US Vice President Kamala Harris is top favourite to contest upcoming elections to become next president of the country if the sitting President Joe Biden decides not to contest elections, said a report in Reuters. Citing unnamed senior officials within the Biden campaign, the White House and even the Democratic National Committee, the report describes how a slow but considerable churn within the Democratic Party is tapping options to replace Biden from the election ticket.
Biden, who was already facing criticism of being too old and unfit for a second term, gave a poor performance against former president Donald Trump in recent presidential debate. Trump in all likelihood, is expected to be the Republican Party candidate in US Presidential Election 2024.
Biden's bumbling performance, filled with rambling sentences and factual errors was somewhat of a public spectacle in the presidential debate considered vital for image building in the run-up to the elections.
This set off a panic wave within the Democratic camp. There have been numerous media reports already about influential Democrats floating names to replace Biden. Gavin Newsom from California, Gretchen Whitmar from Michigan and Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania are some of them.
Is replacing Biden possible?
Unless he steps aside willingly, it appears arduous to replace him from the presidential ticket. It is not impossible. But a lot of intra-party procedure will be involved if he is to be replaced against his will.
The Democratic Party will officially declare its presidential candidate in Democratic National Convention in August. This convention will be attended by thousands of Democratic Party delegates whose support Biden has already bagged in the primaries across the country. Replacing Biden and propping up other candidate would require these delegates withdrawing support to Biden and offering it to the new candidate. This may appear easy in description but is lot tougher. Forcible removal of Biden's candidature may start a free-for-all within the party and this itself may become a public spectacle before the grand one of that of the elections.
This may damage Democratic Party's image even among its loyal voters. For now, many in the party are secretly hoping that Biden steps aside on his own.
(With inputs from agencies)
