# President Biden Dropping Out of Race **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** kamala-harris\ **Created:** [July 21, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540 "2024-07-21T18:05:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/41 "2024-07-21T18:48:12Z")
I’m optimistic about the potential to galvanize the Black vote and women’s vote; as stupid as that kind of affiliation is, it’s a political reality. And all the racists and misogynists are already voting for Trump, so no loss there. Maybe there really is a God, and we’ll be seeing a repeat of history being made as it was in 2008. Also, Harris now has a chance to pick a really exciting running mate. Maybe she can officially relocate her residence to DC and pick Newsom! ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/42 "2024-07-21T18:49:23Z")
He’s not up to two jobs (being a president and being a candidate) at once. doesn’t mean he’s not up to one. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/43 "2024-07-21T18:50:48Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > It will be an uphill battle I see it the other way around. With Biden out and Harris in, the D’s are suddenly the prohibitive favorites. It would be an epic upset, perhaps even greater than 2016, for Trump to pull off the win. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/44 "2024-07-21T18:53:10Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > It will be an uphill battle > > I see it the other way around. With Biden out and Harris in, the D’s are suddenly the prohibitive favorites. It would be an epic upset, perhaps even greater than 2016, for Trump to pull off the win.   You may well be right. I sure hope so. As I said in my more optimistic second post, this may energize both the women’s vote and also the Black vote much as Obama did. ---
**Author:** ![Win\_Place\_Show](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/win_place_show/32/13469_2.png) [@Win\_Place\_Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Win_Place_Show)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/45 "2024-07-21T18:53:23Z")
Irony of ironies : after screeching for months (or years) about President Biden being too old to serve as President, the righties on my Facebook feed are in freakout mode right now (and yes I acknowledge that that’s just one small dumb data point). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/46 "2024-07-21T18:53:44Z")
If Harris is the nominee, she should go hard after Trump’s age and physical fitness. Highlight his rambling speech and grasping for words. If Harris is not the nominee, the Convention better pick someone on the younger side so they can go after Trump as just described. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/47 "2024-07-21T18:54:11Z")
I am a bit surprised it happened so fast. Biden had been rising a bit in Polymarket to 30% which seemed to suggest that this thing would drag on for a while. My basic sense has been that Harris is a bit better than Biden as a candidate and nothing more. Biden was obviously struggling with basic communication and it was hard to see much of an upside which is what the trailing candidate needs. Harris is only an average speaker but that may be all that is needed to expose Trump’s numerous weaknesses. And she will undoubtedly do a better job at talking about abortion than Biden. On the flip side you have to wonder whether she will be able to connect with white non-college voters in the Midwest. Her campaign in 2020 was hopelessly incompetent and one hopes she will have a better team if she gets the nomination. It will be interesting to see if any heavy hitters even bother competing for the nomination. Whitmer is already out. The rest may well calculate that 2028 is the better shot. In fact I wonder if Harris herself is happy getting the nomination in this chaotic way with the election just three and a half months away. I also suspect that she and other potential contenders are seriously worried about the threat of more violence in this year. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/48 "2024-07-21T18:55:54Z")
Early on after the poor debate performance I supported him staying on, hoping that he could brush it off as a bad night. Unfortunately media frenzy centered around whether he could beat Trump and whether he would drop out made for a self fulfilling prophesy by sucking up all of the oxygen from his campaign. So even before his announcement I switched sides and recognized he had to go. God speed the new nominee. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/49 "2024-07-21T18:55:58Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > If Biden is not up to the job next year, he’s not up to the job now. He should resign immediately and let Harris run as the incumbent president. Thank you for parroting the Republican talking point. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/50 "2024-07-21T18:56:19Z")
My cogent political take: America is fucked. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/51 "2024-07-21T18:56:56Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I’m optimistic about the potential to galvanize the Black vote and women’s vote; as stupid as that kind of affiliation is, it’s a political reality. And all the racists and misogynists are already voting for Trump, so no loss there. I’m worried there are enough people who simply will not vote for a black woman that it will negatively impact her chances. I will certainly vote for Harris if she’s the nominee, but then I would vote for a chicken salad sandwich if my alternative is Trump or any other Republican. My wife is quite upset because she’s worried about a lot of things if Trump wins. Her rights as a woman of course, the rest of Project 2025, and of course her job. She’s voting Harris as well, but like me, is afraid a lot of people simply won’t vote for a black woman. I’d love to say those type of people are voting for Trump anyway, but racism isn’t the domain of Republicans alone. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/52 "2024-07-21T18:57:14Z")
**Moderating** : None of this. Attacking the post is fine, attacking the poster is not. Do not do this again! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/53 "2024-07-21T18:58:30Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I’m worried there are enough people who simply will not vote for a black woman that it will negatively impact her chances. I very strongly believe those voters were already voting for Trump or not voting. I don’t think they’ll matter in this new equation. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/54 "2024-07-21T18:59:21Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > So then no VP at all so no tie breaking Senate vote and President Johnson if something happens to her. brilliant plan Biden isn’t resigning. He’s dropping out of the race. So Harris is the VP until January 21, 2025. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/55 "2024-07-21T18:59:22Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > she should go hard after Trump’s age and physical fitness. Highlight his rambling speech and grasping for words She can’t after her defense of Biden. Surrogates though? Full out. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/56 "2024-07-21T19:00:05Z")
Unfortunately if they bypass Harris due to her race, the African American vote will be pissed off (and rightly so). So as usual the Dems are in a a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation. The big problem with being a party that relies on a big tent rather than a core group. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/57 "2024-07-21T19:00:21Z")
This is 2024, sure she can. She was supporting her friend and boss, now she is trying to save America from Trump. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/58 "2024-07-21T19:00:57Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > She can’t after her defense of Biden. Surrogates though? Full out. Why not? Two facts can be true simultaneously: (1) Biden is capable, (2) Trump is a blithering idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/59 "2024-07-21T19:01:03Z")
To think that Biden dropped out a full **4 months** later in the campaign than LBJ did in 1968. We’ve never seen an election have to re-coalesce around a new person so fast. That being said, in today’s era, 3.5 months is an eternity. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/60 "2024-07-21T19:01:46Z")
This actually excites me. A young candidate. And female! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540.md?page=4)