Great question. Right now it doesn’t seem like even Vice President Kamala Harris knows the answer to that despite her status as the rightful heir.
Here are six options if Joe Biden succumbs to concerns over health or age and decides that running again in 2024 is not the best idea. Considering how Democrats are feeling right now, the scenario seems more and more likely by the day.
1) Vice President Kamala Harris
It would seem like a no-brainer that the sitting Vice President would be next in line if Joe Biden decides not to run. Harris, if you can believe it, polls worse than Biden right now on most questions and is generally disliked by a healthy cross-section of the voting public.
Harris is sort of an “in case of emergency, break glass” option for the country if Joe Biden can no longer serve in the capacity of President. However, if given a choice, it seems like practically everyone would prefer someone else.
The stench of the Biden-Harris administration is still pretty strong on the vice president.
2) California Governor Gavin Newsom
The guy is practically already running for president. He’s been operating a shadow campaign for months now, perhaps years, and has been placing himself at the forefront of battles over gender identity, immigration, and abortion.
Furthermore, Newsom is set, at some point, to attend a debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for whatever reason. It’s not a debate that DeSantis needs but it would put Newsom on center stage as someone that Democrats might start to see as a viable alternative to the Biden-Harris garbage administration. Newsom narrowly avoided a recall in his own state over his poor handling and mismanagement as governor, but never mind that.
Newsom’s biggest hurdle is possibly the fact that he wants it too much. He sees himself as president already and it’s not a good look, hair gel aside.
3) Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg was a fairly strong presidential contender in 2020 but never made it past South Carolina. He fizzled out after it was clear his record in South Bend, Ind. was a joke and his rhetoric is emptier than that of Kamala Harris. Buttigieg, quite frankly, has done a terrible job in his Biden administration role.
By framing every issue related to transportation through the lens of racial equity, he’s made a mockery of the tasks of maintaining and expanding the nation’s infrastructure. From moronic utterances about “racist bridges” or insisting all cars on the road are somehow evil, Buttigieg is like a bad caricature of a cocktail party candidate who knows nothing about functioning in the real world or connecting with people, that, um, need to drive to work.
After his total failure following the Ohio train derailment, Buttigieg pretty much wrote himself out of the equation. But, he’s still breathing, so he’s an option.
4) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
For some reason, Democrats like this lockdown queen of the upper Midwest. Whitmer never met a right she didn’t enjoy infringing upon during Covid and yet she won re-election in 2022. She’s often been floated as a better VP choice than Kamala Harris but many think she could step in as president if needed.
Then there was the alleged case of attempted kidnapping against Whitmer by a so-called militia group in Michigan. As it turns out, the FBI had more to do with the kidnapping plan than any of the actual alleged would-be kidnappers, who were eventually acquitted.
Whitmer might be a better choice than Harris or Newsom since she hails from the Midwest and doesn’t have the stink of California or DC. That being said, she’s still pretty bad.
5) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Because, why not? Democrats place little value on experience or competency and would prefer a candidate willing to push the left-wing envelope to the extreme. AOC would provide younger voters with someone more in tune with their generation and able to operate Instagram like a pro.
She’s a little better-liked than Biden but still quite a polarizing figure even within her own party. She says a lot of dumb things and has made some dumb moves, but overall she remains fairly popular among Democrats and can raise a lot of money when needed.
6) New York Governor Kathy Hochul
She’s governor of the fourth-largest state in the country by population and somehow won her re-election campaign in 2022 despite her terrible record and job performance. Kathy Hochul is more along the lines of an “average” or mediocre politician but she managed to cling to power despite rising crime in her state and making moves like banning gas stoves in new construction.
In total, she’s what Democrats want as she’s not afraid to push the left-wing agenda forward and do it with a straight face. She was a key defender of Covid lockdowns, something else Democrats enjoy, and she’s all in abortion rights up to the moment of birth.
It sounds like a parody but Hochul is typically well-respected among Democrats and wouldn’t be any worse than Newsom if a replacement is needed for Biden in 2024.
If Biden decides to step aside in 2024, there’s a small stable waiting to fill the void.
