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Democrats are wrestling with an age-old problem

7 29
14.06.2024

Maybe Hillary Clinton could come to the rescue.

Follow this authorKathleen Parker's opinions

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For now. Under a 1995 Supreme Court ruling, states cannot create eligibility restrictions beyond what’s in the Constitution. Of course, a solid argument can be made that elections take care of the age question. If candidates are deemed too old, voters don’t elect them.

Inarguably, a significant obstacle to a Biden win is Kamala Harris, whose low popularity has not been improved by her lackluster performance as vice president. More independents and disenchanted Republicans might swing for Biden if it weren’t for the prospect of a President Harris — not because of her sex, race or any other demographic category, but because of her competency, or lack thereof.

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The question now is, how risky would it be for Democrats to replace her? Some worry that a change would jeopardize Black votes. It was never clear, however, that Harris was a draw for Black American voters, even if some Black women celebrated her rise. When she dropped out of the presidential race in 2019, she was polling below Pete Buttigieg in South Carolina.

Moreover, does anyone really think any Democrats are going to suddenly turn to Trump because Biden changes running mates to improve his chances of reelection? Herein lies one of the problems with identity politics. Bloc voting by skin color is among our most racist assumptions. Democrats, regardless of pigmentation or cultural heritage, want to win elections, presumably to advance a worldview consistent with their values.

I’m not alone in suggesting that Biden replace Harris, perhaps in exchange for a key role in his administration. Serving as attorney general at least would be in her wheelhouse. Several alternative candidates have been suggested, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and, needless to say, Taylor Swift. (Kidding, though her outspoken contempt for Trump isn’t nothing.)

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By now, you’ve probably forgotten about the second part of the news collision earlier mentioned. It was a brief story Wednesday alleging a controversial development in a New York congressional race: Hillary Clinton had endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer for the House seat currently held by incumbent “squad” member Jamaal Bowman.

In a post on X, Clinton wrote: “With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever. In Congress, @LatimerforNY will........

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