"The Case for Kamala"

[brooklynite]

Political Wire

A document titled “The Case for Kamala” — purportedly written by senior Democratic operatives — says bluntly: “Like it or not, there’s one realistic path out of this mess: Kamala.”

CNN reports the document “has been popping up in group chats of Democratic donors and leading coalition groups. It lays out a detailed argument and plan for a campaign.”

Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xVQ5GXHhl58g2cE35g11llVAUuCQ8Tqa4suUlUEq0DA/edit

[jmbar2]

1. Information warfare

[Think. Again.]

2. Excellent! Something to look forward to in 2028!

[gab13by13]

3. What is your opinion

Do you agree with what you posted?

[brooklynite]

4. Haven't read the details yet...

I still don't think its possible to build consensus around a replacement for Biden, whether Kamala or someone else.

But I also don't think Biden is out of the woods at this point.

[somaticexperiencing]

12. I don't think a replacement is best either. But I do think she has to be seen to be the viable replacement for Biden

that she rightly should be. That is something that can be done and should be done and nothing is lost. Only gained.

Wouldn't it be nice to have some plans that are only gains and not losses? It is possible. If you move slowly and surely and maturely enough.

[choie]

15. Sure you haven't read it yet.

[brooklynite]

17. Did you just accuse me of lying?

If, so, please explain why.

[choie]

24. No. But wondering why you'd post something without reading it.

And will say no more to avoid being kicked out of here,

[dpibel]

29. Pretty hopeless then, eh?

Good to hear it from an impeccable source.

[brooklynite]

33. My position has been Biden still has to up his game.

If you disagree, let us know.

[dpibel]

36. This OP says that how?

I know I'm just a slow groundling.

But I think you just committed a non sequitur.

But for sure. Help us all understand how "Kamala is the answer," means "Biden has to up his game."

I've asked you this before: Do you read what you write before you post it?

[brooklynite]

37. I post items that are newsworthy.

Worth knowing what's being discussed behind the scenes.

[dpibel]

39. LOL

Dispatches from the land of mobile goalposts.

[femmedem]

62. I appreciate your sharing some of the behind-the-scenes info you're seeing.

Thank you! I hope the sometimes hostile comments won't cause you to stop.

[ALBliberal]

30. You posted something you haven't read?

Oh I have been called on the carpet for that on DU!

[Renew Deal]

40. If Americans can nominate presidential candidates within 1-2 months of the first primary

They certainly can do it now. I think voters are sophisticated enough to make decisions within 2-3 months.

[Aepps22]

41. What Advice Do You Have

What advice do you have for Biden and has his team been receptive?

[elleng]

5. Well, DUers, ' purportedly written by senior Democratic operatives'

I guess we've been told where to go, eh???

[brooklynite]

8. Who would you imagine did write it?

Are you saying there are no behind the scenes discussions about Democratic officials/candidates/donors?

[Quiet Em]

35. It's very similar to Tim Ryan's op-ed

I imagine it's coming for someone you anonymously agrees with Ryan's take.

I'm sure there have been some discussions regarding this, but it doesn't seem to be getting much consensus. VP Harris is firmly behind President Biden staying on the ticket, as are most Democrats. And the few Democrats who have publicly made statements regarding Biden leaving the ticket, none, other than Ryan, have made this case.

[2naSalit]

42. Guess so...

Where do I catch the bus?

[Bettie]

44. It doesn't feel good to be told

that our primary votes don't matter and that the 'senior operatives' would prefer to just ignore us little people and jettison a successful president on a whim.

[littlemissmartypants]

47. All of this and a million times this, too.

How dare they try to take away our primary votes!!

[Bettie]

48. I think it comes down to

"we have more money than you do, so fuck off and do as you're told".

