Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan said “the future of our republic” may depend upon Democrats’ ability to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris replacing President Biden as their 2024 nominee.
Democrats have been reeling since Biden’s widely criticized performance in last week’s presidential debate. Hasan, who has been sharply critical of Biden on Israel, called on him in The Guardian to step aside in favor of Harris in a piece headlined, “Kamala Harris may be our only hope. Biden should step aside and endorse her.”
After noting that Biden had already been trailing former President Trump in polls before the gaffe-filled debate, Hasan asked, “Who do you want standing on stage at the second debate in September, rebutting Trump’s lies, bigotry and nonsense? The woman who went viral when she grilled Bill Barr and Brett Kavanaugh at the Senate Judiciary Committee, or the man who went viral for saying he’d ‘beat Medicare’?”
He declared that his intention is merely “reminding Democrats that they still have time to choose between trying to elect the oldest president in American history, whose age has become a weight around his neck, or trying to elect the first female president, the first Asian American president and the second Black president, which could energize their demoralized base.”
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Hasan also cited polls arguing that Harris has been gaining ground with voters in the Black community, the Hispanic community, and in swing states.
“You might not want to believe it, and lazy pundits may say otherwise, but the polling is pretty clear these days: Harris actually has a better chance than Biden of beating Trump,” he said in the UK news outlet. “And, unlike the president, the veep’s numbers have – and you’ll be hearing this phrase a great deal in the coming days – room to grow.”
He also argued that “there’s the Gaza-shaped elephant in the room,” arguing that Harris has made herself appear more sympathetic to the Palestinians of Gaza than President Biden.
“Prior to last week’s debate, it wasn’t Biden’s age that I considered to be his biggest electoral liability. It was his horrific stance on Gaza, from his non-stop supply of arms to Israel to his nonexistent ‘red line’ on Rafah,” he wrote. “Given Biden refuses to budge on this issue, a Harris candidacy might offer a fresh start for Democrats on Gaza.”
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Ultimately, while he argued that he would prefer another prominent Democratic candidate, various logistical issues ultimately make Harris the most pragmatic choice.
“Nor will I bother to make the case for a Gretchen Whitmer or a Gavin Newsom. Would they be preferable to Harris? Yes. Do I believe the Democratic Party establishment is willing to take a punt on an ‘open convention’ in Chicago next month? Nope,” he wrote. “Therefore, the only viable alternative to Biden right now is Harris – especially as she was elected alongside him by 81 million Americans and is also the only potential nominee who can access the $91m in his campaign bank account right now.”
Hasan, known for his active social media presence and hard-left views, noted he’s not a “fan” of Harris and was an outspoken critic during her failed bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
