:strip_icc()/i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_59edd422c0c84a879bd37670ae4f538a/internal_photos/bs/2021/j/I/KhMhfVRnA7QTAmjurIBg/2021-03-16t183713z-1-lynxmpeh2f1i9-rtroptp-4-usa-un-harris.jpg "Who is Kamala Harris, the Vice President who could take over the Democratic nomination if Biden withdraws | World")
According to research firm Morning Consult, 30% of Democrats support Kamala's name if Biden is replaced. He is followed by California Governor Gavin Newsom with 20%.
The vice president has spent much of her term trying to establish herself as a natural candidate for the 2024 White House race. But her popularity is relatively low, and her approval rating is very close to Biden's.
Who could replace Biden on the Democratic ticket?
Kamala (59 years old) is the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States. She graduated with a law and police science degree, and served as the District Attorney of San Francisco and then the State of California. Kamala was also a state senator from 2017 to 2020.
She even introduced herself as a White House candidate for the 2020 elections and led some polls within the Democratic Party, but she lost support and withdrew from the race due to lack of financial resources.
The daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, she was chosen to join the Democratic ticket to appeal to minorities, as she is a black woman and the daughter of immigrants.
Harris was a key choice for Biden's election because she served as a lure to persuade black voters to vote in the 2020 election and promoted the country's most powerful woman politician.
There was speculation about his role in Biden's term. She was considered Biden's natural successor in the 2024 elections, but her performance was below expectations and opinion polls indicate weak popularity.
There were a few moments where Kamala was able to draw attention to herself. In 2021, the Vice President is appointed to lead diplomacy with Mexico and Central American countries, to find a way to reduce the migration bottleneck at the border.
On her first official trip to the region, during her meeting with the President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, she asked migrants “not to come” to her country illegally. At the time, his performance was considered disastrous.
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In May of this year, the Vice President made the most explicit statement ever made by the American leadership when he criticized the Israeli government. She addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for a ceasefire and prevent a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
The US Vice President accuses Russia of committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
During her time in office, Kamala has not lived up to expectations to become a candidate in 2024. A poll released by Redfield & Wilton Strategies in June found that 44% of Americans disapproved of the vice president, while 39% approved.
The Democratic Party base still faces resistance against his name due to his weak numbers, according to Politico.
Buses carrying migrants stop near the home of US Vice President Kamala Harris
The party views any of the other governors as potential alternatives, such as Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who are more popular than Kamala.
What do the American media say?
According to the British magazine “The Economist”, Kamala will be the obvious choice to succeed Biden. “Unfortunately, she does not inspire confidence in the Democratic mainstream, and voters feel that.”
According to the newspaper, a recent poll conducted by The Economist/YouGov magazine indicates that she is a slightly more favorable choice than the president.
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According to Politico, the vice president's greatest asset is “politics.” If Biden withdraws from the presidential race, any other candidate will face major challenges.
“Only Harris, for example, will have access to the campaign coffers she is already part of. Any other candidate will face the difficult task of building infrastructure in a matter of months.”
The Washington Post also positions the vice president as a natural alternative. “Harris is the vice president, and she's the person the party has already chosen to be next in line for president. Unless she also chooses not to be president, she's the person the nomination will go to.”
The New York Times says the crisis in Biden's campaign has renewed focus on the vice president, who is trying to calm anger among Democrats by defending the president.
According to the newspaper, his speech on Friday (28), in which he placed himself alongside Biden, was “exactly what they wanted to see in the debate in Atlanta,” the Democrats told the newspaper.
Since the beginning of the year, Kamala has been traveling on the campaign trail to bolster her position and rally primarily black voters, a core base for Democrats.
According to Politico, Kamala's allies and advisers believe she has been able to demonstrate more skill and confidence in recent months, and in doing so, has revitalized her profile.
After Thursday's debate, Kamala offered a strong defense of Biden during a trip to Nevada, drawing attention and once again positioning herself as an alternative candidate.
There are no plans, according to her advisers, for the vice president to campaign for Biden.
She will focus on fundraising in the coming days, in areas where she will be in contact with donors, and which still have a chance to make a good impression and position herself as an alternative to Biden's vacant position.