[littlemissmartypants]

52. It's a whole lot of arrogance with hubris and that's a fact! It's infuriating.

Thanks for your reply, Bettie. ❤️

[pinkstarburst]

68. This is problematic

I think we need to stick with Biden at this point. He is the candidate we voted for, for better or worse. I think switching at this point so late in the game, 4 months from the election, would be messy. And yes, there would be some voters who are frustrated they are having a candidate forced on them that they did not vote for. This would be true whether it is Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, Buttigieg, or any other leading democrat. Harris, though smart and competent, does not poll well. And she does not poll well with swing state voters or independents. I think we need to focus on supporting Biden, not on changing up the ticket at this point.

And in 2028, we need to let the VOTERS decide. As much as I think Harris is smart and competent, there will be a crowd of smart, competent people vying to be the democratic presidential candidate. No one automatically inherits this. The voters will pick who they want, as it should be.

[ucrdem]

67. probably the ones in Moscow

who swell Cheato's social media following.

[somaticexperiencing]

6. That Kamala should be more front and center seems absolutely right-on. The rest is at least partly a matter of opinion.

The one option that has no downsides whatsoever that I see is that Joe Biden signifies strongly his belief in Kamala Harris and she is featured as a ready and present partner and replacement should one ever be needed.

Would we agree on this or aspects of this?

I believe this would quell a lot of fears also. And give time to settle on the absolutely best plan and messaging.

[Silent Type]

27. Totally agree. She needs to be out there ready to transition in if the need arises.

Primarily thinking we might need a Hail Mary if polls don’t change for good.

[Silent3]

7. In the unlikely, and so-far denied-by-Biden event of Biden stepping down, Harris would be my choice

A choice that would include Biden resigning so as to give Harris the advantage of incumbency and to squash, as best as possible, any internal fights over who should replace Biden on the ballot.

I believe, thrust into the center of attention that way, Harris would shine, she'd do much better than many skeptics about her seem to think.

I'm not sure about this, but I'm guessing Harris could continue to use all money raised so far for the Biden/Harris campaign too.

[brooklynite]

9. Correct.

The same Party organization would be restructured.

[shrike3]

51. The media is already sharpening its knives for her.

Axios reporter tipped his hand re the narrative they've got in waiting. Namely, "Kamala will have a lot to answer" regarding her support of Joe. It won't get better. In a way, it'll be worse. They'll go after not only her but the Democratic party itself for the temerity to put up a candidate that a majority of primary voters picked.

[LisaL]

10. Last I checked, she isn't polling any better than BIden.

NT

[brooklynite]

11. That is acknowledged.

The consideration is that Biden can't address his perceived weaknesses, whereas Harris is more of a known quantity to build up.

[LisaL]

18. Do you think she will build it up if she is

relentlessly bashed?

[brooklynite]

21. I'm not making a judgement on the analysis at this point.

[PatSeg]

26. I'm afraid that Harris

hasn't had nearly enough public exposure at this point and there are only a few months to play catchup. A lot of voters don't really know her and much of what is out there is rather lukewarm.

That said, I honestly can't see Biden stepping down. This has become a media manufactured crisis aided no doubt by Putin and right-wing trolls.

[BComplex]

13. She polls much lower than Biden.

As competent and smart as she is, she's not popular with swing or independent voters. I don't know why, except that she's a woman, and that she's a woman of color.

[DontBelieveEastisEas]

20. "She polls much lower than Biden." That's not my understanding. Care to link your sources? nt

[BComplex]

22. Here's just one.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/approval/kamala-harris/

As of July 2024, 9,740 people have voted on the AllSides Media Bias Rating for 538 (ABC News). On average, those who disagree with our rating think this source has a Lean Left bias.

[DontBelieveEastisEas]

23. That is an approval poll, at which she is not doing worse.

Do you have any that support your statement?

[Bettie]

28. That's why

misogyny and racism, together!

[Fiendish Thingy]

38. Not true

The few (maybe 2?) head to head polls of her vs. Trump have her performing better than Biden, within the MOE of Trump.

However, her approval rating is even lower than Biden’s.

[choie]

14. "purportedly written by senior Democratic operatives"

Wow, how organic. Obviously the public is clamoring for Biden to withdraw and for Harris to be the nominee. NOT.

