Editorial: Commander-in-Chief Kamala Harris

Outsmarted again.  Wile E. Coyote applies his brakes too late to avoid going over the cliff. VP Kamala Harris may soon find herself in a similar free-fall situation.

Outsmarted again, Wile E. Coyote applies his brakes too late to avoid going over the cliff. VP Kamala Harris may soon find herself in a similar free-fall situation.

Column By Mike Bibb

It’s a little early – or late – for April Fool’s jokes, but that’s what looks like is happening within certain segments of the Democrat Party.

There seem to be at least two trains of thought: “Joe’s not going anywhere” or “Call the bullpen, get Kamala warmed up.”

President Biden’s rapidly descending popularity, brought on by his disastrous CNN televised debate with Donald Trump on June 27, 2024, suddenly elevated VP Kamala Harris into the limelight of a possible run for the Presidency.

The ultimate Murphy’s Law conundrum:  Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it does!

Can anyone, with a semi-functioning mind – including Joe Biden – ever seriously contemplate Kamala Harris as a legitimate President of the United States? Other than being Joe’s pick for Vice President because she met his only two requirements – African-American and female – she appears as competent to fill that position as Wile E. Coyote – who still hasn’t caught the Roadrunner.

Bad enough, but to also bestow upon her the military Commander-in-Chief title would be incomprehensible.  

I was going to say, “unimaginable,” but we’re talking about Joe and Kamala. As we’ve seen, practically anything is possible with these two.

What a pair – one is experiencing the debilitating stages of senility, while the other loiters about the Capitol with absolutely nothing of significance to do.

The few assignments she has been given – Border Czar, abortion rights activist, and tie-breaking vote in a 50-50 Senate – haven’t elevated her to relevancy. She botched the southern border task. The Mexico/U.S. border is in a bigger mess than before.

Abortion, aka “Women’s Health Care,” is a passionate subject, but not affecting everyone. A certain segment of society believes it is as essential as an annual flu shot, while an equally spirited counter-opinion expresses absolute disdain for the procedure.

Kamala’s third job, “Tiebreaker” in the Senate is a Constitutionally mandated requirement. It’s one of the few she’s required to perform. Whenever a Senate Bill reaches 50 Yea (Yes) and 50 Nay (No) votes, the Vice President – acting as President of the Senate (Art. 1, Sec. 3) – is expected to cast the deciding vote. The VP only votes in case of a tie.

This speculation – that’s all it is – hinges on the fact that Joe Biden will soon willingly withdraw from the 2024 General Election or be forced out by power brokers and behind-the-scenes manipulators within the party.

Joe’s been playing the Washington game for about 50 years, so he pretty much knows the tricks, who to contact, how deals are made, and what strings to pull to get things done.

Plus, being President comes with additional advantages an aspiring challenger does not have. Chief among them is the ability to raise vast sums of campaign donations.

Which Joe already has accumulated.

Secondly, it is not easy to remove a sitting President who wants to run for reelection. Particularly, if he’s already the presumptive nominee.

Joe may have noticeable cognitive issues, and the disorder appears to be worsening by the month, but until he decides he can no longer perform the duties of the President, then he will mostly likely be the Democrat Party’s #1 pick.

The 25th Amendment provides a procedure to remove a President – without impeachment — but it’s a cumbersome process.  With just a few months before the election, things would have to move quickly to replace Joe and then decide upon his successor.

In the meantime, VP Kamala would step into Joe’s shoes.  Not an ideal condition, but a Constitutional requirement.

It may be a short-lived Presidential career for Kamala if Dems decide they want someone else.  Someone they believe has a more reasonable chance of defeating Trump.

Readers may recall Kamala was also a presidential candidate last go-round but dropped out because of abysmal ratings.

As mentioned previously, due to a weak bench Democrats have backed themselves into a corner. There are a couple of relief pitchers in the bullpen, but no one’s a serious contender against Trump.

Consequently, even with Joe’s recognized ailments, flubs, and flaws, he’s about all the Dems have.  

The Democrat Party – with the assistance of a complicitous media – knowingly created the current situation in hopes Trump wouldn’t be around for a 2024 Presidential rematch.

Endless Trump investigations, impeachments, indictments, convictions, and nuisance lawsuits have only awakened an aggravated public into realizing Democrats will stop at nothing to prevent his running for office again.

A “go-along” national press endorsed these tactics right up until the time of the Presidential Debate on the evening of Nov. 27, when it was revealed to everyone that Joe Biden was incapable of continuing as President for four more years.

This was live TV, not a make-believe fake video, as the White House Press Secretary has hinted.

Suddenly, the media reversed course and began inquiring about Joe’s mental health – previously an infrequently discussed topic. Sympathetic talking-heads and Hollywood celebrities – last week some of Joe’s biggest fans – were now doubtful he should continue his campaign. 

Equally concerning, Blue State Dems are more than a little worried about their futures. With Joe remaining at the top of the ticket and if he’s soundly trounced in November, down-ballot candidates could suffer a similar fate.

Consequently, if Joe stays, or goes, is a bitter-sweet pill for Dems to swallow. Either way, ramifications are sure to percolate into national and state levels.

All of this craziness because the cat was unintentionally let out of the bag: Joe’s befuddled demeanor during the debate was real. There’s no hiding or lying about it anymore.  

Joe’s brain power has always been problematical, despite boasts to the contrary. He has never been one of the brighter members of Congress. True, he makes a lot of noise, yammers an earful of stories, and concocts ridiculous tales, but that’s about it.

Now, with the classic signs of old age dementia added into the mix, not even hardcore Dems can dance around the problem, pretending a delirious Biden would be better than Trump.

An opinion, I’m sure, various dictators around the world would agree. I’m equally positive, they wouldn’t be overly frightened of Kamala Harris as Commander-in-Chief, either.

Especially, if she suddenly lapsed into one of her uncontrollable laughing fits.