OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Rumors are flying that some allies of President Joe Biden have suggested replacing Vice President Kamala Harris. The mainstream media has begun pushing this narrative of infighting and a potential 2024 shake-up on the Democratic ticket.
In a scathing piece published by Slate titled, “If Biden Runs Again, He Should Pick a New VP,” Christina Cauterucci noted how “we are stuck with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris” for now but that Biden may be able to “change that” going into 2024.
Capitol Weekly ran a story titled, “Memo to Democrats: Beware of Kamala Harris, in 2024 or beyond,” where Democrat strategist Garry South detailed, “Despite her obvious intelligence, Harris just isn’t very good, I’m sorry to say, either as a candidate or communicator. When it comes to Harris and 2024 – or beyond — Democrats would be wise to bear in mind the old time-honored caution, caveat emptor.”
The Atlantic published a report titled, “20 Reader Ideas for Who Could Replace Biden,” where the outlet compiled a list of potential lawmakers who could replace Biden.
A recent poll from Morning Consult found that if Biden didn’t run in 2024, Harris is losing support among Democrats.
Politico also published a report months ago claiming that “chatter has picked up” about whether Biden will run again in 2024 and if he does, will Harris be his running mate.
In an explosive story last month from New York Magazine, titled, “There Has to Be a Backup Plan. There’s a Backup Plan, Right? Inside the 2024 soul-searching that’s happening in every corner of the Democratic Party,” author Gabriel Debenedetti discusses how Democrats are facing a reckoning.
Late last year, a CNN report alleged that White House insiders paint a picture of total chaos and discontent between Biden and Harris.
“Kamala Harris is a leader but is not being put in positions to lead,” a top Democratic donor said. “[Biden] should be putting her in positions to succeed, as opposed to putting weights on her. If you did give her the ability to step up and help her lead, it would strengthen you and strengthen the party.”
“That chatter has already reached top levels of the Biden orbit, according to one person who’s heard it,” CNN reported.
“She’s perceived to be in such a weak position that top Democrats in and outside of Washington have begun to speculate privately, asking each other why the White House has allowed her to become so hobbled in the public consciousness, at least as they see it,” the report said. “Republicans and right-wing media turned Harris into a political target from the moment she was picked for the ticket. And implicit racism and sexism have been constant.”
Team Harris is also not happy with Biden and the supposed “positions” they have put her in since taking office.
Biden will reportedly use some time over the holidays this year to decide whether he wants to run for re-election, according to a new report from The Hill. The president reportedly plans to “surround himself with family as he assesses his political future while giving himself a deadline of early next year to officially announce.”
“Biden, who just turned 80, remains in many Democrats’ minds the party’s best shot at retaining the White House in 2024. Still, he’s weighing his next steps at a time when several contemporaries in the party have stepped down from top roles to make room for a new generation of leaders. And while the White House has insisted for months Biden plans to run again, the president has left the door open to making a final decision after discussing with family during the holidays,” The Hill reported.
“He plans to run. He said himself … that he’s going to have a private conversation with his family,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week. “I’m certainly not going to lay out what that conversation could look like or potentially be. That is the president’s, clearly, prerogative to have that conversation with his family, to make that decision.”
Princeton professor Julian Zelizer spoke to The Hill and said that younger Democratic leaders “will heighten the conversations about Biden’s age.”
“It means that his age will be amplified, the contrast with younger Democrats more pronounced, all of which will fuel the conversations about what should he do in 2024,” Zelizer said. “That said, he can use the moment to position himself as a voice of experience, wisdom, and reason —someone with the best chops to handle reelection and the challenges of a second term.”
