Vantage | Kamala Harris may be ready to lead, but is Biden ready to step aside?

It is election year in the United States. The US will choose its next president in a few months. The Republicans are voting on their candidate, most likely Donald Trump. But at least they have a choice there. On the Democratic side, there is no choice. It’s pretty much decided. Joe Biden is the sitting president. He can have at least one more term in office. That makes him the incumbent and Democratic nominee. He has overwhelming support, and he is raising a lot of money. The odds are clearly in his favour. However, it looks like his memory is not. In the last two weeks, Biden has made a lot of gaffes. He’s confused living leaders for dead ones. He has forgotten whom Israel is fighting in Gaza. A special counsel report says Biden doesn’t remember when his son died. All of this has raised one question: Is Biden too old to be president again? As per the findings of a recent poll, as many as 86 percent of Americans say Biden is too old to serve another term. That’s an overwhelming majority! The Biden camp has been portraying him as an agile leader, but can they turn public sentiment around? Maybe they don’t want to. Look at his own vice president, Kamala Harris. In an interview, when she was asked about Biden’s age and about the looming concerns of voters, she said if Biden is incapacitated, she is ready to lead.

“I am ready to serve. There’s no question about that,” said Harris. Now, Harris may be ready, but is America ready for her to be president? Harris shattered the glass ceiling when she became vice president; she was the first coloured and the first woman VP. But since then, it’s been a lacklustre career. She’s had low approval ratings and is politically fragile. Republicans see her as a vulnerability, as over 50 percent of Americans disapprove of her performance as VP. So being second in command hasn’t worked out well for her. Will the first be any better? For Democrats, it was supposed to be easy. Usually, the sitting president is the nominee, but Biden’s age has forced their hand. They need a contingency plan. Right now, they have two choices: Number one, Biden contests in the Democratic primaries. He wins the delegate votes needed, becomes the undisputed candidate, and then gives up his nomination. That is, he considers the concerns about his age. He backs out and releases his delegates. Then they back Kamala Harris, letting her become a Democratic presidential candidate. But it will be a scramble if his delegates don’t back Harris. That brings us to scenario number two: The top Democrats will enter the battle—the likes of California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and, of course, Kamala Harris. She will be in the same race. They will all compete to replace Biden and will seek the support of delegates. Whoever wins will become the Democratic nominee. Now, both of these scenarios are contingent on one thing—that Biden willingly gives up his baton, but what if he does not? What if he continues to be on the ballot? What if he becomes the Democratic nominee and is then incapacitated? For the Democrats, it will be a disaster. If Biden cannot compete, the choice will be in the hands of the Democratic National Committee, which has 450 members. They will choose a new nominee. Of course, all of these are hypothetical situations. Biden and his camp have dismissed all of this. The president says his memory is fine. His team argues that he is healthy and that he will run for president. The US may want a young face, but they don’t have a choice. Come November, Americans must choose between two old white men—an 81-year-old and a 77-year-old. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .