​Democratic departure: The Hindu Editorial on Joe Biden bowing out of the presidential race

With less than four months to go before the 2024 U.S. election and less than one month ahead of the Democratic Party’s Convention, incumbent and expected nominee of his party, President Joe Biden (81), has quit the race and in doing so has endorsed his running mate, Vice-President Kamala Harris, for the presidential ticket. Mr. Biden’s exit comes after months of Democrats calling for him to step down after public gaffes and fumbles, thought to be linked to his age. His withdrawal caught many, including some within the Democratic Party, off-guard, given that his campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, had said, “He’s not going anywhere.” This resolute stance is said to have baffled senior party lawmakers, who, especially after Mr. Biden’s disastrous performance when he went toe-to-toe with Republican rival and former President Donald Trump, are said to have privately conveyed to the President that he ought to make way for a stronger candidate if the Democrats were to have a reasonable chance in the polls.

While the final tally of delegates at the Democratic Convention will determine which candidate ultimately wins the party’s nomination for the election, the odds look increasingly strong for Ms. Harris to make history as the U.S.’s first ever Indian-origin and person(woman)-of-colour nominee for President, and the second woman, following Hillary Clinton’s run against Mr. Trump in 2016. In terms of the factors favouring Ms. Harris, she is anyway next in line under the U.S. Constitution in terms of official succession; and she would likely gain access to close to $100 million in campaign funds. On the flip side, she is a relatively less known figure nationally, and Republicans have been quick to label her the custodian of left-wing political values, such as her espousal of reproductive freedom in the face of the Supreme Court ruling against the constitutional right to abortion. Further, surveys suggest that public opinion places her approval at roughly the same level as Mr. Biden’s and that would put her a few rungs below Mr. Trump. Nevertheless, the expected response from the Democratic quarter — if they wish to avoid the risky scenario of factional infighting at the Convention — would be for them to unite around Ms. Harris and her running mate — frontrunners include Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Even in this best-case scenario for Democrats, the Republicans under Mr. Trump appear to be on a far firmer footing to win over independent voters in swing States, the key to overall victory in any U.S. presidential election.