Joe Biden steps back from US presidential race

Joe Biden steps back from US presidential race, backs Kamala Harris to face Donald Trump

Kamala Harris: Honored by Biden’s Endorsement, Aims to Defeat Trump

MOHAN KHOUND

Kamala Harris, endorsed by Joe Biden to become the next Democratic presidential nominee after he quit the race for the White House, is poised to become the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the ticket of a major American political party.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, endorsed by Joe Biden to be the new Democratic presidential nominee, has said that she intends to “earn and win” the nomination of the party and “do everything in my power” to unite the nation to defeat her Republican rival Donald Trump in November.

Ms. Harris, who received Mr. Biden’s support to become the next Democratic presidential nominee after he quit the race for the White House, is poised to become the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the ticket of a major American political party.

Ms. Harris, 59, said she was “honoured” to receive Mr. Biden’s endorsement and intends to “earn and win” the nomination of the Democratic Party.

“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said in a statement.

The historic endorsement came after Mr. Biden, 81, announced Sunday that he is dropping out of the race following weeks of disarray within the Democratic Party. Mr. Biden’s disastrous first presidential debate with his Republican rival and former president Trump called into question his ability to win a second term and govern for another four years.

Despite Mr. Biden’s backing, it remains unclear whether Ms. Harris will become the nominee, or what process the Democratic Party would take to select an alternative.

Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement that in the coming days the party will “undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”

Though Mr. Biden’s endorsement almost seals her position as the presidential nominee of her party, Ms. Harris still needs to get elected by the party’s delegates during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.

Mr. Biden has won 3,896 delegates as against 1,976 required to win the party’s presidential nomination.

In a move that would give her access to the campaign funds, the Biden-Harris campaign amended filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee and declare Ms. Harris a candidate for president.

“I am honoured to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” said Ms. Harris, who has been serving as US’ first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president since 2021.

Clintons endorse Kamala Harris

Ms. Harris immediately secured the endorsement of former president Bill Clinton, thus making it a bit easier for her to win the delegate battle during the Democratic National Convention beginning on August 19.

“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” she said.

Ms. Harris said over the past year, she has travelled across the country, talking to Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election.

“And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation– to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda… We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win,” she said.

Meanwhile, the “overwhelming majority” of state Democratic Party chairs have announced their support for Vice President Ms. Harris as their nominee for president, the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) said in a statement on Sunday.

“I am proud that state party chairs, vice-chairs, and executive directors across the country are overwhelmingly uniting behind Vice President Kamala Harris,” ASDC President Ken Martin said in a statement.

Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton quickly endorsed Ms. Harris to be the nominee. “We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term,” they said in a joint statement.

“He has promised to be a dictator on day one, and the recent ruling by his servile Supreme Court will only embolden him to further shred the Constitution. Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her,” the Clintons said.

However, former president Barack Obama and ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have not yet endorsed Ms. Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the November 5 general elections.

“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” Obama said in a statement.

In her statement, Ms. Harris thanked Mr. Biden on behalf of the country’s people for his extraordinary leadership and said, “His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.”

“It is a profound honour to serve as his vice president, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states,” she said.

With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and the country above everything else, she added.

Earlier, Mr. Biden announced that he has decided not to contest the presidential election.

“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” Mr. Biden said.

Such a decision from Mr. Biden comes amid a visible deterioration in his health. The president is currently in self-isolation at his Delaware residence after he tested positive with COVID-19.

Mr. Biden said he will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about his decision. U.S. Presidential Elections 2024 LIVE updates: Joe Biden withdraws from presidential race, endorses Kamala Harris. Joe Biden said he will remain as President until his term ends in January 2025 and will address the nation later this week. U.S. President Joe Biden, on July 21, announced that he is ending his reelection campaign amid growing calls within his Democratic Party for his stepping down.

Mr. Biden, in a post on X, said he will remain as President until his term ends in January 2025 and will address the nation this week. Within 30 minutes of his announcement, he endorsed his Vice-President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, leaving no room for any doubt about the way forward for the Democrats.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Mr. Biden wrote.

By dropping his reelection bid, Mr. Biden clears the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to run at the top of the ticket, the first Black woman to do so in the country’s history. World leaders thank Biden for his ‘global leadership’ and ‘friendship’

Describing US President Joe Biden as a “great man” who loved his country, world leaders on Monday thanked him for his bold steps and global leadership during challenging times.

