Democratic Party

Potential Vice Presidential Nominees With Kamala Harris If She Replaces Joe Biden

Discussion has begun of potential Vice Presidential nominees who would join Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democratic Party ticket, if President Joe Biden decided to withdraw from the race, which seems more likely by the day.

Speculation has that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer might make for a “dynamite” ticket with Harris, making it an all female competition against two Republicans, Donald Trump and JD Vance, who could clearly be called male chauvinists at the least.

What an exciting race that would be, but the question is whether it would be a winning race. Whitmer, being from Michigan, a crucial swing state, could be a dynamic addition to the race, but it would seem a major gamble to have an all female ticket.

Other possibilities of running mates for Harris include:

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper
Arizona Senator Mark Kelly

Shapiro is Jewish, while Buttigieg is gay, either being a step forward on those factors. Shapiro is also from a “swing state” and Buttigieg now lives in Michigan, a “swing state” after earlier being Mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

Beshear and Cooper have been successful as Governors in Republican states, and North Carolina could be in play in the upcoming election.

Kelly, whose wife Gabby Giffords, was a victim of an assassination attempt in 2011 when a member of Congress and has recovered quite well, is a former astronaut and from another “swing state”.

The potential Vice Presidential list is very impressive, and any of the list of six individuals would add to a ticket headed by Harris! All are younger than Harris, except Kelly who is eight months older than Harris, and Cooper who is nearly seven years older at age 67.

Sad, But Essential That Joe Biden Step Aside!

As a strong and loyal supporter of Joe Biden for many years, it is a sad moment that now this blogger and author strongly believes that Biden must step aside and endorse Kamala Harris as his successor.

Biden should finish his term, but give all his efforts to the promotion of Harris to be the 47th President of the United States.

Harris has been a loyal and dedicated Vice President, and the criticisms of her are primarily racist, sexist, and misogynistic, as she is, clearly, perfectly qualified to be the next President of the United States.

The latest public opinion polls demonstrate that Biden is behind Donald Trump in every “swing state”, as well as in trouble in states that should not be in play, including Virginia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Colorado, and Minnesota, and the Second District in Nebraska.

The thought of Donald Trump and JD Vance as the next President and Vice President is horrifying, but it could be even worse with the Democrats losing the US Senate and failing to regain the House of Representatives majority, which otherwise seemed likely.

No one man can be seen to be allowed to use his ego over the needs of his nation, his party, and all of the American people.

So by Sunday night, Biden needs to address the nation and announce his withdrawal, and endorsement of Kamala Harris.

It is only a bit more than 100 days to the election, and six months to the inauguration, and the nation needs to see a unified Democratic Party fighting for a decent future, and preventing an extremist right wing government under Trump, and long term, the much more dangerous JD Vance!

Shocking, Disturbing Assassination Attempt Against Donald Trump!

The nation and the world is reeling from the shocking, disturbing assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

Much is unknown about the assassin, and the motivation, but violence against any political leader is totally reprehensible.

It is a relief that Trump was only slightly injured, although sadly, one person was killed and two others were seriously wounded in this dastardly assassination attempt.

Having said all that is appropriate to say, one must recognize that the right wing in this country and Donald Trump himself has been escalating their rhetoric, advocating violence and bloodshed against their perceived “enemies”.

So use of such rhetoric only promotes such action, and already, the right wing is politicizing the tragedy, and seems ready to raise the stress level ever further, putting candidates for public office in danger, and particularly the Democratic Party opposition led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

It looks likely that ever more danger and threats will undermine the Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2024, and short term at least, will probably lead to a political advantage for Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

With the status of Joe Biden, as to whether he will continue to run, or bow out, still up in the air, we are on the road to the most tumultuous possible situation since at least 1968, but in many ways, going back to 1860!

Also, this author and blogger wishes to respond to one reader who was upset that I posted a final article a short time ago about the dangers of Project 2025.

That article was planned before this horrible event, and even in the midst of this terrible tragedy, freedom of expression remains an American virtue, and there is no need to stifle such a basic civil liberty!

Project 2025: Final Conclusions On Danger Of Extremist Right Wing Agenda!

This author and blogger has spent a week describing the organization, the Heritage Foundation, and its threatening leader, Kevin Roberts.

There is so much that needs to be written about Project 2025, but I will summarize for now the major ideas and points, with the possibility that in the future weeks and months, the subject of this threat to American democracy, the Constitution, and rule of law will be addressed further.

Project 2025 presents a threat to the nation in so many ways:

The possibility of a dictatorship, with dangerous followers and believers in Donald Trump, imposing their will on the American people, and destroying the nation as we come upon its 250th anniversary in 2026.

The destruction of the federal government and its agencies and departments, ending the civil service bureaucracy created under the Pendleton Act of 1883.

The threat to America’s position in world affairs, with the possibility of the destruction of our foreign alliances, and instead, collaboration with authoritarian dictatorships, based upon the Communist model, despite Trump claiming the Democrats are “Communists, Socialists”!

The destruction of the environment, as climate change and global warming becomes more of a crisis every year, undermining the health and safety of millions of Americans, mostly those who are poor and deprived.

The clear racism and antisemitism and misogyny that Project 2025 promotes, in the name of white Christian nationalism and supremacy, in a nation founded on separation of church and state.

The threat of military and police control, taking away the civil liberties of the Bill of Rights and the Civil Rights Era under Chief Justice Earl Warren and the Supreme Court in the 1950s and 1960s.

The destruction of the American economy, with the continuing dominance of corporations and billionaires, and the subjugation of workers and unions, all in the name of unbridled capitalism, as existed in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century in America.

