CLEVELAND, Ohio -- By early Monday evening it was reported that Ohio’s Democratic delegates had committed to Vice President Kamala Harris to win the Democratic Party nomination for the nation’s highest office President Biden endorsed her for after announcing Sunday afternoon he was stepping down from the 2024 Presidential race so Harris could step up as only the second female nominee and the first of Black-South Asian dissent from Jamaica and India.
Vice President Harris also won speedy endorsem*nts from all the leading Democrats named as potential candidates in a proverbial open convention. Those are Governors Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Roy Cooper, Wes Moor, Andy Beshear and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.
By August 7, Harris will be officially nominated in a ‘virtual vote’ by delegates to meet an early ballot deadlines in Ohio and other states.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also endorsed Harris as have former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton who was the first female Democratic Party nominee for President in 2016. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are expected to endorse Harris after meeting with her Tuesday.
TRUMP DONATED TO HARRIS
By Monday evening Harris had already generated over $80 million in contributions. Of that, more than $24 million are ‘grass-roots’ donations. In 2011, even Donald Trump had donated to Harris’ reelection campaign as Attorney General of California. That A.G. post is only second in size to U.S. Attorney General of the Department of Justice that has now indicted former President Trump who has already been convicted on 34 felony counts for fraud by New York state.
It’s beyond fitting that convicted felon Trump who was found liable for sexual assault will now be trying to runaway from former prosecutor Harris back into the White House instead of an orange prison jumpsuit that match his bronzer.
Several of Harris’ potential running mates are also former state Attorney Generals. My vote would be for her to pick Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, in part because the state is more pivotal than states that some other contenders come from.
The biggest and maybe the only issue weakness for Harris will be the border crises that President Biden had delegated to her.
If the Trump-Vance campaign tries to make crime an issue, they will lose on that against Harris like Trump has in his own criminal trials. As California Attorney General, Harris had the highest conviction rate. She had won so many convictions when she ran for the U.S. Senate strategist feared she’d be tagged as ‘Cop Kamala.’
Next to inflation, the biggest factors in the election are likely to be reproductive rights and the U.S. Supreme Court. The former has been the strength of Harris. Suburban women cost Trump the election in 2020, they could seal a win for Harris in 2024.
Republicans and Trump should now be regretting not having Nikki Haley or Rep. Elise Stefanik on their ticket. Instead, running against Harris, Trump has teamed with Vance who said women should stay in abusive marriages in addition to his seeking a national abortion ban with no exceptions !
BIDEN EXIT
There had been a rising tide of calls for President Biden to withdraw from the race after his first debate performance revealed a health decline that took many by surprise who were expecting the same strong, vigorous delivery the 81 year old President had given in his State of the Union address. On social media last week I had joined the chorus for him to withdraw with dignity.
Some post debate interviews and appearances that were intended to allay fears of frailty didn’t. In one interview President Biden didn’t seem to remember the name of his Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. He also routinely appeared to lose his train of thought. To cover for that, the President would often wave his hand dismissively saying “Well anyway...” as if he didn’t want to digress and discuss the topic further, when he actually may have forgotten what he was going to say.
Last week, the President who used to be shown riding his bike, was seen very slowly stepping up and down the shorter flight of stairs of Air Force One.
The President is wise to step away from the strains of a campaign to spend his remaining 6 months in office stepping into history as accomplishing more in one term as President than many of his predecessors did in 2.
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