Kamala Harris, From Grey Vice President to Possible Biden Alternative

Washington. Vice President United State, Kamala Harrisgaining strength in the last hours possible relief to Joe Biden In case of his resignation running for re-election For his killer performance in debate against former republican president Donald Trump.

Harris has had low approval ratings throughout her term, and has been identified as a gray, unpopular vice president, and her run for president did not seem a realistic option until Biden’s failure last week in the debate, appearing old and disoriented, multiplying the voices who believe he is unfit to serve at 81.

She has taken on a great promise, being the first African American woman to serve as Vice President of the United States, a woman who has always broken glass ceilings: the first African American woman elected as California Attorney General and the first woman of South Asian descent in the Senate.

Read also: “I’m not going anywhere,” Biden says. “I’m going to fight to the end and we’re going to win.”

But over time, Harris has come to face the reality of an office that leaves little room for bragging rights, and involves three main roles: exercising the presidency when the president cannot, representing him on occasions in other countries when he cannot be there, and presiding over the Senate.

The battles at the compound left him little room to travel across the country. Even his appointment to address the immigration crisis did not make him visible or leave his mark. “Kamala Harris: The Absent Vice President,” The Hill lamented at the time.

Everything changed with the debate between Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump, in which the president appeared distracted, uttered incoherent sentences and was unable to forcefully refute the countless lies told by the former president.

Today, the 59-year-old vice president is not only seen as a natural successor to Biden, but polls of voting intentions place her ahead of other popular faces in the party, and she will inherit the entire campaign structure.

According to a survey conducted by CNN Published Tuesday, Harris would fare better against Trump than Biden, though the Republican would win either way.

In a duel between Biden and Trump, the Republican would win 49% of the vote to 43% for the Democrat. If the nominee is Harris, 47% say they would vote for Trump and 45% for her.

the Democratic campaign He has rallied around Biden, whose family is encouraging him to stay in the race, but more and more people within the party are privately calling for him to drop out.

The New York Times and CNN reported on Wednesday that Biden had admitted to a close ally that his nomination was in jeopardy if he failed to calm things down in the coming days, a claim Washington denied. White House.

Read also: The US president's campaign says reports of Biden's potential withdrawal are “false.”

Although his nomination has become certain after winning the primary elections, Biden has not yet reached power. Official Democratic Candidate For the elections scheduled for November 5, the party is expected to officially announce them before its national conference in August.

Analysts agree that for there to be an alternative to Biden, he would have to drop his candidacy, in which case his vice president would be the preferred candidate to replace him.

“If she steps down, Harris would be the best alternative for Democrats to avoid starting a major internal battle just weeks before the convention,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, told EFE.

the Actual vice president He will also have “key to most” of the money raised by the campaign and should never have to start looking for money again, CNBC reported Wednesday.

Some have already begun to publicly advocate for this, such as Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburna key to Biden's 2020 primary victory, who has said he would support Harris if Biden drops out.

Defenders of the vice president argue that she has been very vocal in defending abortion, and has connections with key voter segments such as women or African Americans.

But she has often struggled to find her place in the administration, has been mocked on social media for some confusing speeches, and has suffered racist and sexist attacks from some Republicans and conservative media.

Her weaknesses, as Tim Hagel, a political science professor at the University of Iowa, told EFE, are that she is “not as well known as Biden,” has made some “embarrassing” public appearances and has had notable problems with her office staff.

Overall, according to the CNN poll, Harris would do better against Trump than other potential Democratic candidates like California Gov. Gavin Newsom or Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The next few days, in which Biden has scheduled interviews and events to revitalize his image, will be key to determining the future of the president and his candidacy.

The vice president has closed ranks with Biden. When asked by the media if she would consider running for president, Harris declared that she was “proud to be Biden’s vice president,” and defended that the only candidate was him.

“I’m not running,” the president said Wednesday in a video call between Biden and her campaign team. “Nobody is going to fire me. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.” Harris confirmed.