The suspension of Joe Biden’s re-election campaign didn’t come as a surprise to me. In a number of WhatsApp groups, my discussion was not about ‘if’ but ‘when,’ and I had anticipated Sunday. His endorsement of Kamala Harris as his successor was equally expected.
My anticipation of Biden’s withdrawal was predicated, not on the recent presidential debate but from my observations during the 2020 election when I was Florida-based. It was apparent then that had it not been for the COVID-19 lockdown, Trump would have easily won re-election not because of acuity, but energy. Trump is the consummate campaign animal, which Biden’s folksiness couldn’t counter then or now.
However, we cannot discount that Biden’s debate underperformance cemented the premier concern of voters, that he is beyond his best. And as we know in politics, ‘perception is reality’ and once a negative impression sets in, it’s hard to dislodge it.
This selfless act by Biden is to be commended. I hope that our political leaders see in this example, the need to put country above party and the public good above personal ambitions. Think, feel, act.
Harris: the viable choice
The timing of Biden’s departure, following Trump’s pick of JD Vance, a white man, as his running mate, gives Harris more manoeuvrability on gender and diversity issues, which could narrow Trump’s lead in the polls. As Harris currently polls similar to Biden against Trump, and better than other Democrats commonly touted as replacement candidates, her selection should only improve her ratings.
Intriguingly, some polls suggests that the unlikely ticket of Hilary Clinton at the top with Harris as the vice presidential candidate outperforms all other hypothetical scenarios, except that of former First Lady Michelle Obama, who, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll, leads Trump 50 per cent to 39 per cent as a presidential candidate.
Biden’s exit has made the race more interesting for us as West Indians. Notwithstanding the Republican Party’s role in emancipation and its more favourable economic policies, JFK and LBJ’s roles in the Civil Rights Movement has secured generations of support for the Democratic Party among Black and some other minority groups.
Harris is the ‘presumptive’ replacement for Biden. At the moment, it’s unclear whether anyone will challenge her for the nomination, or if the party will push for an improvised primary or an open convention. However, I anticipate that there would be a severe backlash, demobilising key groups, if the Democrats bypassed the first Black/South Asian and woman vice president.
Harris’ selection would also inherit Biden’s campaign war-chest of $95 million. The media also reported that Sunday was the party’s biggest fundraising day of the year; receiving nearly $50 million online in the hours following Biden’s dropout. It also takes a majority of the party’s 4,000 or so delegates to win the nomination and Biden controls about 3,900.
With the focus now on Kamala Harris, we should take a moment to recall that before her or Barack Obama, there was Shirley Chisholm. The long-shot campaign for the 1972 presidency by this Brooklyn congresswoman, who considered herself a Barbadian American, was era defining.
Encouragement to step down
However, if the Democrats are serious about keeping the White House, then Biden needs to go further and resign the presidency as incumbency is a key factor for electoral success. This also frees Harris from having to defend his presidency and instead focus on her own. The recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity grants near imperial powers to any president unscrupulous enough to use them., which raises the stakes of the upcoming presidential election. It’s not clear whether Trump can be beaten but this gives Democrats a fighting chance.
Should Biden resign the presidency, I anticipate that it would be greatly applauded by the American public. Furthermore, in doing so his name would always appear alongside the first woman to ascend to their highest office. Of note, Gerald Ford predicted the first female president would be elevated, just as he was when Richard Nixon resigned.
Alexis Coe, an American presidential historian and biographer of George Washinton, opined: “And just like that, Biden’s age becomes a [climatic] chapter in the book of his [public] life ending on an unprecedented note: He not only stepped aside, but stepped down – and that will always be the story of the first woman president.
Of course, Biden has always been an unparalleled, selfless ally: He served as vice president and loyal friend to Barack Obama, the first Black president. In 2026, when America celebrates its 250th anniversary, he’ll be the only president who can make that claim.” Could one ask for more?
As I conclude, allow me to congratulate the Diocese of Barbados on its bicentenary, and use this opportunity to caution those, whose relationship with religion may be akin to a mongoose and fowl-coop, to not use matters of faith for political gain. Matthew 7 reminds us: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” May God continue to bless and guide Barbados.
Guy Hewitt, a London-based social policy specialist and minister of religion, is a former high commissioner.
