Joe Biden continues to look rough in public. Despite his huffy and slurred speech from the Oval Office following his decision to quit the 2024 race on July 21, he’s done nothing. The man had a grocery list of items that would never see the light of day as he entered lame-duck territory with a Republican House majority. It was a mini-State of the Union, where he tried to sell again the country that he has this awe-inspiring record of accomplishment. You can’t say that and then hide in the basement, a tell-tale sign that you’ve done nothing for three years. If Trump wins in November, most of the so-called Biden record can be rolled back through executive order on day one.
So, with the polls leveling off and Kamala Harris not taking the massive leap many had hoped, what could shake up the race? How about Biden resigning in the fall and Harris assuming the presidency? She inherits the institutional advantages of the office, buries any bad soundbites from the September debate with Donald Trump, and gets the Acela media going ga-ga over the first black (or Indian) female president. Steve Krakauer has more (via The Hill):
…a true “break glass in case of emergency” strategy. They could force Biden to resign as president, and elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office so that she can run as the incumbent.
[…]
A Biden exit in September or October would be particularly useful as a distraction from the race. The establishment media would get sidetracked with the Biden resignation, as well as the next phase — the introduction of President Kamala Harris. The history associated with the first female president, plus the bevy of stories about what it even means to have this massive transition, would allow for weeks of relatively substance-free coverage.
And what would Harris gain from being elevated to the top job? First, she’d get to run as an incumbent, which has historically helped presidential candidates. And she can make the case that she’s just getting started in the job and needs the vote of America to begin her real work.
She also could find herself in a crisis, however minor — real or manufactured — during the final weeks of the race, in mid-to-late October, that allows her to shine. She could showcase her prowess in her new role of president and ride it into Election Day — with the compliant Acela media, full of partisan journalists who want to keep Trump away from the White House, by her side.
The last-minute presidential swap then plays well for the Democrats on two distinct but related levels. A President Harris could have a leg up over a Vice President Harris, even marginally. It surely wouldn’t hurt. And any little bit helps in what will likely be a very close election.
“She certainly would make history adding to her resume that she would be the first woman president in American history,” Halperin told me. “Perhaps for some voters, it would be more appealing to vote for an incumbent, but I don’t think the upside is all that great.”
But the whole final chaotic twist in the 2024 electoral cycle would provide a brilliant diversion from whatever policy and substantive discussions and debates are bubbling up in those final few weeks. What better misdirection for the public than to ensure the story that’s on people’s minds in the days leading up Nov. 5 is not the economy or immigration…
Chris Stirewalt, formerly of Fox News, said, “I think this very much falls into the category of things that one might be able to take advantage of if events present themselves, but would be impossible to plan for a reliable outcome.”
“I have no reason to think President Biden will step down, unless he has absolutely no choice,” added Mark Halperin.
In other words, it’s possible, but no one has a crystal ball, especially in this race, which went from steady-as-she-goes—given that we knew who the nominees would be in February—to historic in ten seconds flat. There was an assassination attempt on Trump on July 13, and then Biden exited the race on July 21. We don’t know, but given Biden’s health, the Democrats’ desperation to stop Trump and their party’s addiction to identity politics, I’d say we shouldn’t be shocked if this happens. The Democrats beat the Biden White House, their leader, once. They can do it again.
President Kamala Harris in October? Who’s going to place the bet?