[choie]

16. "CNN reports the document "has been popping up in group chats of Democratic donors and leading coalition groups."

mission accomplished

[brooklynite]

19. Eleven pages of data and analysis seems like a lot of effort to get some Twitter churn...

[choie]

25. That's not the mission to which I was referring

N/t

[Frasier Balzov]

32. Suppose Biden is reelected but doesn't finish his term.

How does a polarized Congress confirm Harris's pick for a VP at that point?

Electing Harris and her VP in 2024 avoids a scenario in which Democrats do not control both chambers.

As has been pointed out before, a persistent VP vacancy in a succession scenario leaves the Speaker of the House as next in line for the presidency.

[shudder]

[LisaL]

34. How about Biden gets re-elected first?

Then we can worry about Harris maybe needing a VP one day.

[2naSalit]

43. Okie dokie then...

According to CNN, somebody called "Senior democratic operatives" said.

Is that the same as "people are saying"?

[Moosepoop]

46. The whole "document" is premised on IF Biden drops out.

He's not dropping out. The rest is moot.

[Oneironaut]

49. *facepalm* NO!

I can’t believe these people are serious.

[shrike3]

50. The press is already sharpening its knives for Kamala.

Axios reporter said she will have "a lot to answer for" regarding her support of Joe Biden. Tipping his hand as to what the next narrative will be. I'm starting to think the Democratic Party is ready to slit its own throat.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

53. What's the point of this?

My prognosticating skills tell me the very SECOND Joe drops out and VP Harris becomes the Democratic nominee, the REAL claws come out: she's fat, she's sick, her husband cheats on her, and why doesn't she leave him? She's got cancer, AIDS, VD, Covid, brain tumor, and bad breath all at once;

she's Black and wasn't born here, she's got a vagina, she cheated on a spelling test in third grade....blah fuckity blah.

These bullshit hit and run posts of yours are always so demoralizing, yet you claim a close affiliation with Democrats. Why is that?

[Goodheart]

56. Practically invisible? She's been ALL AROUND the country giving talks.

She's about as roll up your sleeves grass roots as any VP ever.

Can she win? Sure she can.

Would she win? Who knows.

[pandr32]

55. For fux sakes--she is already on the ticket.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

57. If President Biden is not the ballot, the GOP will sue and keep the party off the ballot in a number of states

Ballot access litigation is strange. There are traps that could be used to keep a replacement for President Biden off the ballot. The GOP will try to use any change in the party ticket to keep the Democratic candidate off the ballot. For example, the compromise with Ohio to get President Biden on the ballot may go away if the Democratic Party changes candidates.

Link to tweet

I've seen a lot of people telling me that this story means they think Biden is weak so they want him in the election. No...you're missing the goal here. What they are doing is declaring how they will conduct a coordinated lawfare campaign to screw the Democratic nominee.

First it will be this lawsuit. In close order various Republican AG's will sue the DNC on behalf of their citizens "who voted in good faith in the Primary for Joe Biden." Then they will launch coordinated campaigns to split the Democratic coalition. "See how they are treating Kamala?" "Why didn't they think California's governor leading the 3rd largest economy in the world should be nominee." it will be relentless and targeted to get people to stay home. Millions of dark money will go to third party candidates. Suddenly RFK Jr. will miraculously have the resources to get on every ballot...on and on and on.

They don't care who is on the ballot. They want us to spend time, money, and anger on each other and on defense so Trump simply strolls into the White House with 45% of the vote.

The Biden campaign needs to stop nevel gazing and get back in the fight. We all need to stop eating each other alive and remember the real enemy to our democracy is the one's cheering this on in Florida.

