What if Biden bows out?

NEWS AND OPINION:

Some are already wondering what would happen if President Biden chooses against running for reelection in 2024. That politically important election year will be here before we know it.

“Who replaces Joe Biden if he drops out in 2024? Great question. Right now it doesn’t seem like even Vice President Kamala Harris knows the answer to that despite her status as the rightful heir,” writes Nate Ashworth, founder and editor in chief of ElectionCentral.com, an active political news site.

He has come up with a list of six possible Democratic candidates who might throw their hat in the ring if the situation is right.

“Harris is sort of an ‘in case of emergency, break glass’ option for the country if Joe Biden can no longer serve in the capacity of president. However, if given a choice, it seems like practically everyone would prefer someone else,” Mr. Ashworth wrote in his analysis of the possibilities.

Next up on the roster is California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“The guy is practically already running for president. He’s been operating a shadow campaign for months now, perhaps years, and has been placing himself at the forefront of battles over gender identity, immigration and abortion,” Mr. Ashworth said.

He then cited Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, offering a brief review and a quip: “He’s still breathing, so he’s an option.”

Mr. Ashworth also cited Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“Democrats like this lockdown queen of the upper Midwest. Whitmer never met a right she didn’t enjoy infringing upon during the COVID pandemic and yet she won reelection in 2022. She’s often been floated as a better vice presidential choice than Kamala Harris but many think she could step in as president if needed,” he said.

Mr. Ashworth suggested that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was a possibility, noting that she “would provide younger voters with someone more in tune with their generation and able to operate Instagram like a pro.”

He also cited New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“She’s what Democrats want as she’s not afraid to push the left-wing agenda forward and do it with a straight face. She was a key defender of COVID lockdowns, something else Democrats enjoy, and she’s all in on abortion, right up to the moment of birth,” Mr. Ashworth wrote.

“It sounds like a parody but Hochul is typically well-respected among Democrats and wouldn’t be any worse than Newsom if a replacement is needed for Biden in 2024,” he said.

Find the complete reviews at USpresidentialelectionnews.com.

THE BIDEN HEADLINES

News media coverage of President Biden is tepid at best at the moment, and for a variety of reasons, it seems. Here are a few headlines from the past 24 hours that tell the tale.

“Why is Joe Biden so unpopular?” (The New York Times); “Joe Biden, the human bridge to nowhere” (National Review); “Biden campaign to focus more on Trump to boost lackluster fundraising” (NBC News); “Fact check: Is Joe Biden trying to limit how much beer you drink?” (Houston Chronicle); “McCarthy juggles a government shutdown and a Biden impeachment inquiry as the House returns for fall” (Associated Press); “Joe Biden bucks tradition, bets big on early swing-state advertising” (The Washington Post); “The challenges facing Joe Biden” (The New Yorker); “White House press secretary ends news conference as Biden is still responding to questions from reporters” (CNN).

VIVEK HAS A SAY

Republican presidential candidate and self-described political outsider Vivek Ramaswamy says he will deliver a major domestic policy speech Wednesday at the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute based in Washington.

“Our guiding principles are liberty, free enterprise, national greatness, American military superiority, foreign-policy engagement in the American interest, and the primacy of American workers, families and communities in all we do. We will unveil for the first time the previously underreported legal and constitutional basis for the U.S. president to harness executive authority to shut down administrative agencies and fire large numbers of federal employees,” Mr. Ramaswamy said in a written statement shared with the Beltway.

The address will be followed, he said, by a “fireside chat” — though the details of that particular event were not disclosed.

FOR THE LEXICON

“Press Forward.”

The aforementioned phrase comes from the Knight Foundation and has much to do with money and media — but in a helpful way.

“To further our decades-long commitment to supporting informed and engaged communities through the stability and growth of local news organizations, we’re announcing a significant increase in our commitment to strengthening local journalism with a $150 million, five-year anchor investment in Press Forward, a new collaborative effort spearheaded by the MacArthur Foundation that aims to enhance the growth, expansion and sustainability of local news organizations across the country,” the foundation said in a written statement shared with the Beltway.

“This new funding follows the more than $632 million in investments made since 2005 to enhance and support robust news ecosystems,” it said.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, also known as the Knight Foundation, is an American nonprofit foundation that provides grants for journalism, communities, and the arts. Find them at Knightfoundation.org.

POLL DU JOUR

• 38% of U.S. adults are “somewhat dissatisfied” with the quality of education students receive in kindergarten through grade 12 in the U.S. today; 38% of Republicans, 36% of independents and 42% of Democrats agree.

• 28% overall say they are “somewhat satisfied” with the state of education; 17% of Republicans, 29% of independents and 38% of Democrats agree.

• 25% overall are “completely dissatisfied with the state of education; 40% of Republicans, 23% of independents and 12% of Democrats agree.

• 8% overall are “completely satisfied”; 3% of Republicans, 11% of independents and 48% of Democrats agree.

Source: A Gallup Poll of 1,014 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 1-23.

• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.