By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Vice President Kamala Harris is the best alternative to replace the U.S. president Joe Biden if he decides not to continue his re-election campaign, according to seven senior sources at Biden’s campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee with knowledge of the current discussions on the topic.
Biden’s clumsy, at times incoherent and widely criticized performance during the first debate against his Republican rival Donald Trump Last week, panic broke out within the Democratic Party as fears rose that he would not be fit for a second term, and calls were made for his top advisers to resign.
Some influential Democrats have floated alternatives to Biden beyond Harris, including popular Cabinet members and Democratic governors such as Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. But trying to bypass Harris is wishful thinking and would be nearly impossible, said the sources, who asked not to be named.
If Harris, 59, is named the party’s nominee, she would take over the money raised by the Biden campaign and inherit the campaign infrastructure, the sources said. She also has the highest name recognition of any alternative and the highest polling among Democrats who could seriously consider the candidate, the sources said.
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, Harris trailed Trump by one percentage point, 42% to 43%. That difference was well within the poll’s 3.5 percentage point margin of error. Statistically, that’s as strong a showing as Biden’s.
Moreover, she has already been vetted for national office and has survived intense scrutiny from Republicans, they said. Also, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the man key to Biden’s 2020 victory, told MSNBC he would support Harris as the Democratic nominee if Biden stepped aside.
“It is virtually impossible to win the nomination at the expense of the vice president,” said Michael Trujillo, a Democratic strategist from California who worked for Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2008 and 2016.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that Biden simply had a “bad night” at the debate and that he would continue to make his case for re-election to the American people. Biden’s campaign referred Harris’ team to the story for comment.
Harris’s aides rejected any talk of a Democratic ticket that doesn’t include both Biden and Harris. “Vice President Harris looks forward to serving a second term with President Joe Biden,” a statement from her office said.
Biden’s campaign has scooped up 3,894 delegates after the state primaries, leaving just a few dozen “uncommitted” delegates. They are expected to formally nominate Biden in a virtual meeting later this month, ahead of the Democratic nominating convention in August.
“All of the delegates are not only Joe Biden delegates, but Kamala Harris delegates,” Trujillo said, adding that “from day one she will have a significant delegation and support in all 50 states.”
Donna Brazile, a former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee who will serve a key role on the committee during the Democratic National Convention in August, said Harris is the person who could step in immediately if Biden decides not to run.
“People may dream of a new superhero, but there is a process and the last time I checked, it was a Biden-Harris candidate. She is number two on the list,” Brazile said, adding that Biden is still the Democratic Party nominee and “isn’t going anywhere.”
According to several Democratic strategists, skipping the first black female vice president in favor of another candidate would lead to a negative reaction from black and female voters, who are crucial to any potential victory.
‘KAMALA IS IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE’
Still, Harris has been left out of much of the speculation since the debate because some influential Democrats have little confidence she can beat Trump, four of the sources said.
The United States has never elected a woman president, and Harris has spent much of her time as vice president struggling to distinguish herself in what is by definition a supporting role. As recently as last year, many inside the White House and the Biden campaign privately worried that she was a burden to the campaign.
Since then, Harris has found her feet on abortion rights, but her poll numbers haven’t improved significantly. Harris’ approval ratings hover below 40%, but recent polls highlighted by the Biden campaign show her and the president have similar odds of beating Trump.
The vice president has also been the target of ongoing attacks from Republicans and conservative media, which many allies view as sexist and racist.
Three Democratic donors who have recently pushed for Biden to step aside also said this week that they believe it will be “impossible” to bypass Harris. The donors had floated Whitmer and Newsom as possible alternatives until last weekend.
“There is a real conversation going on right now about leadership within the Democratic Party, but honestly, and I’m not happy about this, it’s impossible to ignore Kamala,” said one of the donors.
Another donor said, “Nobody can choose her, but yes, it’s almost impossible.”
Still, the president’s re-election campaign is holding up, buoyed by a stronger performance by Biden during a pre-scheduled speech in North Carolina, even as calls for him to step down grow.
Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager for former President Barack Obama, whose company has a contract to produce the Democratic National Convention in August, said: “President Biden is the nominee and he will remain the nominee.”
“For those looking for some kind of interparty struggle, be careful what you wish for, because that would guarantee a Trump victory,” she said in a statement.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Deepa Babington)
