Should President Biden Make Kamala Harris President?
My November 11 Dean's List column--An interesting idea.
Over the weekend, I read a story that President Biden had difficulty walking through the sand at his Delaware home in Rehoboth Beach. The implication was that the 81-year-old president's decline is continuing. I disagree. The incident may have nothing to do with the President’s ability to complete his term. Biden, however, should step aside anyway—not because he is unable to serve as president but to finally get a woman in the White House, albeit if only for a month or two.
As I thought about the scenario, I stumbled on an article in Politico reporting that former Harris Communications Director Jamel Simmons had already made the proposal. Simmons said:
Joe Biden has been a phenomenal president; he’s lived up to so many of the promises that he’s made. There is one promise left that he can fulfill: Being a transitional figure he could resign the presidency in the next 30 days, make Kamala Harris the president of the United States. He could absolve her from having to oversee the January 6 transition of her own defeat.
There is no evidence that Harris would have difficulty overseeing the Electoral College votes certification on January 6, 2025. Harris is a strong, experienced prosecutor. She’s not easily shaken. Simmons citing that role as a reason for making Harris president thus seems a bit wrong-headed. But Simmons is right to suggest the move.
Just as Hillary Clinton’s historic run for president in 2016 helped pave the way for a woman to serve as president, Harris's serving in the Oval Office, even for a short period, would establish a precedent. That could make winning the White House in an election easier for a future woman.
If Biden were to resign before December 19, Harris would not have the shortest term as president. William Henry Harrison died in office in 1841 of a cold. He was president for only 32 days.
President Trump would no doubt cry foul on the move. He has manufactured baseball caps, commemorative coins, and other merchandise celebrating his election as America’s 47th president. Would these items become worthless, or would they become collectors’ items? Who cares?
More seriously, why should Biden make Harris president other than to enhance his legacy by unselfishly putting a woman in the White House? Here is why:
First, Harris is ready to serve as president. The Biden foreign policy and military team would remain in place, and Biden himself would be available to give Harris advice if needed. The public would be confident if Harris played the caretaker role until January 20, 2025, and otherwise did not use the power of the presidency aggressively.
Second, Harris could take one action that Trump would object to but which would represent justice. Harris could pardon Hunter Biden from felonies convictions while he was addicted to drugs. These would include the gun charges against Biden, who never fired the handgun he bought, did not use it in a crime, and disposed of it shortly after he bought it.
President Biden has said he would not pardon his son, but Harris should. Given that a future run for president by Harris currently seems unlikely, there would be a minimal political price to pay.
Finally, serving as president, even if for a month, would give Harris a platform to reiterate the Democratic party's top priorities. She could remind voters that her party is the party of democracy, empathy, fairness, and inclusion. These words could help the Democratic party—and America—rebuild as the country prepares for four more years of Trump, and more likely, a combination of Trump and Vance, in the White House.
What do you think?
© 2024 John Dean, all rights reserved.
Dean’s List is the Medium.com magazine of John Dean. In it, I post on politics, government, culture, and, occasionally, photography.
I wish he'd taken that action when he pulled out of the race. I don't know if it would have made a difference, but it might have lifted her up with some voters.