Democrats continue to push through with the likely prospect of Biden-Harris for the 2024 elections. The tandem is looking like it is doomed to fail.
It’s been said over and over again — Americans aren’t happy with what’s looking like another contest between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Americans aren’t happy with Trump or Biden, with both candidates sporting similarly dismal approval ratings. Bidenomics isn’t proving true to its promise of trickling down economic benefits to the average American.
And then there’s Biden’s age, and all the health concerns that go with it. From claiming that a Cook Islands native grew up in Baltimore, to accidentally uttering a racial slur to a multi-awarded hip-hop music icon after getting his name wrong, there is no shortage of very public flubs and gaffes from the president that just continue to fuel speculation that his mental faculties are not what they used to be.
Still, Democrats fall in line like good soldiers. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the obvious fall back should anything happen to the president, has staunchly denied the existence of any health issues regarding her boss. She has repeatedly relegated herself to a support figure while continuing to pursue her advocacies like abortion rights, civil and human rights, as well as stricter gun regulation. And while she has said that she is ready for any eventuality – including the possibility of becoming the first female president of the United States, Democrats are quick to either dodge questions on her capability or just dismiss the issue entirely.
“She’s prepared,” White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients says of Harris’ capability to be president. Another high-level staffer in the White House, speaking anonymously to The Atlantic, says that her readiness and qualification to become president is just “as all of her predecessors have been.”
The seeming lack of confidence is reflected in the way Harris is polling – like her boss, her approval ratings are consistently low, and she is one of the most unpopular and disliked vice presidents in American history. Her situation is so bad that there has been no shortage of calls to replace her as Biden’s running mate – something the White House is strongly opposed to.
Her interview with The Atlantic also paints Harris as an intensely private person, unwilling to even share details from her childhood that would help her image and give voters a clearer image of who she is and where she comes from. Not exactly a desirable trait for a public official running for the second-highest post in the land.
With the exit of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the Democratic primary – and his decision to run as independent instead – it has become even more important for Democrats to shake off their sleepiness and complacency. They need to wake up to reality and take everything into consideration and not just rely on premises like “Trump is bad” to win the election next year. Bad polls don’t happen in a vacuum – and the Democrats should start to listen instead of continuing to be in denial.
Tim Ramos has written for various publications, corporations, and organizations – covering everything from finance, politics, travel, entertainment, and sports – in Asia and the U.S. for more than 10 years.
