There has been a lot of speculation over whether or not Joe Biden will run again in 2024.
The liberal Washington Post is not waiting to find out. They are already floating the names of possible replacements.
The funniest part is that even though Kamala Harris is currently the vice president, she is number three on their list.
Here’s how the WaPo lists the top three:
3. Kamala D. Harris: We’re dropping Harris down a slot this time. Being vice president is certainly a good launchpad, but it’s not at all clear Harris has put it to good use. Her numbers are similar to Biden’s, and she’s done little to change the perceptions that harmed her 2020 campaign, including on her ability to drive a message. There’s also no way she would run against Biden if he does run (while others might have seen wiggle room on that). On the plus side, Biden has committed to her being his running mate again. (Previous ranking: 1)
2. Pete Buttigieg: The transportation secretary moves ahead of Harris, but not with any great conviction on our part. He ran a good campaign in 2020 — we’ll repeat that he was very close to winning the first two contests — and would enter 2024 with more heft as a Cabinet secretary. Mostly, we’d expect a Biden-less race to be one of the most wide-open contests in recent memory. To the extent people don’t want Biden or Harris, he’s next in line just in terms of sheer plausibility. (Previous ranking: 2)
1. President Biden: Having said all of the above, things are often darkest for a president in a midterm election year. And Biden has both a pandemic and inflation to contend with. If those factors wane in the coming months, and after the 2022 midterms? The picture might be significantly different. If Republicans win some control of Congress, as appears likely, it could even help Biden politically, because he’ll have something to run against (even apart from Donald Trump). But mostly, we just wonder whether we’ll see him try to become the first-ever octogenarian presidential nominee.
So Pete Buttigieg is number two? Could he even deliver the state of Indiana?
There aren’t really any surprises on the list.
Other names include Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Gavin Newsom and of course AOC.
Isn’t it rather telling that the Washington Post is doing this now?
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