The race for the White House has therefore been turned upside down and the Democrats are for the moment without an officially designated candidate since the announcement of the withdrawal of outgoing President Joe Biden on Sunday, July 21. At this stage, only Vice President Kamala Harris has announced her candidacy and remains the most likely hypothesis. But the choice of her possible running mate could be less simple than it seems, especially since Democrats are instead calling for a new candidate to emerge.
5 min
While the announcement was expected by many Democratic Party officials, in the suburbs ofAtlantaparty members welcomed the move, but regretted that it came so late. For Jorge Granados, president of the Gwinnett County Young Democrats, an important voter stronghold North of Atlanta, the announcement should have been done earlier. ” It’s almost too late now. The Democratic Party convention is just around the corner and so is the election in November. ” he explains to our correspondent in Atlanta, Edward Maille.
For Ravi Batra, another senior Democrat, the choice of Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden would be understandable, but he would like to see a new candidate. This would provide a new energy just before the election. Having a new person would help connect with the younger people. This may be what the Democratic Party needs to bring young voters together. “, does he think.
Within the group, only half believe that Joe Bien’s withdrawal will allow the Democrats to win next November.
Barack Obama calls for ” a process from which an exceptional candidate will emerge “, without citing Kamala Harris
While Kamala Harris is the favorite to succeed Joe Biden, she does not seem like an obvious choice for Barack Obama. Instead of officially supporting the vice president, the former president is in favor of an open primary at the Democratic convention that opens on August 19 in Chicago, reports our correspondent in Miami, David Thomson. ” I have the extraordinary conviction that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an exceptional candidate will emerge. ” writes Obama, who does not even mention Harris’ name.
However, Kamala Harris and Barack Obama know each other well, they are even said to be rather close and in regular contact for years. In 2008, Kamala Harris, then San Francisco prosecutor, was one of the first elected Democrats to support Obama’s candidacy.
So what’s going on in the former president’s head? On CNN, David Axelrod may be putting forward an explanation. Barack Obama’s former chief strategist also says he’s in favor of an open primary. He suggests that Kamala Harris wouldn’t necessarily be best placed to win in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. These three key states in the Midwest, which are rather white and working class, are considered essential to winning the presidential election, while Donald Trump is currently leading there.
Joe Biden has been one of America’s most important presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me.
Kamala Harris needs to find a running mate
If Kamala Harris stays the most likely hypothesisshe needs to find a running mate and she needs to find him quickly since the Democratic convention begins in Chicago in less than a month, on August 19. She will need to find someone who can bring her voters that she herself does not convince.
Kamala Harris is a minority woman from California, a liberal state if ever there was one. She will therefore have to convince in states that are less liberal, particularly in the key states of the Midwest and the industrial northeast. Or even the states of the Democrats’ “blue wall”, states in danger like Pennsylvania or Michigan, targeted by the Republicans. Since her nomination as Donald Trump’s vice president, JD Vancehimself a native and elected official from Ohio, keeps citing them. That’s why the name of Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, a very important state, comes up often.
The vice president could also be tempted to turn to contested states in the South. The name of Senator Mark Kelly, from Arizona, another key state, comes up often. A former military man, naval pilot and even an astronaut piloting the space shuttle, he seems quite complementary. Other names, such as that of Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky where he managed to impose himself in a state that is largely favorable to the Republicans, also come up.
After Joe Biden’s withdrawal, reactions in New York
With our correspondent in New York, Loubna Anaki
Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race doesn’t come as much of a surprise to these New Yorkers. There was no doubt about his declining faculties and I think he did well to retire even though he should have done so earlier. ” thinks this passerby. “ I wasn’t sure it was a good idea for him to step down but honestly I’m glad he did. “, explains a woman. I think Biden should have stepped down a long time ago to really give the Democrats a chance. ” adds another passerby.
In this traditionally Democratic city, some people think that Joe Biden’s decision could help him win the election against Donald Trump. But the choice of Kamala Harris to replace the outgoing president is not necessarily unanimous. “JI really think she is a better choice than Joe Biden especially after the debate against Donald Trump. She is younger and therefore closer to the voters of my generation. And I think she can beat Donald Trump “, believes this New Yorker. ” I don’t think Americans are ready for a female president, much less a black female president. ” regrets another.
A black woman president, some New Yorkers still want to believe it. It would be a historic first in the United States. But for that, Kamala Harris will have to climb back up in the polls. Until now, she achieved roughly the same scores as Joe Biden who was lagging behind Donald Trump in many key states.
Read alsoUnited States: Kamala Harris, the Democratic asset who could make history