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Kamala Rising: Biden Campaign Tests Harris' Viability, As Longtime Aides Discuss Convincing Biden To Step Aside

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by Tyler Durden
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Two massive headlines just hit concerning the state of the Democratic party, both from the NY Times, suggesting they're actively trying to take the keys away from Joe Biden, and fast.

First: The Biden campaign is 'quietly testing' Vice President Kamala Harris' viability against Donald Trump in a head-to-head survey of voters.

The survey, which is being conducted this week and was commissioned by the Biden campaign’s analytics team, is believed to be the first time since the debate that Mr. Biden’s aides have sought to measure how the vice president would fare at the top of the ticket. It was described by three people who are informed about it and insisted on anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information. They did not specify why the survey was being conducted or what the campaign planned to do with the results.

Second: Biden advisers are 'Discussing how to convince him to step aside.'

A small group of Mr. Biden’s advisers in the administration and the Biden campaign — at least two of whom have told allies that they do not believe he should keep trying to run for a second term — have said they would have to convince the president of three things.

They said they have to make the case to the president, who remains convinced of the strength of his campaign, that he cannot win against former President Donald J. Trump. They have to persuade him to believe that another candidate, like Vice President Kamala Harris, could beat Mr. Trump. And they have to assure Mr. Biden that, should he step aside, the process to choose another candidate would be orderly and not devolve into chaos within the Democratic Party.

That said, they have their work cut out... as Biden's closest advisers and members of his family "remain adamant that Mr. Biden will stay in the race."

In a Thursday memo to campaign staff, Biden campaign chair Jennifer O'Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote: "In addition to what we believe is a clear pathway ahead for us, there is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump," adding "Hypothetical polling of alternative nominees will always be unreliable, and surveys do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter. The only Democratic candidate for whom this is already baked in is President Biden."

The memo also dismissed the chaos within the Democratic party.

"The movement we have seen, while real, is not a sea-change in the state of the race."

The reports come one day after both Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi signaled doubt over Biden - with Schumer privately signaling to donors that he's open to dumping the president on the 2024 ticket, and Pelosi backing off her cheerleader routine.

Per Axios:

  • Over the last 12 days, Schumer has been listening to donors' ideas and suggestions about the best way forward for the party, according to three people familiar with the matter.
  • The majority leader is one of several Democrats, including former President Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has the political and personal standing to convince Biden to step aside. Even so, Biden can still dig in and the delegates are pledged to him.
  • Lawmakers and donors are waiting for more polling data, most of which has been negative for Biden, before making a potential move against the president.
  • They are also watching his public performances, with many waiting to see how he does in a post-NATO press conference Thursday.
  • Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) voiced their concerns that Biden is likely to lose the election.
  • They were joined by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who later in the day took his private warnings public, telling CNN, "I think that we could lose the whole thing."
  • Multiple Democratic senators told Axios on Wednesday that Schumer is listening to the concerns of his whole caucus on the topic of Biden's future.

Needless to say - Kamala just blew past Biden's odds of nomination, and winning the election in November:

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