Staff Reports
Biden’s campaign might be sputtering like an old lawnmower, but refreshing new life has come in the form of Vice President Kamala Harris. With the presidential primary season heating up, several Democratic officials who scurried for cover when Biden’s approval ratings plummeted are now putting on their best smiles and rushing to Kamala’s campaign rallies.
Initially, when Biden’s poll numbers resembled a hot air balloon on a popsicle stick, Democrats in dire reelection battles decided it might be prudent to keep their distance. They sensed that being too close to the floundering president could sink their chances, so they opted for radio silence rather than show up for Biden events. Yet, in the aftermath of Harris’s unexpected rise, these exact political figures are lining up like moths to a flame, suddenly eager to bask in the radiant glow of her candidacy.
Three Democrats who shunned Biden but will now support Harris – Washington Examiner https://t.co/L1PyZnmGo8
— yes…. me (@me_nobodyreally) July 29, 2024
First up is Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin, who had been playing coy as she skipped a Biden event in July. She claimed a “scheduling conflict” that suspiciously sounded more like a desperate excuse to avoid the president’s shadow. As concerns about Biden’s rally charisma dissolved faster than a sugar cube in hot tea, Baldwin decided it would be prudent to reposition herself. Just a few days after Harris unexpectedly took the reins as the Democratic front-runner, Baldwin was seen at a campaign event in Wisconsin with the Vice President as if she’d struck gold.
Then there’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who, as Biden’s campaign co-chairwoman, had lobbied hard for the president but nonetheless dodged a major campaign event when pressure mounted for Biden to step aside. She sure knew how to read the room, or at least she figured it out after the fact. Once Harris took the helm, Whitmer flipped the script, endorsing the Vice President and actively campaigning for her in New Hampshire, a vital battleground. Apparently, supporting Biden was one thing, but aligning with a revitalized Harris was an entirely different calculation.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan is also in the mix, vying for a Senate seat in this competitive electoral cycle. Slotkin had been keeping a safe distance from Biden—another absence at his event didn’t escape notice. But after Harris got the bump up from second fiddle to top dog, Slotkin couldn’t resist the surge of excitement she swore she felt around Harris. While Slotkin hasn’t been spotted on stage with Harris yet, perhaps she’s enjoying the energizing vibe from the sidelines, hoping it translates to her campaign.
However, not every Democrat is jumping aboard the Harris Express. Senator Jon Tester from Montana is still hedging his bets, focusing on his political survival as he navigates the Republican-heavy waters of his home state. In stark contrast to his fellow party members now embracing Harris, Tester remains cautiously anti-Harris, perhaps recognizing that riding with the Vice President in this turbulent political climate could be akin to a game of political roulette. The tide may be turning for Harris among eager Democrats, but for some, caution is still the name of the game.
