On Sunday, July 21st, political shockwaves were sent through the United States in a figurative sense when the 46th president of the United States Joe Biden dropped out of the upcoming presidential race less than four calendar months before the November general election. Biden had faced significant political pressure in the previous several weeks after performing disastrously on the debate stage against the former 45th president and Republican nominee Donald Trump. While Biden had initially been adamant about staying in the race, the shocking end to his campaign was reached on the second to last Sunday of July in the face of diminishing poll numbers and dwindling Democratic support. Biden immediately endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris as a replacement candidate.
On CBS, Margaret Brennan claimed it would be “political suicide” for any Democrat to challenge Harris for the party nomination. The Democratic National Convention is set to occur in late summer, beginning on August 19th. Many names have been floated around in terms of a potential Vice Presidential choice for Harris. Many prominent Democrats including Bill and Hillary Clinton, the governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, the governor of California Gavin Newsom, and the governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy have all voiced support for a Harris candidacy. Regardless, there remains a chance that the convention could feature an open contest and a delegate who was not voted on by individuals in a primary could be chosen.
Many leftists feel that Biden made the right decision to step aside and have claimed the president simply isn’t strong enough politically to defeat Donald Trump. Others have stated that Bidens late-race dropout has placed the party in a weakened position. Many prominent figures showed their emotions on Sunday night on national television. Chris Coons, a Democrat Senator from Delaware and a Biden-Harris campaign chair fought back tears while on air. Rachel Maddow, an NBC host, also displayed significant sorrow with cameras rolling.
