It’s not just Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who thinks Kamala Harris isn't Joe Biden's best vice-president choice. The California liberal credited Harris for being politically astute, which isn’t accurate, but failed to deliver a ringing endorsement of Ms. Harris heading into 2024. She’s been a trainwreck for this administration, a source of mockery due to the endless word salad episodes and awkward behavior. It’s why she’s kept out of the spotlight as much as possible.
While word on the street is that Democrats quietly admit that Joe Biden is too old, one would guess a healthy number thinks that Harris is unqualified for her job. Several columnists have written pieces about dumping Harris, which is something to consider, albeit in an academic exercise only. There’s no way Harris gets booted unless Joe Biden and his staff want to infuriate the black community (via Politico):
Several columnists have an idea on how to make President Joe Biden more electable in 2024: Drop Vice President Kamala Harris and pick a new running mate.
Yes, voters think Biden may be too old to serve another four years, according to recent polls, but three columnists believe that a stronger running mate will gain traction in the country or even in the party.
[…]
In a New York Magazine Intelligencer column, Eric Levitz floats several options to replace Harris including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.).
“To be sure, replacing Harris with another running mate is not a great option,” Levitz writes. “It’s just that Democrats have no good ones. It is risky to switch out the first Black and female vice-president for someone else. But it is also risky to saddle an 81-year-old nominee with an exceptionally unpopular running mate who — if all goes well — will be all but guaranteed the party’s nomination in 2028.”
However, dumping Harris could come with significant backlash among Black voters — a category of voters Biden needs in 2024 that served him a major victory in 2020. Harris’ role as vice president marked an important achievement being the first woman to ever hold her office and the first person of Black or South Asian descent to do so.
But writer Josh Barro touched on the fear from Democrats that jettisoning the VP could create a backlash from black voters and concluded it’s unfounded. Harris was never a big draw for black voters, and she’s never been elected in a jurisdiction with a large black population.
I don’t think Harris is going anywhere, but the talk about Joe’s age and ditching Kamala shows that Democrats are getting at least a little uneasy about a Trump-Biden rematch. They know roster upgrades are necessary—it just might not be possible.