Never before has an incumbent president left the race this late, a month before his scheduled nomination. Never has he immediately endorsed his vice-president, a woman, indeed a woman of colour.
By: Andrew Cohen
But the country’s political vertigo today exceeds what happened in 1968, when there was also a Kennedy in the race, the Democrats also convened in Chicago, and the vice-president (Hubert Humphrey) became the nominee (as Harris is likely to be).
What is happening is unprecedented. Never before has a convicted felon and a twice-impeached president led a major political party and promised to contest the election if he loses.
Never before has an incumbent president left the race this late, a month before his scheduled nomination. Never has he immediately endorsed his vice-president, and never has that vice-president been a woman, indeed a woman of colour.
It is a new day for the Democrats, and for democracy. It is thrilling.
Of course, Biden should have withdrawn from the race last week, last month or last winter. In refusing to go, blaming the “elites,” claiming he could win despite falling popularity, he looked vain and foolish.
His handlers, as well as his family, refused to tell him the truth. It was political malpractice and a form of elder abuse. They were endangering him, his legacy and the country.
Now Joe Biden is the most selfless president since George Washington. He could have run and won but been unable to govern over his second term; more likely, he could have run and lost, taking down his party in Congress and endangering his record. Either way, the result would have been dark.
Instead, Biden did the honourable thing, and he has turned anger into affection. He was showered on Sunday with accolades from the Democrats who were in despair on Saturday. This is politics.
Where does this leave the race? In upheaval.
Biden remains president. If the election outcome is contested in November, he will use the power of his office to protect democracy. This is significant.
Harris will be the nominee. She has name recognition, and the power of incumbency as vice-president. She leads all other prospective nominees in the polls, and is competitive with Trump.
She will reignite the race, raise money and attract young people. She will make the argument for freedom of choice on abortion with passion. In the hours after her announcement, she was flooded with endorsements.
Gretchen (Whitmer) of Michigan and Gavin (Newsom) of California, two important governors, will not run. Indeed, as the party coalesces around Harris, few challengers will be able to organize a serious campaign.
Still, the party will try to avoid the appearance of a coronation. It may quietly encourage others to enter the race, at least nominally, to allow for some debates, which will allow Harris to shine and sharpen her skills.
The Republicans, having lost their best opponent days after their convention, will demonize Harris. They will call her “a radical liberal” from California. The Democrats will cast Harris as a crusading prosecutor as attorney general in California.
Trump will lose the age advantage. He is now the old, white male in the race; Harris is 19 younger and energetic, a compelling speaker and able debater.
Robert Kennedy Jr., who is running short of money for a national campaign, will have to rethink things. He was the choice between Biden and Trump, and now Biden is gone. Will he withdraw and endorse Trump?
For the next month or so, until their convention opens on Aug. 19, the Democrats will monopolize the political conversation. They will speculate gleefully on Harris’s running mate, who should be Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
The race remains tight, the odds even. The Democrats remain the underdogs, but they are back in the game.