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(Louie, 7-21-2024, USA Today, “Biden drops out. Democrats can finally focus on beating Trump”, https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/07/21/biden-stand-down-2024-election/74483782007/)

President Joe Biden finally dropped out. The angst and guessing are finally over. Democrats can finally focus on beating Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and rallying voters who have been waiting.

[Ed, 7-21-24, Intelligencer, “Kamala Harris Needs to Move Fast for the Nomination, But Not Too Fast,” INTELLIGENCER, NEW YORK MAG, accessed July 21, 2024, , accessed 7-21-14]

It’s Kamala Harris’s moment.

[Robin, 7-21-24, Sacramento Bee, “Kamala Harris can beat Donald Trump and prove America is ready for a female president | Opinion,” THE SACRAMENTO BEE, accessed July 21, 2024, https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article290253104.html

Harris’ sudden candidacy represents hope that is desperately needed among the centrist and left-leaning American electorate, many of whom could not imagine President Joe Biden beating Trump. Now that the party has listened to voters and Biden has been convinced to step aside, it’s time for us to line up behind Harris.

[Bill, 7-21-24, Politico Magazine, “15 Experts Predict What Biden’s Dropout Means for the 2024 Election”, , Accessed 7-21-24, AMH]

Incumbent presidents who preside over growing economies with low unemployment and wages rising faster than inflation, and who have not sent American ground troops to fight and die in unpopular wars, consistently win reelection. Economic improvement fosters confidence that the existing administration can ably address any remaining problems. All evidence suggests that Joe Biden was on track to lose reelection largely because of concerns about cognitive decline. Now that Biden will not be the nominee, Democrats have a fantastic opportunity to return the race to traditional fundamentals.

[Michael Starr, 7-21-24, Politico Magazine, “15 Experts Predict What Biden’s Dropout Means for the 2024 Election”, , Accessed 7-21-24, AMH]

Kamala Harris is ready to energize our base. She has the prosecutor’s grit and the charisma to go head-to-head with Trump. Young people, women and communities of color will see themselves in her fight. Don’t buy the tough talk from Trump’s camp. They know they’re in for a real battle. This is an entirely new race with an entirely new tone.

[Andra, 7-21-24, Politico Magazine, “15 Experts Predict What Biden’s Dropout Means for the 2024 Election”, , Accessed 7-21-24, AMH]

Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential election removes one attack arrow from the Republican quiver. But regardless of whom the Democrats select as their nominee, they will need to craft a compelling, forward-looking message and respond deftly to the dissatisfaction among a significant segment of the electorate that made Biden vulnerable long before his disastrous debate performance on June 27. If they don’t, those who pushed Biden out of this race will probably still feel unsettled in a month or two.

[Mona, 7/21/2024, Politico, “15 Experts Predict What Biden’s Dropout Means for the 2024 Election”, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/07/21/biden-dropout-expert-predictions-00170164, accessed 7/21/2024, LR]

President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 contest ratifies the wisdom of Abba Eban’s observation that “Men and nations do act wisely when they have exhausted all the other possibilities.”

[Zack, 7/21/24, Vox, “This is bigger than Joe Biden,” https://www.vox.com/politics/361999/joe-biden-drops-out-kamala-harris-2024-trump-democracy-hope, 07/21/2024, LHG]

By dropping out of the 2024 race, President Joe Biden did what we all want our politicians to do: He put his country over his career. Knowing that his party had lost faith in his capacity to beat Donald Trump and that a second Trump term would threaten democracy itself, he chose to do the right thing and step aside.

[Eugene, 7-21-2024, Politico, “Playbook: Biden hands baton to Harris,” https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2024/07/21/special-edition-biden-hands-baton-to-harris-00170151?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=00000156-866e-dfaf-affe-bf7f6dff0000&nlid=630318, accessed 7-21-2024, CM]

“A DNC spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about whether that means they will proceed with a virtual roll call before the convention, or do it on the convention floor in Chicago — as is customary — the week of Aug. 19.”

