Now that Joe Biden has exited the race for president, the best strategy for the Democratic Party, is the simplest. Switch Kamala Harris and Biden on the ticket. Harris for president and Biden for vice president. Why not?
Voters, pundits and pollsters were concerned about the president’s capacity, his ability to execute the awesome responsibilities of the toughest job in the world for four more years. This concern has resulted in a deep fissure in the Democrats’ ranks.
The pro-Biden forces look upon those who urged him to leave the race as traitors. They believe big money donors, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and media “elites” are responsible for forcing his exit. They believe that Biden still has a tremendous amount of talent and expertise to share with America and his insights, especially in foreign affairs, will be squandered.
But Biden’s skills and experience need not be wasted. Now that he has endorsed Harris as his successor, she should endorse him as hers. The new Democratic ticket should be Harris-Biden 2024.
This ticket will prevent an internal train wreck at a time when the Democrats need to counter the headwinds that have promoted Donald Trump. Biden is not a pariah to tens of millions of voters. He simply needs to be promoted as an elder statesman whose five decades of service will complement the strengths of Vice President Harris.
In addition, the nearly $100 million sitting in the Biden-Harris campaign account will be easily accessible if both signatories are the same. This might prevent a GOP lawsuit which could claim that if there is someone else on the account, the money would need to be returned to donors.
The coalition of Black, union and Jewish voters who are the most reliable blocs in the party can now be energized to get out the vote. And, if the “most pro-union president ever” is kept on the ticket, workers will feel comforted that the Democrats will have their back.
If Biden, whose political lineage is tied to Rep. Jim Clyburn and the Congressional Black Caucus, is on the ticket, African-Americans might see him as helping to honor his obligation to help those who have helped him. After all, if not for Clyburn’s endorsement in 2020 before the South Carolina primary, the Biden ship would have sunk.
Finally, Jewish voters, who have been troubled by the Biden administration’s waffling in its effort to combat Iran-Hamas-Hezbollah-Houthis, will likely return to their full-throttled support of the ticket since Harris’ ascendancy will offer an opportunity for change.
This simple switcheroo would accomplish many things in one fell swoop. It would create an historic opportunity to have a female president, at a time when women’s rights are under attack. No one could promote equal pay, parental leave, child care and the ERA as effectively than Harris with an “amen” from Biden.
Switching Harris and Biden would energize Black, Asian and women voters. With Harris at the top of the ticket, the “peeling away” of Black voters by Trump would stall. Biden’s age would complement Harris’ energy and enthusiasm.
Moving Biden down the ticket would allow for a graceful exit from the overwhelming task of running the country and running for president. Biden has eight years of his vice presidential history to draw upon. Harris would have 12 years of his expertise while in the White House to enrich her role as the leader of the Free World.
Harris-Biden 2024 would short-circuit the mendacity, jealousy and Machiavellian spirits circling 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It would prevent an internecine struggle for both top jobs. It would provoke an atmosphere of change and continuity. It will signal that the Democratic leadership heard the concerns of voters, a vast majority of whom felt Biden was either too old, too frail or both to go another four years.
Running Biden for vice president would help with the battleground states strategy. Scranton Joe is beloved by millions in Pennsylvania, Ohio and other Rust Belt states.
His partnership with Harris might serve as a break against nativist and misogynistic feelings that could detract from her candidacy. Harris-Biden would restore the luster of creative problem-solving to the image of the Dems and give the media a boatload of new stories to focus on, instead of Biden’s limitations. Finally, Harris-Biden 2024 could open the door to a new era of political stagecraft where women are front-and-center, and men are their helpmates.
Goodman is a sociologist and author of the forthcoming handbook, “Inventing Social Change.”