Staff Reports
Kamala Harris made waves during a recent campaign appearance in New Orleans by barely mentioning her boss, Joe Biden, fueling fresh speculation about the embattled president’s future as Democrats intensify pressure on him to step aside.
With Biden’s lackluster debate performance in June still fresh in everyone’s minds, interest in Harris has surged as Democrats scramble to find a viable alternative. The fact that Harris only referred to Biden once at the Essence Festival, an event hosted by the black women’s magazine Essence, speaks volumes about the growing rift within the party.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the 30-year celebration of Essence Festival in New Orleans to shed light on why the upcoming elections matter and what’s at stake, plus more. https://t.co/kHQIntoRFu pic.twitter.com/c7ud74TURQ
— Elev8 (@elev8inspo) July 9, 2024
While Harris may seem like a contender, her candidacy is not without its own set of challenges. Known for her tendency to spew confusing “word salad,” Harris has yet to prove herself in a head-to-head matchup with President Trump. Despite this, some Democrats and left-leaning pundits are warming up to the idea of Harris taking the reins as Biden’s successor, especially as his support continues to erode.
As the speculation swirls, Harris’s identity as a black woman has become a focal point, particularly in light of the significant role black voters play in the Democratic Party. During her address to a predominantly black audience in New Orleans, Harris focused on attacking Trump, giving Biden a mere nod in passing. In the current political climate, Harris’s deliberate distancing from Biden could be a signal of a potential power shift within the party.
Meanwhile, Biden’s recent ABC interview did little to assuage concerns about his fitness for office. His defiant stance and apparent dismissal of calls for him to step down only added fuel to the fire. Even former Obama adviser David Axelrod criticized Biden’s interview as detached from reality, prompting senior Democrats to start privately urging him to make way for a successor.
With dissent growing within the party, the idea of President Harris has started to gain traction, with prominent Democrats like Adam Schiff suggesting that Biden must either win convincingly or pass the torch to someone more capable. Despite Biden’s attempts to rally support and shut down dissent, the murmurs of change continue to loom over the Democratic Party’s future, leaving Harris in a position where she must decide how best to navigate the tumultuous waters ahead.