[Crooked Media, 7-22-24, “What A Day: Kamala & Order”, , accessed 7-22-24, AFB]

LEGAL SHENANIGANS

[Melissa Quinn, CBS politics reporter, 7-21-24, CBS News, “Kamala Harris says she intends to "earn and win" Democratic presidential nomination,” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-statement-joe-biden-drops-out-2024-democratic-nomination/, accessed: 7-21-24, ES]Harris has the support of many well-known Democrats

"Democrats — it's time to come together and beat Trump," he said on social media. "Let's do this."

[Sahil Kapur, NBC Senior National Political Reporter, 7-21-24, NBC News, “Kamala Harris is officially running for president. Will any Democrats challenge her?,” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/kamala-harris-running-president-democratic-challengers-vp-biden-rcna162939, accessed: 7-21-24, ES]

In a way, Biden’s momentous decision Sunday moves up a long-anticipated 2028 Democratic primary campaign that was expected to feature a broad cast of rising stars in the party. But the sudden start and a shortened four-month timeline mean Harris starts out with a massive advantage — a campaign apparatus and millions in funds she can inherit, as well as rapid endorsements from broad swaths of the party eager to quickly settle on a nominee.

[Amie Parnes, ‘The Hill’ senior staff writer, 7-21-24, “Democratic donors move to support Harris,” https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4785099-donors-back-kamala-harris-biden-withdraws/, 7-21-24, EP]

One longtime Democratic bundler who has supported Harris for years said Sunday was “a very good day.”

[Amie Parnes, ‘The Hill’ senior staff writer, 7-21-24, “Democratic donors move to support Harris,” https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4785099-donors-back-kamala-harris-biden-withdraws/, 7-21-24, EP]

Democratic donors are throwing their support behind Vice President Harris as the nominee, following President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race.

[Al, 7/21/2024, The Hill, “Democrats begin to rally around Harris as nominee”, https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4784975-democrats-rally-back-harris-replace/, accessed 7/21/2024, LR]

Democratic lawmakers and officials on Sunday rallied to back Vice President Harris to replace President Biden atop the party’s presidential ticket, boosting her in the hours after Biden announced he would not run for another four years in office.

[Amie Parnes, ‘The Hill’ senior staff writer, 7-21-24, “Democrats breathe sighs of relief over Biden exit,” https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4784726-biden-withdrawal-relief-democrats, 7-21-24, EP]

“F—ing finally,” said one Democratic strategist frustrated over how long the battle went on in recent weeks as Democrat after Democrat in Congress called for Biden to step down after a disastrous debate performance underscored deep concerns about the 81-year-old president’s age and fitness for office.

[Angela Rye, July 21, 2024, Politico, ‘15 Experts Predict What Biden’s Dropout Means for the 2024 Election’, , Accessed July 21, 2024, CT]

The first order of business for the Democratic Party is uniting behind the candidacy of Kamala Harris and her running mate, who must be announced soon. People need to see the ticket they will be voting for not just the dictatorship they are voting against. The next four months leading up to the election could be some of the most challenging the Party has ever seen, and that is in the face of the Republican Party being fully united behind their messiah, Donald Trump, and his running mate, JD Vance.

Chuck Rocha, July 21, 2024, Politico, ‘15 Experts Predict What Biden’s Dropout Means for the 2024 Election’, , Accessed July 21, 2024, CT

What you’re going to see over the next four months is a consolidation of the entire Democratic Party behind Kamala Harris. You will see a seamless effort of all those resources that were going to be spent on behalf of Joe Biden being spent on behalf of Harris. The most important of these is the super PAC that’s affiliated with Biden’s reelection, Future Forward, which as of today reported over $200 million in the bank. You’re also going to see unprecedented fundraising from Democrats, seeing historic amounts of money being raised online.

[Aaron, 7-21-2024, The Washington Post, “The next big 2024 questions, post-Biden,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/21/campaign-moment/, accessed 7-21-2024, CM]

This is, of course, the big one. Harris is the strong favorite — both because she’s next in line and because that’s the¶ expedient move, both politically and practically.

[Al, 7-21-2024, The Hill, “Democrats begin to rally around Harris as nominee,” https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4784975-democrats-rally-back-harris-replace/, accessed 7-21-2024, CM]

Democratic lawmakers and officials on Sunday rallied to back Vice President Harris to replace President Biden atop the party’s presidential ticket, boosting her in the hours after Biden announced he would not run for another four years in office.