Joe Biden finally bowed to growing political pressure urging him to exit the 2024 campaign. After a disastrous first debate, followed by two lackluster national TV interviews, it became obvious to Democrat insiders and, ultimately, to Biden himself that his ability to defeat Donald J. Trump was impossible.
President Biden did the right thing by dropping out and quickly endorsing Kamala Harris. If he hadn’t done so, her hand in running for the top spot would be significantly weakened. If she were “next in line” should anything happen to Joe Biden, how could he not give her the nod if he could no longer run?
Since Sunday, Vice President Harris has acted with haste and purpose in solidifying the nomination, at least initially. She wants a coronation, meaning the Democratic Party apparatus supports her candidacy and allows her to prosecute her race against the Trump-Vance ticket this fall.
Bill and Hillary Clinton, numerous potential gubernatorial candidates, Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan), Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), and JB Pritzker (Illinois), have all endorsed Harris. These governors, viewed as potential 2024 candidates, strengthen Vice President Harris’ position as the heir apparent to the Biden Administration.
However, Kamala Harris faces two distinct challenges in securing the 2024 Democratic Party nomination.
First, she ran poorly for president in 2020, and her campaign never traction. Her position on issues was clear as mud, and then-Democrat Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard flayed her during a primary debate. Kamala ended her 2020 effort before it began with a grand total of zero delegates won. Now, as Kamala Harris pivots to a general election campaign against a Trump-Vance ticket, the national issues being discussed fit better with her strengths. She will undoubtedly focus on abortion and the impact of restrictive Republican policies on women’s reproductive health. Additionally, she will prosecute the Democratic Party’s focus on Donald Trump’s criminal past and their belief that he poses an existential threat to democracy. If she is successful during the next three weeks, she will scare away potential opponents.
Second, who she chooses as her vice-presidential running mate will send a powerful signal to Democrat Party elites and the American people about how she would govern. Typically, presidential candidates choose vice presidents for two reasons – to provide ideological balance or geographic balance. Interestingly, Donald Trump chose JD Vance for neither reason, although the Ohio Senator does provide some entre into key swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Trump’s primary reason for selecting J.D. Vance was loyalty. Vance has distinguished himself as a staunch defender of the Make America Great Again philosophy in Congress.
In Kamala Harris’ case, as Joe Biden’s vice president and before that in the U.S. Senate, she followed a decidedly progressive path. She supported the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter riots, going so far as to bail out some of the rioters when they wound up in jail. She has championed Defund the Police efforts and the Green New Deal. She is inevitably tied to all of Joe Biden’s policies – high inflation, an open border, high food prices. She has been vocal about her desire for Israel to not enter the Gaza – advice that the Israeli government did not follow.
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While geography and ideology will play a key role for Vice President Harris, this first important public decision she makes must provide a feeling of “safety and reassurance” to many Americans—and Democrat Party insiders. Most Americans don’t know who Kamala Harris is, but they’ve likely seen videos of her “word salad” speeches or nervous laughter on serious issues. They’ll need to know that the Vice President plans to govern from a left-of-center perspective but close enough to the center to touch it.
The Democratic nomination is Kamala Harris’ for the taking. How Kamala carries herself once the “glow” of Joe Biden’s resignation and an initial outpouring of support for her candidacy will determine if she leads the Party forward (a coronation) or if a challenger emerges (a competition).
Matt Klink is a Los Angeles-based public affairs and political consultant. He is founder and president of Klink Campaigns, Inc.
