2024-07-27 21:36:25
Vice President Kamala Harris is the clear favorite to face Donald Trump as the Democratic candidate in November’s election on Monday after Joe Biden withdrew from the campaign for her re-election.
Democrats have promised a “transparent and orderly process” to replace President Biden, 81, after he threw in the towel amid concerns about his health and ability to defeat his Republican rival.
With just over three months to go until the presidential election, Democrats will now have to name a new candidate at their convention in Chicago starting on August 19. But they may not wait until then.
Vice President Harris is the front-runner. On Sunday, she spent more than 10 hours calling more than 100 Democratic leaders, congressmen, governors and other figures, a person close to her said.
It seems to have worked. Not only did she receive the “full support and endorsement” of Biden, but also that of former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, the former Secretary of State.
And above all, that of at least seven governors, some of whom are considered potential rivals: those of California, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Maryland.
Also Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, one of the favorites to become his running mate.
Some Democratic congressmen, both progressive and moderate, have also rallied around her.
– “Unparalleled” legacy –
But some very influential Democrats have yet to do so.
After former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave him her “full confidence” on Monday, only two heavyweights are left to speak out: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former President Barack Obama.
“We will be navigating uncharted territory over the next few days,” Obama said in a statement Sunday.
Harris, who is black and of South Asian descent and the only female vice president in US history, does not appear to have any serious rivals.
A potential challenger, independent Senator Joe Manchin, ruled out running on Monday.
His candidacy breathes new life into an election that was to be contested by two elderly politicians who were unpopular with many voters.
Her team says Harris raised more than $49 million in grassroots donations in less than 24 hours since Biden endorsed her on Sunday.
The vice president heaped praise on her boss on Monday. His legacy is “unmatched in modern history,” she said during an event at the White House.
“In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who have served two,” he added.
– The “greatest honor” –
If the Democrats do not agree to support her, a convention open to other candidates could be held in Chicago, but for now there is no indication that this will happen.
The Democratic nomination has been on the ropes since Biden’s disastrous performance in the June debate against Trump, who emerged stronger and is living days of glory after surviving an assassination attempt and attending a Republican convention that worshipped him.
Biden had been trying for more than three weeks to stay in the race, ignoring calls for him to step down, until he dropped out on Sunday while recovering from Covid at his beach house in Delaware (east).
He said that being president has been the “greatest honor” of his life.
His withdrawal makes him the first president in 56 years not to seek a second term and the first in US history to give up that possibility so late.
Delaware State University professor Donna Patterson believes his departure has injected “energy” into the campaign.
The vice president struggled to find her place in her early years in the White House, but she stood out during the campaign for her defense of key issues such as abortion rights.
On the Republican side, the announcement completely upsets Trump’s candidacy, forcing him to review his electoral strategy, which has been very focused on presenting Biden as a confused and clumsy old man.
These arguments could backfire on the Republican if he faces the vice president, who is almost 20 years his junior. And there is no doubt that former prosecutor Harris would put the squeeze on Trump over his legal problems.
© Agence France-Presse
