Looking Toward 2024

To The Swarthmorean,

The approval rating for Vice President Kamala Harris, which shows that barely one in four (28%) approve of her performance, is abysmally low. This spells trouble for Ms. Harris and for the overall Democratic party. 

Joe Biden often boasted of his close, “partner-like” relationship with former President Obama. This doesn’t square with how he’s seemingly dealing with his VP, Kamala Harris. Biden does not seem to be treating Ms. Harris with the same consideration and authority as President Obama afforded him. This matters as Joe Biden will be 82 years old in 2024. The chance that he will be healthy enough and energetic enough to run again for President, if he chooses to, makes his candidacy highly problematic. Kamala Harris, his VP, should rightfully be his heir apparent and Biden should be grooming her constantly to succeed him. There’s a growing realization that former President Trump will run again in 2024, this makes the 2024 Democratic nominee supremely important.

If President Biden wants to help elect a Democrat to preserve and build on his legacy, he had best start to prepare for that now. It is incumbent upon him, as President, to give Ms. Harris more opportunities to break through the sexist and racist stereotypes some associate with being a woman of color. The President personally owes this to his historic Vice President. More importantly President Biden owes this to his party and to his country, to help move us beyond the racial and sexist bias that still rests in the hearts of too many Americans.

Ken Derow
Swarthmore