Kamala Harris, the possible (but unpopular) replacement for Joe Biden
The president's departure has vaulted the vice president's name into the top spot to earn the nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
Kamala Harris speaking at a conference
After Joe Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race became official, prompted by doubts about his cognitive status and insistent pressure from several of his party colleagues, Kamala Harris is the presumptive favorite to earn the nomination and then face Donald Trump in the November elections.
It would be no surprise if Harris decided to step forward. In fact, she went so far as to acknowledge that she's ready to move forward in an interview: "I am ready to serve. There’s no question about that." However, still loyal to the man who placed his trust in her to be his running mate, at no time has she asked Biden to step down, or at least not publicly.
The worst-rated vice president in history
The vice president must take into consideration that she has a steep barrier to overcome if she wants to receive the nod at the Democratic National Convention in August and enter the electoral race.
That barrier is that she is the worst-rated vice president in the last three decades. In one poll, Harris' term received a lower approval rating than any of her predecessors in that time period, at just 32%.
Despite this catastrophic figure, a large majority of Democratic voters (79%) are convinced that Harris should be Biden's replacement. Moreover, she also has a better record when consulted on which of the two would have a better chance of defeating Trump in November.
Democrats' blind faith in Kamala Harris
However, it seems that the Democratic Party is ignoring public opinion and favoring its own internal judgments. The campaign of President Joe Biden began evaluating days ago the feasibility of Vice President Kamala Harris being the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party should the president announce his departure.
Given that possibility, the Democratic Party's entourage also began pulling strings to push Harris toward the nomination. EMILY's List, a political action committee (PAC) focused on seeking female candidates who support abortion rights, reported that would disburse tens of millions of dollars for a hypothetical Harris presidential campaign.
At the time, EMILY's List already awarded her $10 million when she was nominated by Biden as his running mate ahead of the 2020 election.
Some Democratic donors also seem eager to hear that Harris is running at the Democratic National Convention. As such, they have already begun to mobilize, according to a report by Politico.
Even Trump believes she'll be the Democratic nominee
Trump, the newly elected Republican nominee, hinted in an interview just days before the Republican National Convention was held that Harris will be the one to replace Biden.
"It would seem to me that from a political standpoint, that's who they're going with. They're not even talking about alternatives."
"I think she's an ineffective person. She was in charge of the border, she's never been there, she didn't do a good job, and she hasn't done a job on a lot of things," Trump added.
Democrats head toward extremism
The vice president has made her radical stance clear and has promoted certain measures totally contrary to the moderation that some Democrats want to establish within the party. For example, Harris has aligned herself with the radical wing regarding the decriminalization of prostitution.
One of the targets of her attacks has been the Supreme Court, which she has gone so far as to label an "activist court" for decisions such as the ruling against Roe v. Wade, thus enabling states to legislate on abortion based on their discretion rather than a federal mandate.
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