Joe Biden Drops Out, Endorses Kamala Harris
I just saw that President Joe Biden has dropped out of the presidential campaign for 2024. He has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.
In dropping out, Biden has done the right thing. Given the clear signs of his physical and mental decline, there was no way he could serve in office as POTUS from 2025 to early 2029. I’m not entirely certain he should be POTUS for what remains of his current term.
What I’m left with is lies. All the lies told by the corporate media and the yes men and yes women surrounding Biden that he was perfectly OK, indeed never better. That he was absolutely fit as a fiddle and both ready and able to serve until his 86th birthday.
Attention will now turn to Kamala Harris. Like most VPs (Dick Cheney being a notable exception), Harris has largely been sidelined. Now she’s front and center, with a chance to shine—or to fade into the background.
I haven’t been impressed by Harris’s political instincts. Her record is undistinguished. Her speaking ability is average at best. But perhaps she will show a capacity for growth. It’s not encouraging, however, that’s she’s basically a Hillary Clinton protégé.
Kamala Harris is an establishment figure at a time when Americans are unhappy with the establishment. She has a tough road ahead of her with many treacherous obstacles. They will severely test her mettle.
Readers, what say you about this news?
Update: A statement from the DNC:
Democratic National Convention chairman Jamie Harrison said in a statement that “in the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people,” he added.
Dear Reader, I can’t wait for the most open, fair, and “transparent” process ever, as Democratic powerbrokers come together to choose their candidate for the presidency in 2024.
This statement by the DNC made me laugh:
Democratic National Convention chairman Jamie Harrison said in a statement that “in the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people,” he added.
Dear Reader, I can’t wait for the most open, fair, and “transparent” process ever, as Democratic powerbrokers come together to choose their candidate for the presidency in 2024.
Of course, Harris as VP has already, in previous speculations been given by some high-profile Dems and media types the front-runner if not 'presumptive nominee' tag.
The deciders will be primarily interested in two things. First, the question of her polling vis a vis Trump. Second, and, I suspect most important to them, will be the question of how obediently the nominee would, as President, carry on the status quo that benefits those elites and those whose interests they represent.
On the latter question, I suspect Harris ticks for them the box. Her entire career has been one of bending to power; and of not walking the talk but yielding to political pragmatism. As for the electability / polling question, it is a very mixed bag. She doesn't do as badly as Biden has been doing in those numbers (where most if not all polls indicated a Trump win); but they don't exactly inspire confidence, either.
I know only two things. One is that whomever the Dems nominate will again be unacceptable to me; for they will only be nominated if they'll continue the policies we've seen from Clinton, Obama and Biden; i.e., deference to Wall Street, a few crackers to the peons, fuel to keep the culture wars going, and unlimited funding for war-making and other aspects of hegemonic maintenance.
The second follows in that vein, because, barring some miracle, I'll once again be unhappy with the outcome- because either Trump or yet another corporate, anti-democratic Dem will likely be the winner. So we'll likely have to look forward to another 4 years of growing wars and yet closer approach to global thermonuclear war even as the climate control system is destabilized towards the point of chaos.