The GOP Wants to Destroy Kamala Harris – President Joe Biden could be 82 when he next takes the oath and begins his second term, while he would be 86 at the end of it in 2029.
While age may be just a number, the question is whether Biden will be able to fulfill the duties of the office.
That fact isn’t lost on the candidates seeking the Republican nomination next year, and not-so-subtle suggestions are being made that the race is as much against Vice President Kamala Harris as it is about President Joe Biden.
“Anyone is better than President Kamala Harris. Anyone,” former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said during an appearance on Fox News in July, who clarified that she didn’t misspeak.
“Well, I think it’s President Harris… A vote for President Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris,” Haley added.
That sentiment was shared by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who said in June, “We’re running to win and to deliver, and that’s really the only reason to run, and I feel compelled to do it, because I think that if we, if we muff this one and Biden gets in again – heck you may end up with Kamala as president.”
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also suggested at a town hall that a vote for former President Donald Trump could also result in a President Harris. Christie has been direct that he doesn’t believe Trump will be able to defeat Biden in a rematch next year, while also stating that Biden is unlikely to serve his full second term.
“A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for Kamala Harris,” Christie said directly. “Because by the tables, it’s more likely than not that Joe Biden won’t make it [until the end of his second term]. So if you’re okay with Kamala Harris, that’s fine. That’s your call. It’s your choice.”
VEEPs Are Easy Targets
Running mates have long been in the crosshairs – as whoever is on the ticket is truly one heartbeat away from the Oval Office. This was certainly the case with Dan Quayle when he ran as the VEEP under George H.W. Bush in 1988 and with Sarah Palin when she was the vice president nominee on the ticket with John McCain in 2008.
McCain’s age was certainly the factor with Palin, just as it is now with Harris. The same could just as likely be true with Trump if he ends up as the GOP’s nominee.
Of course, it is more than just the age of the presidential nominee that in an issue. VEEPs aren’t always picked for their popularity but for their ability to help round out a ticket or perhaps even aid in the governing. Dick Cheney would be a good example of a vice president who was far from popular but arguably got the job done.
Harris has so far failed on that count – and that only further serves to make her an easy target. If voters are led to believe that she did a bad job in the number two position, how can they trust her to handle the responsibility that comes with sitting in the Oval Office?
Even Presidents Can Dislike Their VEEPs
Kamala Harris is continuing to struggle in the polls, and that is another factor at play for why she is in the crosshairs of the GOP right now. Of course, it could be far worse.
There were times when the president just didn’t care for their VEEP all that much. Former President Richard Nixon once even joked that his running mate Spiro Agnew was a form of de facto insurance as he infamously told White House aide John Ehrlichman, “No assassin in his right mind would kill me. They know that if they did they would end up with Agnew.”
At the same time, Al Gore went on blame Bill Clinton for his 2000 defeat – showing it cuts both ways.
But then there was President Andrew Jackson who went one better than Nixon, and literally threatened to kill Vice President John Calhoun! Compared with those vice presidents, maybe Harris has it too easy.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
