If all goes as she hopes, the most important 107 days of Kamala Harris’s life have just begun. Joe Biden’s vice president, long in his shadow, struggling to make her mark and find her voice, has been given a historic opportunity: To become the first Black woman elected to the White House. By stepping down and giving her his personal support on Sunday, July 21, Biden hope to make the handover inevitable.
Any other candidate stepping forward to challenge her before the Democratic convention in Chicago, which kicks off on August 19, would give life to internal pluralism. But it would multiply the party’s setbacks. It would risk aggravating dissension within a party at the end of its tether. Democracy practiced above a vacuum, less than four months before the presidential election, would be a captivating televised spectacle but an excessive political risk for many of the Democratic party’s members.
Given the urgency of the situation, it was hardly surprising to see an outpouring of support for Harris, even from potential rivals such as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and California Governor Gavin Newsom. On the other hand, governors Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan) and J. B. Pritzker (Illinois), also perceived as presidential candidates, remained silent.
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Calling the president’s withdrawal a “selfless and patriotic act,” Harris paid glowing tribute to Biden, both for their shared record over nearly four years and for his character: “His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.” While she declared herself “honored” by the president’s support, she deftly refused to take nomination for granted, declaring that she intended to “earn it and win it,” to unite her party and the entire country.
