Make no mistake about it, the Biden-Harris ticket is in deep trouble. Biden’s approval numbers foreshadow defeat in the 2024 presidential election, and Kamala’s are even worse. Donald Trump beats Biden in the latest YouGov and Messenger/Harris polls, and Biden doesn’t perform much better against Ron DeSantis.
Things can certainly change but with a looming recession threatening the already lousy economy, it will be increasingly difficult for Biden-Harris to run on their record. Who wants to give them four more years to, as they put it, “finish the job?”
Once again, the problems facing the ticket are prompting murmurs that a change is needed. For sure, polls have shown that Democrats did not want Biden to run for reelection, and they also show he’s extremely weak in the general election. But the key to saving the ticket, according to Newsweek editor-at-large Tom Rogers, may not be getting rid of Biden but getting rid of Kamala Harris.
“These disastrous polls have some arguing for ditching President Biden and mounting a serious alternative candidate. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s name has been floated in this context. But this would be a mistake,” Rogers says. “The Democrats shouldn’t replace President Biden; they should replace Vice President Kamala Harris, who is even more unpopular, and who would replace President Biden in the event of an unfortunate circumstance related to his age and capabilities.”
There’s some important context needed here. While Rogers acknowledges Biden’s weakness in the polls, he insists that this weakness is despite his record. Rogers argues that the economy is strong (it’s not) and that inflation is down (not compared to the Trump era) and insists Biden’s biggest achievement in foreign policy is getting NATO support for the never-ending war in Ukraine. He also believes that Americans are more “in sync” with Biden on social issues as well — again, a dubious contention.
Related: Is Joe Biden Doomed?
Rogers concedes that Biden’s floundering poll numbers are a reflection of the “perception among many that Biden is simply too old” for the presidency, and that “to many voters, casting a vote for Joe Biden is tantamount to casting a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris,” the most unpopular vice president in history. He sees her as the weakest link, which should be replaced to save the ticket.
“The most important question—perhaps the only question—of this election is whether swing voters in purple states who are highly resistant to Trump or DeSantis would feel forced to vote for them if Kamala Harris was the Vice President on the Biden ticket,” Rogers muses. “If you think the answer to that question is that they might, or that enough of them might, that means that Vice President Harris could render Joe Biden unelectable. Which is why it is Harris who should be replaced.”
Rogers suggests Biden appoint Harris as attorney general to replace Merrick Garland and replace her on the ticket with another black running mate. Because… obviously.
This idea is frankly stupid. There have long been reports that Joe Biden wanted to ditch Kamala, but even before he launched his reelection campaign that was never going to happen. Harris was even confronted with the rumors in an interview. But despite being a drag on the already weak ticket, she nevertheless boasts the distinction of being the first minority and female vice president in American history. Much in the same way it was taboo to criticize Barack Obama, Kamala Harris is untouchable because of what she represents in historical context. I don’t doubt for a second that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can’t stand each other, but even if there was a small chance of an out for Kamala before Biden launched his campaign, it’s not going to happen now. A shake-up of the ticket at this point, regardless of who were to replace Harris, would weaken the Democrats. Rogers clearly can’t see that, but how could he when he actually thinks that Biden has done a good job?