Link to tweet

Removing President Biden from the ticket will give the GOP and the Heritage Foundation grounds to try to keep any replacement off the ballot. Removing President Biden from the ballot is a very stupid idea

[oldsoftie]

61. Dont some states have deadlines to be on the ballot?

Because if thats the rule, wouldnt they have a case to say "Sorry, too late. You missed the deadline"

[LetMyPeopleVote]

64. Yes-Georgia, Wisconsin and Nevada may be big problems

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219114429

[oldsoftie]

66. If thats the case, then there IS no option. Period.

[cilla4progress]

58. I think it's total juvenile bullshit

to suggest Biden should drop out after his debate performance. I wish he would say that tsf is so toxic that - well, you get on a stage with el diablo and see how it goes!

I do believe a Harris / Whitmer ticket is a sure winner!

[femmedem]

59. As of a few days ago, Biden was polling considerably better than Harris in Pennsylvania.

From 538:

When we plug all these polls into a polls-only version of the 538 forecasting model — which jettisons the economic and political priors our full model uses, giving us an apples-to-apples comparison between candidates — Harris has a slightly higher chance of winning the Electoral College than Biden, but it’s not a significant difference: 38-in-100 versus 35-in-100. On a state-by-state level, Biden looks stronger than Harris in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while Harris’s odds are higher than Biden’s in Nevada.

More: https://abcnews.go.com/538/kamala-harris-stronger-candidate-biden/story?id=111656941

It's unfathomable to me that it's going to be an uphill battle to beat Trump whether Biden stays in or drops out.

[MistakenLamb]

60. Kamala stepping in now would leave her and the party absolutely discredited to the American people

You don't get to firmly stand behind your candidate to only change that days or weeks later. It makes you look disingenuous and extremely vulnerable to your own party. I would not trust this party to backstab Kamala Harris as well then, this party will make her PINO Noir and rush to make Iowa and New Hamshire go first again in 2028 'fixing" the "mistake" of black voters picking Biden Harris in SC

[LetMyPeopleVote]

63. Dems attacking Biden are 'doing more damage' than the debate: analyst

These attacks on President Biden are very stupid and only helping TFG. Why are supposed Democrats working to re-elect TFG?

Link to tweet

https://www.rawstory.com/biden-debate-2668695029/

After stating Biden needs to get in front of voters more, she told the MSNBC hosts, "I would suggest that the response of that very small number of Democrats that have really come out after the president, and some of the media folks that have really come down on him since the election have done more damage and more harm than the president himself did during that debate."

"For me, and millions of Americans like me, this election is about the future of our country. It is about democracy, it is about getting away from the imperialistic, criminal presidency of Donald Trump and making sure that our children have a future that we can feel good about and be proud of," she explained.

She added, "It naive to think that at this point in the process you can switch candidates and still defeat Donald Trump. It is naive to think that the Democratic party will come out of a contested convention more united and stronger than they are today. "

"I think there is a lot more damage being done by folks other than Joe Biden when you look at how folks are reacting to this," she concluded.

[shrike3]

65. The newest cry. "The Dems must replace Kamala."

Wonder how the lily-livered donors will respond to that one?

I'm not going to link, because it's one of the usual suspects.

[Cherrycheeks]

69. Nope

[Deek1935]

70. Kamala is solidly for Joe and she would just be the next target of the shitty corporate media and MAGATS.

First, Joe is NOT getting out, and it would be monumentally STUPID for the party if he did. It would throw the party into civil war and chaos and we would lose. The electorate will not support a party in chaos.

Next, those "operatives" and donors and Dems calling for him to step down are buying into bullshit corporate media frenzying, bullshit flawed non-predictive polls four months away, and bullshit narratives about Joe not being able to campaign. They are falling for SHIT that is not predictive of presidential election outcomes and are shitting their pants and wetting their beds over shit that doesn't predict the final outcome, corporate media frenzy hysteria narratives, and sheer cowardice. Some of the Dems are doing it for purely political reasons. This is beyond SHAMEFUL!

Next, much as I like Harris she would be crucified by the corporate shit media and of course the MAGATS. If you think they like to attack Biden, you ain't seen nothing yet.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

71. Here's some historical perspective on why you cannot change candidates at this late date

Link to tweet