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THE ANSWER IS YES, SHE COULD: Getting to 270 electoral votes will be an uphill fight — but in this year of electrifying surprises, Harris has a chance.
HARRIS GIVES THE DEMOCRATS a lightning bolt of energy and crucial momentum against Donald Trump. We watched his lame speech on Saturday night, filled with inane comments about shark bites. He’s beatable — and needs a new stump speech.
DEMOCRATS WE TALKED WITH yesterday were optimistic that they could get Harris through the nominating process before the party’s Aug. 19 convention, although some said an “open” voting process is possible.
BUT WHO WOULD RUN AGAINST HER? West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin could re-enter politics, and Robert F. Kennedy’s campaign could get a modest boost, but they aren’t serious challengers for the nomination.
THERE’S ONE MAJOR PROBLEM that has to be addressed soon: if Joe Biden had cognitive issues that contributed to his resignation, how could he still serve as president for the next six months if he’s ill? Republicans will hit hard on this.
THE GOP ALSO WILL BE RELENTLESS on the issue of illegal immigration, where Harris had virtually no impact. She’ll be on the defensive on that issue, but she will be a feisty challenger, especially on reproductive rights. And she’s a fierce debater, as Biden discovered in 2000.
HARRIS IS HOPING TO OPEN A NEW LANE, as African-American voters turn out in high numbers in states where the Democrats have looked shaky — Georgia, North Carolina, etc. But the key is Pennsylvania, which is why the state’s young governor, Josh Shapiro, is on the VP short list. Another possible candidate would be Mark Kelly, the ex-astronaut and moderate Arizona senator.
WE PROBABLY WON’T MAKE A CALL on the election until after the convention next month. For now we’ll simply note that the Democrats prospects have improved against Trump, who is 78 and looks it. He’s suddenly the old timer in this race.
WE HAVE A HUNCH that Harris will show the energy and personality to make this a close race. A landslide looked likely a week ago, but the outcome is far from certain now, as the Democrats finally have the enthusiasm to make Kamala Harris a serious challenger.
Related: Joe Biden’s Support is Crumbling
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