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Opinion: What about Joe? Follow Kamala’s Lead
Big Dem donors and media are keeping alive a troubling narrative about last week’s debate: that Joe Biden isn’t fit to be president and should step aside. Biden may have had a lousy debate night, but for our democracy and for all people of color, he’s still the best possible choice.
By Emil Guillermo
Big Dem donors and media are keeping alive a troubling narrative about last week’s debate: that Joe Biden isn’t fit to be president and should step aside.
Biden may have had a lousy debate night, but for our democracy and for all people of color, he’s still the best possible choice.
But now newspaper editorial boards, like the New York Times, have warned: For Dems to win, Joe must go.
What do they know? They aren’t doctors.
More irksome is that few are willing to say what should be obvious. If you replace Biden this late in the game, there should be no other person but his No. 2.
Oakland’s Kamala Harris.
They will mention Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom while too often overlooking Harris who was the best thing going for the Biden-Harris ticket on debate night.
When Biden was down, Harris had his back.
“What we saw tonight is the President making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people,” Harris said on CNN. “Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish. And what became very clear through the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people on substance, on policy, on performance. Joe Biden is extraordinarily strong.”
Harris also looked strong. She was filled with an appealing youthful political vigor.
It was everything Joe Biden wasn’t on debate night.
She acknowledged the rough parts, which included a moment where Biden seemed to lose his thoughts. Was he talking about Covid? Medicare?
Still compare that one senior moment with Trump, who showed off his strength as a functioning pathological liar.
No. 45 sounded louder with a clearer voice than No.46, but that doesn’t mean with all his lies and 34 guilty verdicts he deserves to be No. 47.
Undaunted, Biden said last Friday in North Carolina, he intends to stay in the race, pointing out he knows how to do the job and that unlike Trump, he knows how to tell the truth.
But the media continues to question whether Biden can do the job. A CBS poll found that only 27% of voters believe he has the mental health to be president.
If more negative polling data comes in, Biden may be forced to decide whether this is the time to bow out and retire from public life.
I’m keeping my eyes on Harris. Think Biden must go? Remember, Harris is on the ticket that’s raised millions of dollars to fight Trump.
With reproductive rights of women one of the strongest issues the Democrats have, leaning in on the first female African American/Asian American vice president, may be the Democrats’ best, if not only, answer.
About the Author
Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He’s covered politics from Hawaii, California, to Washington, DC when he hosted NPR’s “All Things Considered.” See him on www.amok.com