The undermining of public education, instead promoting propaganda and mistruths about history, science, literature, and other areas of the curriculum, all part of a plan to control the minds of the future generations to accept the goals of those who wish to control them in an authoritarian matter long term!

The arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment of political critics and destruction of a free press, and expanding a judiciary that promotes a right wing agenda long term!

These threats must be met by resolve to prevent this extremism from gaining power, and destroying the American nation!

Project 2025: Attack On Crucial Government Agencies And Federal Regulations!

Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation plan to promote massive right wing government in America, is a direct attack on crucial government agencies:

Eliminate the Department of Energy
Eliminate the Department of Education
Eliminate the Department of Commerce
Eliminate the Food and Drug Administration
Eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency
Eliminate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Transform the Department of Justice to an agency controlled by the White House
Radically Change the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Radically Change the Department of Homeland Security
Repeal Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations
Reduce Business Regulations
End Funding of National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System
Privatize the Federal Aviation Administration
Repeal Net Neutrality regulations

The whole concept of an “Administrative State”, which has been part of American government since Theodore Roosevelt onward, and with both parties, Democrats and Republicans, is under threat, as it is also due to recent Supreme Court decisions!

Project 2025: War On Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, FDA, Affordable Care Act

This author and blogger will delineate over the next days and weeks just how destructive the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 would be if enacted, with Donald Trump fully aware of the details, despite his false claim that he has no knowledge of the ideas organized by his own supporters and allies.

Regarding basic social programs that have long existed, and are basic to the lives of tens of millions of Americans, Project 2025 promotes the following:

Privatization of Social Security
Raising the Retirement Age for Social Security
Cut Social Security benefits
Cut Medicare benefits
Repeal the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare)
Raise Prescription Drug Prices
Dismantle the Food and Drug Administration
Threaten Medicaid Coverage for hundreds of thousands of Americans
Privatize veterans’ healthcare
Reduce funding for public health programs

This is a declaration of war on Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era; Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal; Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society; the reforms promoted by Barack Obama and Joe Biden; and on the Democratic Party promoted reforms that became law under Republican Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush (all having to deal with Democratic controlled Congresses).

The Massive Dangers Of Project 2025 And The Heritage Foundation

Project 2025, promoted by the Heritage Foundation, is a warning sign to America and the world!

It is an attack on everything decent that has occurred in the 20th and 21st century to expand democracy and freedom in America and the world at large!

If left to their evil intentions, the Heritage Foundation and its Project 2025 would repeal the reforms of the Progressive Era, the New Deal, the Great Society, the Obama-Biden reforms, and the massive efforts of Democrats to promote and pass significant reforms under Republican Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush.

The reason for some significant reforms under Republican Presidents was due to Democratic control of Congress, a situation that was not the case under Republicans Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump.

Over the next days and weeks, this author and blogger will make clear the massive threats and dangers presented by extremist right wing forces, which if enacted, would bring America back to the late 19th Century Gilded Age era!

Joe Biden Harming His Legacy By Stubborn Refusal To Accept That It Is Time To Retire!

President Joe Biden is harming his legacy by his stubborn refusal to accept that it is time to retire, and digging in to ignore entreaties that it is time for a new generation to lead the Democratic Party.

Biden comes across as delusional, in the face of public opinion polls that show him trailing badly behind Donald Trump, and behind Democratic state races of incumbent US Senators.

His comment that if Trump won, he would still feel he had given it his best effort, indicates he does not understand the great harm he will have brought about, and the fact that his legacy will be destroyed by Donald Trump by plan and revenge!

Biden’s ranking in history will decline as a result, and his image will have been permanently damaged by what would be seen as his selfishness and self centeredness, and refusal to see reality.

And his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, would have her reputation and legacy also permanently harmed by her refusal to recognize that her husband needs to have private time, away from the burdens of the Presidency, and ability to write his memoirs and plan his Presidential Library while he is alive and functioning.

Biden Interview With George Stephanopoulos Not Convincing!

The George Stephanopoulos ABC primetime interview with President Biden on Friday night was not convincing that Biden is capable of being President for the next four years.

Biden clearly has aged in the past year, and the fact that he will not agree to a neurological and cognitive test is troubling.

Also, Biden claims that Democratic leaders will not intervene to convince him not to run, which seems delusional at this point.

He did not “think” that he had watched the June 27 debate since it occurred, which is odd that he was not giving an answer of certainty.

Joe Biden is allowing his ego to get in the way of reality, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, by encouraging him to resist calls to withdraw from the race, is undermining the likelihood of Democratic victory for Congress, as well as stopping Donald Trump.

The push by some members of Congress to promote Biden’s withdrawal is creating a major crisis of confidence, which can only help the Republican Party and Donald Trump!

Who Could Be Running Mate For Kamala Harris?

If Joe Biden were to decide to withdraw as the Democratic nominee for President in 2024, a heavy favorite to replace him would be Vice President Kamala Harris, although other Democrats might decide to contest her nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

If Harris is the Presidential nominee, the question is who would be a good choice for Vice President?

It would seem to this author and blogger that either a “swing state” Governor or someone who has proved ability to win office in a “Red” state would make the most sense.

So this author and blogger proposes one of the following two individuals:

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, age 51

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, age 46

Pennsylvania is a crucial swing state with 19 electoral votes, and Shapiro, who is Jewish, has had years of state experience as Attorney General of his state before being elected Governor by a solid margin, and is very popular, and seen as a future Presidential contender.

Kentucky is a “Red” state, but Beshear has been able to win the Governorship twice, and is highly popular, and could, in theory, put Kentucky’s 8 electoral votes in play, which would be a welcome potential addition to the Electoral College total for the Democrats.