XPost: democrats.are.dipshits, talk.politics.guns, sac.politics   
   XPost: alt.politics.trump   
   From: gavin-newsom-pals@sacbee.com   
      
   President Joe Biden's reelection bid has the strong backing of most elected   
   Democrats.   
      
   Biden is committed to the race, but there's public speculation on whether   
   he'll stay in the contest.   
      
   In the unlikely event that Biden left the race, an array of Democrats would   
   be in the mix to lead the party.   
      
   After President Joe Biden announced his reelection bid last April, the vast   
   majority of Democratic leaders coalesced around his candidacy, which wasn't   
   surprising for an incumbent.   
      
      
   Biden's age has become a cause of concern among many voters, including some   
   who are inclined to back him over former President Donald Trump. The worries   
   were amplified after the special counsel Robert Hur released his report on   
   the probe into Biden's handling of classified documents, in which no charges   
   were recommended, but the president's acuity and memory were questioned.   
      
   Through it all, Biden has defended his reelection bid, argued that his age   
   is an asset, pushed back against the special-counsel report, and articulated   
   why he should be reelected — pointing to accomplishments such as the   
   bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act and touting   
   the low national unemployment numbers.   
      
   What does this all mean? Biden is unlikely to leave the race, especially as   
   he dominated the Democratic presidential primaries and is committed to a   
   rematch with Trump. But speculation about whether he'll bow out of the   
   contest continues to swirl.   
      
   In the event that Biden does somehow bow out after winning the overwhelming   
   majority of the 3,936 delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination,   
   a new nominee would have to be selected at the Democratic National   
   Convention in Chicago this August. But it'd be a messy process given that   
   the primaries are now completed.   
      
   Virtually every major Democratic governor or senator is behind the   
   president's reelection bid and long ago dismissed the thought of replacing   
   him on the ballot this year.   
      
   But who could be a Biden successor if such a scenario were to occur?   
      
   Vice President Kamala Harris   
      
   HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!   
      
   Harris, by many measures, would be a natural successor to Biden.   
      
   As vice president, she's worked closely with Biden on things as varied as   
   voting rights and foreign policy. She was previously a San Francisco   
   district attorney, California attorney general, and California senator and   
   is a historic figure in her own right as the first Black, Indian American,   
   and female vice president.   
      
   And she has become the face of the administration's challenge to the raft of   
   GOP-crafted abortion restrictions following the Supreme Court's 2022   
   decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.   
      
   But Harris previously launched a 2020 presidential bid that seemed promising   
   but fell flat with voters over time. (She eventually ended her campaign   
   before the start of the primaries and caucuses.)   
      
   As vice president, Harris has been heavily praised by Biden. But her office   
   struggled with turnover and reports of dysfunction earlier in her term. She   
   has also had to contend with less-than-ideal approval ratings, which have   
   raised concerns among some Democrats about her electability as the party   
   also looks to 2028 — when she'd be a potential frontrunner, given her   
   positive marks with Black voters and young voters.   
      
   Gov. Gavin Newsom of California   
      
   Gov. Gavin Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor who was also California's   
   lieutenant governor, leads the most populated state in the country and, in   
   recent years, has become one of Biden's most prominent Democratic   
   surrogates.   
      
   California is often used as a foil by national Republicans to contrast with   
   the conservative policies of states such as Florida and Texas. But Newsom   
   has been outspoken in not only promoting the Golden State but touting   
   Democratic policy stances and legislative wins — and he's not afraid to take   
   his arguments straight to the GOP.   
      
   As governor, Newsom has taken on more moderate stances in recent years on   
   issues involving labor and tackling homelessness in his state.   
      
   Newsom's political trajectory could collide with that of Harris, his fellow   
   Bay Area native, but they've long maintained a strong working relationship,   
   and the governor has been highly complimentary of her work with Biden.   
      
   HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!   
      
   Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan   
      
      
   When Whitmer ran for reelection in 2022 against the Republican Tudor Dixon,   
   she won by nearly 11 points, reflective of her broad appeal with the   
   electorate in a state where the margins are often tight.   
      
   This fall, Michigan is expected to be one of the closest states in the   
   country in the presidential race. And Whitmer, a former state lawmaker and   
   ex-prosecutor, is set to be a critical voice for the Biden campaign across   
   Michigan.   
      
   The governor has encouraged Biden to speak more forcefully about abortion   
   rights, an issue that has galvanized many voters — but especially women —   
   across the country after Roe was overturned.   
      
   In a potential field without Biden, Whitmer's Midwestern background, strong   
   alliance with organized labor, and moderate appeal could make her a strong   
   contender. But she would also be a new face in a contest that will probably   
   feature Trump on the GOP side.   
      
   HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!   
      
   Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota   
      
   Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who's served in the Senate since 2007, ran for president   
   in 2020 and made a surprisingly strong finish in the New Hampshire primary —   
   even outperforming Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at the   
   time.   
      
   But her campaign wasn't able to get the sort of momentum it needed in the   
   South Carolina primary for her to continue her bid, and she exited the race.   
      
   Still, Klobuchar would be a candidate to watch in an open field, as she   
   boosted her national presence in the primary and could point to a long-   
   standing record of bipartisan accomplishments representing Minnesota in the   
   Senate.   
      
   HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!   
      
   Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey   
      
   Sen. Cory Booker also ran for president in 2020, ending his campaign in   
   January that year.   
      
   But the former Newark mayor has been a national figure for years and is seen   
   as a likely 2028 contender.   
      
   He could easily jump-start a potential 2028 campaign in South Carolina, as   
   he campaigned throughout the state in 2019 and 2020.   
      
   In the scenario that Democrats would have to choose a candidate other than   
   Biden, he would probably be a part of the conversation.   
      
   HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!   
      
   Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina   
      
   Gov. Roy Cooper isn't a big name among Democratic voters outside North   
   Carolina, at least not yet. The former state lawmaker, onetime North   
   Carolina attorney general, and current two-term governor rose through the   
   ranks of government and, along the way, navigated political divides that   
   would bedevil most politicians.   
      
   In a GOP-leaning state where Democratic candidates have to compete on tricky   
   terrain, Cooper, a moderate, has come out on top.   
      
   Democrats have not tapped a Southern governor as their presidential nominee   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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