Vice President Kamala Harris has been chosen as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming election, following President Biden’s decision not to run for re-election.
President Biden, at 81 years old, has endorsed Vice President Harris, 59, as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the upcoming election. This controversial shift has raised questions about its long-term implications for the Democratic Party.
Biden’s sudden announcement that he would not be seeking the party’s nomination comes less than a month before the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to begin on August 19. Immediately after announcing his withdrawal from the race, Biden, who has stated he will remain in office until a new leader is sworn in, tweeted that Harris has his “full support and endorsement” to be the Democratic presidential nominee. This decision has sparked controversy and uncertainty.
While Biden’s decision to step down suggests a recognition of his age and fitness limitations, Harris’s candidacy has drawn criticism. Her past performance as Vice President has raised concerns about her ability to effectively lead the nation. Her handling of various tasks, including addressing schoolchildren, has been widely criticized, and even her own staff has questioned her management abilities. Additionally, Harris’s political instincts have been called into question, particularly in critical situations.
For example, one of her initial responsibilities as Vice President was to address the crisis at the southern border, where a surge in illegal immigration continues. Despite the severity of the situation, Harris waited over 100 days before visiting the US-Mexico frontier. When questioned about her delayed response, she dismissed the concerns by saying, “And I haven’t been to Europe. And I mean, I don’t understand the point that you’re making. I’m not discounting the importance of the border.” This type of response has contributed to a perception that Harris lacks likability and trustworthiness among voters.
A YouGov poll conducted between July 13 and 16 surveyed 1,582 American adults and found that 39 percent would vote for Harris if she were the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, while 44 percent would vote for Trump. This places Harris behind Biden, who the survey revealed would lose to Trump by 41 percent of the vote against 43 percent.
These results have led to questions about the true power dynamics within the Democratic Party and who is calling the shots in Washington, D.C. While some believe that Biden and Harris have been the driving force in recent years, others believe that a powerful group, often referred to as the “Deep State,” holds significant influence behind the scenes. This “Deep State” is comprised of individuals such as the Clintons, Obamas, Pelosis, Schumers, and other prominent Democratic figures. This notion, though it may seem conspiratorial, is not without merit, as these influential families have long held considerable sway over policy in Washington. Donald Trump, who has firsthand experience with the political landscape in D.C., has hinted at this influence.
“You’ve been ripped off by everybody and betrayed by the globalists, Washington, Wall Street people, those combinations of Washington, Wall Street, they’re the worst of all,” Trump said last year at a New Hampshire event. “And it’s never been worse than it is now under crooked Joe Biden, and frankly, his boss, Barack Hussein Obama. I think it’s his boss.”
Further adding fuel to the “Deep State” speculations, Obama himself acknowledged the power dynamic in a 2020 interview with the late-night comedian Stephen Colbert, shortly before Biden was inaugurated. When asked if he wished he could have a third term, Obama said, “If I could make an arrangement where I had a stand-in, a front-man or front-woman and they had an earpiece in and I was in my basement or sweats looking through the stuff and I could deliver the lines but somebody else was doing all the talking and ceremony, I would be fine with that because I found the work fascinating.”
This seemingly lighthearted statement could be interpreted as a veiled description of how the “Deep State” operates, using puppet politicians as fronts while pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
“The Deep State is real,” Jason Chaffetz, the former chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “They don’t like exposure, accountability, or responsibility. They fight back, outlast, and work the system to their advantage.”
The existence and influence of such a group within the American political system has major implications for all citizens. Regardless of one’s personal belief in its existence, it’s undeniable that powerful figures in Washington share a common goal: to prevent Trump from returning to the Oval Office. The question they face now is: can Harris, the first female, black and South Asian vice-president in US history, achieve this goal? Many believe that Harris lacks the necessary strength and charisma to succeed against Trump in a head-to-head contest. Her previous presidential campaign in 2000, which ended prematurely due to low polling numbers, further supports this notion.
However, a potential scenario exists where the Democrats could secure victory for Harris, despite these concerns. If they manipulate the electoral process through measures such as mail-in ballots and mobilizing immigrant voters, Harris could potentially win even with a weak campaign. This possibility could lead to the first female US president and potentially a female vice-president, such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, or even a male VP, like California Governor Gavin Newsom. Such a combination of factors could give the Obama-led (?) “Deep State” another four years of controlling the nation from the shadows, with a compliant leader as the public face of power. It’s a scenario that seems improbable, yet not entirely impossible.