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Dems Go Full Throttle On Kamala After Biden Drops Out Of 2024 Race

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by Tyler Durden
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Update (1630ET): And just like that, the Democratic party has gone all-in for Kamala Harris - who did so poorly in the 2020 election that she dropped out before the primaries. Just hours after Biden's campaign manager insisted he wasn't leaving the race.

Oh...

Lefties from the Clintons, to the Progressive Caucus, to Trump assassination jokester Reid Hoffman, to Alexander Soros, are now firmly behind Harris.

Now the question turns to who's going to be her VP pick. Newsweek suggests these as top-5 candidates:

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
A rising Democratic star, Josh Shapiro is often floated as a possible running mate for Harris. He governs a major battleground state and could help Harris make inroads among voters in the Keystone State.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper
Roy Cooper's governorship has been a sign of hope for Democrats in the Tar Heel state.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Gretchen Whitmer's name has long been floated as a possible presidential candidate, and a Harris-Whitmer ticket would mark the first all-women ticket in history, which Pitney described as "intriguing."

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear
Andy Beshear impressed many Democrats when he won a second term in the conservative state last year.

California Governor Gavin Newsom
Newsom has become one of the most nationally recognizable figures within the Democratic Party.

According to Polymarket, Shapiro is the top contender.

Harris issued a statement following her endorsement, which reads like Joe isn't about to serve out the rest of his term:

“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.

"It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joes leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.

"I am honored to have the President's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda."

In short:

Of course, if you mention that Harris's career started out underneath Willie Brown, you might get called out by Scary Poppins...

That said, not so fast Kamala...

In response to Biden's announcement, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison promised a "transparent and orderly" process to choose the party's next nominee.

"The American People owe President Biden an enormous debt of gratitude for the unparalleled progress he has delivered over the last four years — and we will honor that legacy, and the decision that he has made today, through a firm commitment to nominating and electing a Democratic president this November who will carry that torch into the next four years," Harrison said in a statement, adding that the process will follow established rules for the party, and that the delegates "are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people."

"As we move forward to formally select our Party’s nominee, our values as Democrats remain the same — lowering costs, restoring freedom, protecting the rights of all people, and saving our democracy from the threat of dictatorship. We have and will continue to make this case to the American people."

Also...

And a few reactions:

*  *  *

President Joe Biden is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, has endorsed Kamala Harris, and will "focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

He also won't address the nation about it until sometime next week (after his next blood transfusion, we assume?).

And while 81 million voters are surely crestfallen, Kamala Harris' odds of being the 2024 Democratic nominee naturally spiked. Roughly 30 minutes after Biden announced he was leaving the race, his social media team followed up with an endorsement of Harris.

My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.

Meanwhile, a few relevant headlines from the last couple of weeks:

And of course, if Biden can't run, how can he remain president?

Shortly after Biden's announcement, House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X:

Rgardless of the chaos in the current White House, our adversaries around the globe should be reminded that the U.S. Congress, the U.S. military, and the American people are fully prepared and committed to defend our interests both at home and abroad.  

If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.

Johnson, ever cautious, is a little late to the game:

As Jonathan Turley notes:

The decision of Joe Biden to withdraw from his reelection bid raises the obvious question of how he can continue as president if he is incapable of running for that office. The Democratic Party seems to have created its own 25th Amendment, but there remains the "other" 25th Amendment.

This is a type of 25th-lite option where you lack capacity to run but not to serve for an office.

It also focuses attention on the efforts of Democrats to drop any challengers or hold any debates through the primary as millions voted for Biden. Holding a party "primary" in a matter of weeks is hardly a substitute for a primary campaign to expose candidates to prolonged.

The problem for the White House is the glaring disconnect between pulling out of the election but holding on to the office.  Pulling out as simply politically incapable of winning makes a mockery of the unopposed primary process.

Yet, pulling out do to diminished capacity makes a mockery of his political office. There is a striking lack of clarity on the basis for this historic action...

Read Biden's message below:

My Fellow Americans,

Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.

Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history' of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.

I know none of this could have been done without you. the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.

It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection. 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.

I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.

For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.

I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do - when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.

Trump has responded to the news, posting the following on Truth Social:

Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t - And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

And hey, Kamala has the support of Elizabeth Warren, so there's that, despite a disastrous conference call with 300 major Democratic donors last week.

According to Elon Musk, this was in the cards:

The announcement came after in intense pressure campaign, after new polling showed that 60% of Americans said Biden should drop out.

The opposition included virtually the entire Democratic party - from Pelosi down, and even former Democrat (now independent) Sen. Joe Manchin, the deep state, and Democratic donors - who began pausing funds after last month's horrific debate between Biden and Donald Trump - and most recently led by a call from Mike Novogratz to replace Biden.

"The Democratic donor base will be re-energized if there’s a fair process to pick the next candidate," said Novogratz, the billionaire founder of Galaxy Digital Holdings, who added that if Democrats pick a centrist replacement through a nomination process, "there are a tremendous amount of donors who will cut checks."

According to veteran Democrat operative James Carville in a statement to Semafor last week, "This I can confirm. Donors in revolt."

"Campaigns are expensive. Sadly, the George Clooney check-writing crowd opposed to Biden remaining in the race might win out," Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf told Newsweek in response to a recent NYT op-ed by the actor.

"He who controls the gold might make the rules, making the Democrats no different from the Republicans," he added.

The decision to drop out came after the Clintons were reportedly privately urging Democrat donors to keep giving to Biden as long as he remains the presumptive nominee.

One of the sources said the Clintons are choosing to be “deferential to Biden’s decision.” However, the second source, who is familiar with the Clintons’ thinking and has spoken with the couple in recent days, insisted that it is more accurate to say they are “deferential to the process.”

According to this source, the Clintons have made clear in private conversations recently that it doesn’t matter what anybody says or thinks — unless Biden decides he will drop out of the 2024 race or the delegates vote for somebody else, he is the party’s presumptive nominee. -CNN

Deep State Displeased

On Friday, NBC News reported that "More than four dozen former foreign and national security officials call on Biden to drop out of race" - so the deep state is officially negative on Biden.

"We write as former U.S. officials who have strongly supported your presidency and your initiatives to strengthen U.S. foreign and national security policy," they wrote in a letter. "We strongly believe that now is the time to pass the mantle of leadership, and we respectfully urge you to do so."

Visualizing Biden's post-debate downward spiral:

Via Axios

What now?

While Biden just endorsed Harris, Democrat delegates are under no obligation to support her. That said, if she is the nominee, who will she pick as her running mate?

Coincidence?

What will Jill do now?

 

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