Now that the Donald Trump kiss-the-ring-and-whatever fest is behind us, let’s get back to the fix for the Democrats’ fix.
Recently in Rant 798, I proposed a strategy that would afford Democrats their easiest, smoothest and most compelling path out of the dilemma they are in: saddled with a president/nominee whose physical and mental challenges have become so apparent that he is tanking in the polls, making it unlikely for him to prevail in November. The option I suggested was for President Biden to resign from both the campaign and the presidency, allowing Vice President Harris to assume both roles.
She could then, under Section 2 of the Constitution’s 25th Amendment, nominate a new Vice President who would assume the office after being approved by majority vote of both houses of Congress. She would also announce that person as her presumptive running mate. Or, if House Republicans balk at approving her nominee, the Vice Presidency would remain vacant through the end of the current presidential term, but the person’s running mate status would be maintained. House Republican refusal to approve the new President’s VP choice would be a bad look for the GOP.
Once this swap-out is in place (which could—and should—be immediate), the new, reinvigorated Democratic ticket could focus all of its attention, energy and robust criticism on Donald Trump instead of hand-wringing over Joe Biden’s decline. And boy, is there a wealth of hammering potential, given the convicted felon/consummate liar’s limitless vulnerabilities and the MAGAverse’s plans for a catastrophic second term (see Project 2025, arguably the Mein Kampf 2.0 equivalent for this century). They include the destruction of democracy, utter contempt for the rule of law, complete subjugation of women, and overthrowing the international order that has sustained peace among the great powers for almost 80 years, just to scratch the surface of this dangerous doomscape.
The optimal moment to launch this strategy is now. It would dull the Republican National Convention’s afterglow, tamp down the eternal victim-now-become-martyr media thematic, distract from JD Vance’s rise to opportunistic nirvana, suck the oxygen out of any GOP polling bump resulting from the GOP’s unconditional surrender to Trumpism, and dominate the news cycle for weeks.
Moreover, if Joe Biden cannot perform on the campaign, how can he possibly continue to perform as President? He is clearly impaired and his cognition is not likely to improve during the remainder of his term. The world is far too dangerous a place for this to be permitted to persist.
There is no path forward for the Democrats that comes close to matching this suggestion and generates the sorely needed boost this option would give them. A Harris-Shapiro/Whitmer/Warnock/Kelly/Walz ticket would excite the media and public.
Democrats need to do the intelligent thing that maximizes their November chances instead of the chaos, disorganized mayhem and bleeding that all too often defines the party’s flailings. Moreover, doing the smart thing is also the critical thing if the nation is to be saved from the scourge represented by Trump and his malevolent implementers.
Dick Hermann
July 20, 2024
Recently in Rant 798, I proposed a strategy that would afford Democrats their easiest, smoothest and most compelling path out of the dilemma they are in: saddled with a president/nominee whose physical and mental challenges have become so apparent that he is tanking in the polls, making it unlikely for him to prevail in November. The option I suggested was for President Biden to resign from both the campaign and the presidency, allowing Vice President Harris to assume both roles.
She could then, under Section 2 of the Constitution’s 25th Amendment, nominate a new Vice President who would assume the office after being approved by majority vote of both houses of Congress. She would also announce that person as her presumptive running mate. Or, if House Republicans balk at approving her nominee, the Vice Presidency would remain vacant through the end of the current presidential term, but the person’s running mate status would be maintained. House Republican refusal to approve the new President’s VP choice would be a bad look for the GOP.
Once this swap-out is in place (which could—and should—be immediate), the new, reinvigorated Democratic ticket could focus all of its attention, energy and robust criticism on Donald Trump instead of hand-wringing over Joe Biden’s decline. And boy, is there a wealth of hammering potential, given the convicted felon/consummate liar’s limitless vulnerabilities and the MAGAverse’s plans for a catastrophic second term (see Project 2025, arguably the Mein Kampf 2.0 equivalent for this century). They include the destruction of democracy, utter contempt for the rule of law, complete subjugation of women, and overthrowing the international order that has sustained peace among the great powers for almost 80 years, just to scratch the surface of this dangerous doomscape.
The optimal moment to launch this strategy is now. It would dull the Republican National Convention’s afterglow, tamp down the eternal victim-now-become-martyr media thematic, distract from JD Vance’s rise to opportunistic nirvana, suck the oxygen out of any GOP polling bump resulting from the GOP’s unconditional surrender to Trumpism, and dominate the news cycle for weeks.
Moreover, if Joe Biden cannot perform on the campaign, how can he possibly continue to perform as President? He is clearly impaired and his cognition is not likely to improve during the remainder of his term. The world is far too dangerous a place for this to be permitted to persist.
There is no path forward for the Democrats that comes close to matching this suggestion and generates the sorely needed boost this option would give them. A Harris-Shapiro/Whitmer/Warnock/Kelly/Walz ticket would excite the media and public.
Democrats need to do the intelligent thing that maximizes their November chances instead of the chaos, disorganized mayhem and bleeding that all too often defines the party’s flailings. Moreover, doing the smart thing is also the critical thing if the nation is to be saved from the scourge represented by Trump and his malevolent implementers.
Dick Hermann
July 20, 2024
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