BIDEN GONE, DEMOCRATS RALLY AROUND WORST POSSIBLE CANDIDATE. It wasn’t really a surprise that President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he will no longer be a candidate for a second term. After all, Biden was under crushing pressure from some of the most powerful forces in the Democratic Party: congressional leaders, fundraisers, former President Barack Obama, and especially former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In the time-honored Washington way, once Biden relented and stepped aside, people who just hours earlier had their boot on his neck raced to express their heartfelt respect and admiration for his judgment, selflessness, and patriotism. 

What was a surprise was the speed with which the party apparatus ran to embrace Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democratic nominee for president of the United States. Before Biden’s decision, there was a lot of talk about possible replacements at the top of the ticket — not just Harris but Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and others. But once Biden withdrew, there was a stampede to Harris. By Sunday evening, a majority of House Democrats, a majority of Senate Democrats, a majority of Democratic governors, and all of the state party chairs had committed to support Harris. No, the top names pushing Biden out, most notably Obama, did not join in. But by Monday morning, Harris was well on her way to securing the Democratic nomination.