Tom Kando
I wrote this a couple of days ago. It now looks like loyalty to Biden may prevail. It may be too late and too complicated to replace him. Whatever. Obviously, if Biden remains the Democratic candidate, I will vote for him. He is a fine man. I would probably vote for ANY democratic candidate. But my point remains: the pragmatic move would be to nominate Kamala Harris. Biden’s chances remain dim.
My sister Juliette lives in Spain, but she definitely follows our country’s political antics in great detail, as I am sure many people around the world do. After watching the entire Biden-Trump debate (or should I say debacle?), she summed it up as “Evil vs. Feeble.” Funny and true.
We have had over a decade of Trump news. About half of all the news is devoted to Donald Trump. All other topics combined probably take up the other half. Presidential campaigning never stops during the four years between elections.
American politics are a form of entertainment, not aimed to solve problems. How much longer can this country afford this luxury?
The Biden-Trump debate exposed the weakness of the democratic candidate, the final implosion of his campaign. Our champion simply didn’t measure up. His weaknesses could no longer be hidden.
Biden’s re-election in November is probably impossible. The rats are abandoning the ship. The polls indicate further decline in support for him, financial contributions can be expected to decline, and many Democrats are calling for him to withdraw his candidacy.
Here is where I stand: I have always greatly admired and supported Joe Biden. He is a fine human being and he has been a very good and successful president. There is no need to reiterate his many accomplishments. If he remains the Democratic candidate, I will vote for him.
The alternative is too horrible to contemplate. Trump will further devastate the federal judiciary system and the economy. He will dismantle the federal regulatory system. God knows how unpredictably and dangerously he will handle international policies and relationships. He now has a carte blanche to commit crimes with impunity (as long as his actions are labeled as being in the line of duty, which can be done with practically anything).
But Biden can probably not win. The public perception is now fixed, congealed. A large majority of Americans, even among Democrats, even among those who like the man, now agree that he is too old, too weak, too slow to fight effectively for our rights, our needs, our security, our well being, our country.
It is late. Even so, an alternative is possible. We have a Vice President with a variety of advantages and attractive qualifications, even if many people enjoy debunking her. Kamala Harris is a woman of color, she is still in her fifties, she is a charismatic and seasoned politician. She is competent, smart and dynamic. As a woman, she can place the abortion issue to the forefront even more effectively than a man would. She would, hopefully, be especially attractive to the female vote. Remember, ladies, there are more of you than there are men.
We know that if Bidden is the candidate, he will lose. That’s a given. Kamala’s fight would also be uphill, no doubt about it. But what have we got to lose? There is little time left, but a gracious handing over of the baton to Kamal Harris would establish Biden as a true statesman, a man who did the right thing, who saved the presidency and put his country before his personal ambition, a true national hero.
I wrote this before I came across the following New Republic article, saying something very similar:
What Joe Biden Could Do: Resign and Make Kamala Harris President
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