By leaving the presidential race, Joe Biden gave his support Sunday afternoon to his vice president, Kamala Harris, in view of the Democratic National Convention which must choose next August his replacement. Or his replacement.
The change of candidate, so late in the election season, is rare in the country’s recent political history. And it now puts Democrats in uncertain territory where, for now, the questions outnumber the answers.
What will happen at the Chicago convention?
Joe Biden won the Democratic primaries and caucuses, securing massive support from 3,896 of the 4,700 delegates who will converge on Chicago on August 19 for what was supposed to be the president’s inauguration. The announcement of his withdrawal complicates the situation. Since Biden cannot pass on the votes he has collected to someone else, it is up to Kamala Harris to seek support from the 4,000 delegates and 700 “superdelegates,” made up of local party leaders, elected officials, and former presidents and vice presidents.
Joe Biden’s endorsement gives Kamala Harris a political advantage to do so. But it is not impossible that other candidates will come forward in the coming days.
Is there a risk in contesting Kamala Harris’ candidacy?
Already in the White House and on the road for Joe Biden’s campaign for several weeks, the vice president is certainly the best placed to take over. But other names have been circulating in the corridors of power since Joe Biden’s catastrophic debate at the end of June. Among them: that of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
To enter the race, however, they must seek the signatures of 3,000 delegates, a complicated project while within the Democrats, the choice of Kamala Harris seems to be an obvious strategic decision to bring the campaign out of its torpor and rally a diverse and younger electorate.
“It would energize the African-American, brown and Asian electorate in our coalition, while bringing the discouraged youth of our country back into the Democratic fold,” Tim Ryan, a former Democratic representative from Ohio, recently commented.
He said suburban Democratic and Republican women, who are courted by both parties, might also be comfortable with the first candidacy of an African-American woman, and the first woman of Asian descent, to hold the nation’s highest office.
“There is no alternative to Kamala Harris,” Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of the BlackPAC group, which is dedicated to mobilizing the African-American vote, said a few days ago. “If the Democratic Party thinks that this candidacy could be a problem and decides to pass over her, then they will not recover.”
Will Kamala Harris succeed in quickly unifying the party?
With just over three months to go until the vote, the deadline is short to reinvigorate the Democratic campaign, but also to ensure that the Democratic Party moves forward in unified ranks towards the polls on November 5. Against Donald Trump.
The bet seems to be on track to be met, however. On Sunday, the vice president received the support of several party bigwigs, including Josh Shapiro, a rising figure and governor of Pennsylvania. His name was mentioned as a potential replacement for Joe Biden. He could now enter the list of possible running mates for Kamala Harris and become the vice-presidential candidate in a new, rejuvenated Democratic ticket. “I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as 47e President of the United States,” he said in a public statement. “The best path forward for the Democratic Party is to quickly unite behind the vice president and refocus on winning the presidency.”
On Sunday afternoon, the 77 delegates to the Democratic National Committee in Tennessee were also the first to vote unanimously in favor of Kamala Harris’ candidacy for president, just hours after Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the race.
The American Federation of Teachers also announced that it had decided on Sunday to endorse Kamala Harris, giving Ms.me Harris a first major union endorsement in this campaign. Unions are at the heart of the Democrats’ political history and are now tending to turn to the Republican camp in several regions.
This report was financed with the support of the Transat International Journalism Fund-The duty.