In a post on X, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he respects President Biden’s decision and looks forward to working together for the remainder of his term.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a post on X thanked Biden for his “leadership and ongoing service”.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Biden for being a “partner to Canadians – and a true friend”.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, “I refrain from commenting directly on this issue because it involves domestic politics in the US but I recognise that President Biden’s decision is based on his desire to make the best possible political decision.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is grateful to President Biden for his “unwavering support” for its fight for freedom, which, along with strong bipartisan support in the United States, has been and continues to be critical. Indian Americans welcome Kamala Harris as likely Democratic presidential nominee

Several prominent Indian Americans on Sunday welcomed the prospect of Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee and described it as a historic moment for this small ethnic community.

“As an immigrant who came from India to America over four decades ago, it thrills me to see that an Indian-American is the presumptive nominee of one of the two political parties for United States president,” M R Rangaswami, an influential diaspora leader who lives in San Francisco, told PTI.

“The contribution of the Indian diaspora to American society, including politics and public service is increasing in a big way. This shows the maturation and integration of our community,” he said.

Over 150 Indian-origin leaders serving at senior levels in the Biden administration. On the Republican side, we saw two serious Indian-American contenders for the presidential nomination, Rangaswami said.

Vice President Harris’ ascension as the presumptive presidential Democratic nominee represents a significant opportunity for US-India relations, Ronak D Desai, a partner and leading India practitioner at Paul Hastings LLP and an expert on bilateral ties, told PTI. On Biden, the Kremlin says the Ukraine war is more important

After U.S. President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid, the Kremlin said that for Russia the most important thing was achieving its goals in the Ukraine war not U.S. electoral politics.

“Whatever happens, whoever becomes the new president, whether it’s the current Vice President Kamala Harris or someone else, the most important thing for us is to achieve all the goals that have been set,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The Russia-Ukraine war will be a major challenge for whoever is elected as the next president. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said relations between the two countries had been at a low ebb for many years and Biden’s departure would not affect that.

What happens next as Joe Biden seeks to pass baton to Kamala Harris?

The immediate burden is on Ms. Harris to secure support across almost 4,000 delegates from the states, territories, and District of Columbia, plus more than 700 super-delegates, including party leaders and certain elected officials.

With Mr. Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing Ms. Harris, Democrats must navigate an unprecedented shift this late in an election year. Democrats are set to hold their convention in Chicago on August 19-22. Mr. Biden’s endorsement pushes Democrats into uncharted territory.

Challenges and Processes Ahead

The immediate task for Harris is to secure support from delegates and project a united front. Potential contenders like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer may consider their chances, but many Democrats argue that it would be a no-brainer to elevate the first woman, first Black woman, and first person of South Asian descent to hold national office.

Current party rules do not permit Biden to pass his delegates to another candidate. However, his endorsement is likely to be influential. Harris must also navigate campaign logistics, money, and political fallout.

Campaign Finances and Vice-Presidential Nomination

Mr. Biden’s campaign recently reported $91 million cash on hand, with total funds at his disposal exceeding $240 million. Ms. Harris could control these funds since the campaign was set up in her name as well as Mr. Biden’s. If Democrats nominate someone other than Harris, the party accounts could still benefit the nominee, but the Biden-Harris account would have more restrictions.

The vice-presidential nomination is always a separate convention vote. In routine years, the convention ratifies the choice of the nominee. If Harris closes ranks quickly, she could name her choice and have the delegates ratify it. Otherwise, the vice presidency could become part of political negotiations.

Republican Reactions and Legal Considerations

Republicans may attempt to challenge Harris’ position, but state laws typically do not prescribe how parties choose their nominees for president. Some GOP figures have already worked to ensure Democrats’ routine ballot access. Any curveball during a U.S. presidential campaign is certain to produce a flurry of state and federal lawsuits in this hyper-partisan era.

Kamala Harris’ endorsement by Joe Biden marks a historic and significant moment in American politics. As the Democratic Party navigates this unprecedented shift, Harris faces the task of uniting the party and securing her position as the presidential nominee. The upcoming Democratic National Convention and the election campaign will be crucial in determining the future leadership of the United States.

22-07-2024

Mahabahu.com is an Online Magazine with collection of premium Assamese and English articles and posts with cultural base and modern thinking.  You can send your articles to editor@mahabahu.com / editor@mahabahoo.com (For Assamese article, Unicode font is necessary) Images from different sources.