Kamala Harris prepares to take power from Biden with a campaign agenda

The president is frozen, but his options are running out. Every day, dozens of Democrats on Capitol Hill are receiving new messages asking him, in similar terms, to “pass the torch.” Nancy Pelosi, who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, plays a game she is absolutely adept at, mobilizing her party’s forces. She has done it for decades. According to her intentions, leaked to the US media by her team, Biden should admit defeat and leave with dignity.

On Friday, there were two senators and ten deputies. In all, more than 35 people have publicly demanded a replacement, a group that will continue to grow if the president does not give in. There are 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives, and 50 in the Senate. The former has been fully renewed this year, in addition to a third of the latter. Many of the deputies and senators demanding Biden’s departure come from highly competitive districts and states, and they fear that the defeat predicted in the polls for their party will cost them their position.

This is where Operation Harris comes into play. Some Democrats are planning a quick turnaround, believing that the vice president will rise in popularity by leading the candidacy, receiving the support of the number two that will strengthen his profile. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, an influential senator considered to be on the left wing of the party, said this Saturday that she would remain calm if Biden decides to leave, because “Vice President Harris is ready to take over.” She said this during an interview on the MSNBC television network.

A new NORC poll for the Associated Press found that six in 10 Democrats think Harris would make a good president. About two in ten Democrats don’t think so, and another two in ten say they don’t know enough to consider it. A previous poll by the same House found that eight in ten believe President Biden is too old and should step down as soon as possible.

These details, along with signs of Biden’s cognitive and physical decline, have given Republicans reason to call for his departure. Trump’s new vice presidential candidate did the same yesterday in his first rally with the former president in Michigan and in a previous message on social networks, in which he warned that a weakened Biden should not continue leading economic and military power.

At the other extreme, the left wing of the Democratic Party is closing ties with the president, whom until a few weeks ago they criticized as a militaristic friend of Israel and ignorant of the suffering of the Palestinian people. This is surprising given that two of its biggest defenders are Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Bernie Sanders from the state of Vermont. In their case, the seat is not in danger, and their party’s defeat in the November elections will not have as direct an impact on them as on other deputies or senators in contested states.

Angry denial

The Biden campaign, which ultimately works for the president and whose staff depends on his continued survival, angrily denies that a resignation is imminent. The president has already said he will campaign again next week. Celebrity host David Letterman is hosting a dinner for him with donors and party politicians in Massachusetts before he holds rallies and returns to the White House.

Some Democrats believe the replacement would be an easier process if Vice President Harris became the automatic nominee because she has proven experience in running elections, could easily take over her boss’s $91 million campaign fund and would help reunite the party’s base, which is eager to regain the support of black and Hispanic voters.

But others do not believe he can win, especially in key states such as Wisconsin and Michigan. These same sources recall that he is less popular than Biden and, besides, he has already lost the primary in 2020. Meanwhile, the vice president is silent about a possible replacement.