?
PurpleAmerica’s Final Word on the Subject
Biden-Harris 2024. Get used to it. Say it. Accept it.
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Footnotes and Fun Stuff
KHIVE, an uberliberal group that got it’s start as the online base of support for Harris, is one of the most toxic online left wing groups I’ve encountered, if not THE most toxic.
Note, almost ALWAYS the vice president’s numbers are worse than the incumbent. It goes with the job. Read my piece “The Kamala Conundrum” for more.
Honestly, I don’t think she really connects as well with younger voters as people think, but they do seem to appreciate her more for what she represents than for how she is as a candidate. Obama had this quality too, but people genuinely liked him as a person and he really connected with the idealism young liberals have; Kamala doesn’t so much.
Again, in practice, the VP makes candidates look BAD, and its rare for anyone to go from VP directly to elected President. Still, it would be perceived badly among elected officials wanting to run, some of whose votes Biden is really going to need in the next four years.