Kamala Harris is having a surprise resurgence as Biden's campaign unravels
Democrats who are hellbent on keeping Donald Trump from returning to the White House have taken notice of polls released following Biden's debate collapse showing Harris performing better against the Republican than the incumbent.
Vice President Kamala Harris has long been written off by many fellow Democrats, with her struggles as the second-in-command seeming to dim her prospects of one day becoming president. But as pressure mounts on President Joe Biden to step aside, party members are suddenly seeing her in a new light.
Democrats who are hellbent on keeping Donald Trump from returning to the White House have taken notice of polls released following Biden's debate collapse showing Harris performing better against the Republican than the incumbent.
As the sitting vice president, she would face fewer practical hurdles than other potential replacements if she becomes the party's nominee — most importantly, she'd have the ability to tap the sizable war chest Biden has already raised. She's also been visible on the world stage, most recently representing the White House at a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland.
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And while much of the speculation by panicked Democrats initially focused on White governors like California's Gavin Newsom, Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, or Illinois' J.B. Pritzker, passing over the first Black, Asian female vice president would risk alienating voters crucial to defeating Trump, her supporters warned.
Suggestions of leaving her off the ticket are "the epitome of an insult to women and the Black community," said civil rights leader Al Sharpton.
That some Democrats now see Harris, 59, as their best hope of derailing Trump is a remarkable turn of fate for a politician whose unpopularity has been viewed as a key reason why Biden decided to seek a second term at 81 years old.
"Why would you not go with the woman who's been carrying the vice presidency for four years?" said Melanie Campbell, president of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, who still supports Biden's run.
Biden and his allies have steadfastly insisted he plans to continue his campaign, though the president told an ally that he might need to reconsider if he couldn't improve public opinion with a series of upcoming political events, the New York Times reported Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden is "absolutely not" considering dropping out. In a New York Times/Siena College poll released Wednesday, Biden trailed Trump by 6 percentage points among likely voters.
There is disbelief within the vice president's circle that Biden would actually step aside, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Instead, Harris and her team are moving full speed ahead with their efforts to support the president's reelection — a posture that allows her to avoid accusations of being disloyal as Biden grapples with the worst crisis of his campaign. In the days following the debate, Harris has acted as a loyal foot soldier, defending Biden in television interviews and speeches to donors and campaign staff. Biden and Harris jointly called in to an all-hands meeting of Biden's campaign on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the call.
"Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once and we're going to beat him again," Harris told CBS News outside a San Francisco fundraiser on Tuesday when asked about calls on Biden to quit.
Asked if she is ready to lead the country if necessary, Harris replied, "I am proud to be Joe Biden's running mate."
Biden and Harris have spoken on multiple occasions since the debate, according to an administration official, including during a Wednesday lunch at the White House.
Turning to Biden's No. 2 would in many ways be the natural move if he decides not to seek a second term. Then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic nominee when President Lyndon Johnson withdrew from the 1968 election, though he went on to lose to Richard Nixon.
"Any notion that they're going to overlook her is just a complete misread," said Charles Myers, a Democratic fundraiser who still supports Biden. "That's the whole point of a vice president."
On Wall Street, a group of early supporters of Harris's presidential run in the 2020 election say they're waiting for the process to play out — but are ready to jump in and fundraise aggressively should she be tapped as the nominee.
One such loyalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said passing up someone who has already been through the wringer of a presidential primary would be a mistake, and that Republicans would have an opportunity to define a lesser-known governor before they can introduce themselves on a national stage.
"Without question she's capable of beating Trump," said Ray McGuire, president of Lazard Inc. and one of the most prominent Wall Street executives to back her run for president several years ago. "She can galvanize the American voter, the woman voter, the Black voter, the religious voter."
McGuire said he is still backing Biden's run, but added that Harris is a leader who "understands and respects the importance of business and government and their partnership."
But Harris has had her share of difficulties throughout her career in national politics, including some self-inflicted wounds.
Her presidential campaign started with lofty expectations, but flamed out before the Iowa caucuses as she struggled to convey a clear message to voters and her operation was plagued by infighting.
As vice president, she had high staff turnover early in her term, with some former aides describing her as a tough boss. Harris's speeches have included bizarre moments, like when she recalled her mother telling her "you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" She came under fire for her role addressing the root causes of migration as crossings at the US-Mexico border surged.
Harris has helped improve her standing in the White House over the last year with her role speaking out against restrictions on abortion and gun violence, while her staff has stabilized. She has traveled the country to speak to constituencies that Biden is struggling with, including voters of color. Harris is scheduled to address Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., her college sorority that is a predominantly Black women's organization, later this month.
South Carolina Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn, one of Biden's most prominent Black allies and a supporter of Harris, said Wednesday on CNN that he would support an open process to decide a replacement if Biden exits the race. But Clyburn expressed confidence that "Kamala Harris would acquit herself well" in that situation.
Harris would have a unique advantage if the incumbent drops out: The vice president would have legal access to most of the $240 million Biden's political operation has on hand. A new candidate wouldn't have immediate access to all of Biden's campaign cash, and could start with a balance of zero. Donors who already gave the maximum amount to Biden under US campaign finance law would be allowed to contribute to a new nominee — which could allow a replacement other than Harris to quickly fill their coffers.
Biden has previously indicated he would be supportive of Harris one day running for the Oval Office. In his May commencement address at the historically Black Morehouse College, Biden referred to Harris's alma mater, Howard University, and her sorority.
"No doubt that a Morehouse man will be president one day, just after an AKA from Howard," he said.
Concerns about Harris have led some Democrats to turn their eyes to a crowded field of heavyweight governors who had positioned themselves for a future national run, including Newsom, Whitmer and Pritzker. All three are significantly younger than Biden and have built national profiles of their own — and unlike Harris, they don't carry the baggage of Biden's economic and political record. Pritzker would have the added advantage of deep pockets that could help fund a White House bid.
If Biden were to step aside and decline to endorse Harris, each of those governors has political operations they could leverage to vie for the nomination at the Democratic convention.
A former Obama administration official who believes it is time for Democrats to move on from Biden said Harris may be the answer, but she is not a perfect one.
Polling released since the debate has offered more encouraging signs for Harris than other possible contenders. A CNN poll conducted after the debate found Harris trailed Trump 45%-47% among registered voters in a hypothetical match-up. Trump led Biden 49%-43%, by comparison.
That's only a slight difference, but Harris had previously performed worse or as good as the sitting president in most pre-debate polls. She also ran ahead of Newsom, Whitmer and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a theoretical race against Trump in the CNN survey.
Harris has also performed slightly better than Biden in polls among young people and Black voters, said Roshni Nedungadi, chief research officer at the data firm HIT Strategies.
A Democratic operative, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations, said more Harris skeptics within the party are moving into the "K-Hive"— a nickname for the vice president's supporters — following the debate.
"Absolutely, Plan B is Kamala Harris," said Myers, the Democratic fundraiser.
