President publicly insists he will be party’s nominee in election as leaders in Congress tell him they doubt he can beat Trump

Joe Biden has reportedly become more open in recent days to hearing arguments that he should step aside as the Democratic presidential candidate after the party’s two main congressional leaders told him they doubted his ability to beat Donald Trump.

While continuing to insist he will be the party’s nominee in November, the president has reportedly started asking questions about negative polling data and whether Vice-President Kamala Harris, considered the favourite to replace him if were to withdraw, fares better.

The indications of a possible rethink come after Biden tested positive on Wednesday for Covid-19, forcing him to isolate for several days while curtailing a campaigning visit to Nevada that had been part of a drive to show his candidacy was very much alive.

It also coincides with fresh polling data showing that he now trails Trump by two points in Virginia, a state he won by 10 points in 2020.

  • timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    10·
    5 months ago

    Ok, so voter groups aren’t monolithic but do you honestly think the optics of passing over a black woman who currently is #2 to have two wholly unrelated candidates be on the ballot (or keeping her as the VP choice) will be lost on black voters?

    Just like everyone else here- people are throwing out wishlist bullshit without thinking of the actual political ramifications.

    If you were to listen to half the people here you’d have tossed the incumbency advantage even before Biden did that debate, nominated AOC, and ensured a Mondale style wipeout repeat.

    • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
      62·
      5 months ago

      I think that Harris is an extremely hard sell as a former prosecutor who has really poor approval polling. If we made sure the ticket included someone who has done real work for minority communities then I don’t think it’d be a serious issue.

      I was strongly opposed to Harris getting the VP slot in the first place and I think she’d genuinely struggle to win against Trump.

      • Wisely@feddit.de
        10·
        5 months ago

        I never liked Harris because she ran against Bernie and she seemed very fake and forced in 2019, on top of the prosecutor stuff making me think she was moderate.

        However recently I actually looked at her voting record in the senate. She is more progressive with her votes than 99% of the senate, and there are only 100 of them. Right up there side by side with Bernie. She is even an original backer of the Green New Deal.

        She has also seemed to have relaxed some, seems way less forced. Most importantly she isn’t in her 80’s and can actually complete sentences unlike anyone else running this decade.

        The prosecutor stuff was a long time ago, and she has already been voted in as VP to step up for Biden if he gets too old. The tough on crime stuff might actually help her with independents and conservatives who don’t like Trump.

        https://voteview.com/person/41701/kamala-devi-harris