Can Kamala Harris Beat Gavin Newsom?

If President Joe Biden bows to pressure and drops out of the race, who will replace him in November?

Vice President Kamala Harris listens as CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Artemis II crew member Jeremy Hansen introduces her at the third meeting of the National Space Council, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. Chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, the council’s role is to advise the President regarding national space policy and strategy, and ensuring the United States capitalizes on the opportunities presented by the country’s space activities. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

President Joe Biden lost a crucial backer this weekend. The public defection away from the Biden reelection campaign bandwagon wasn’t a wealthy donor or a Democratic Party governor from a state heavy with electoral votes and progressive voters.

It was CNN senior political analyst, Democratic Party luminary, and former Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod.

“Biden’s defiant delusion,” is how Axelrod categorized President Biden’s intention to stay in the presidential race on July 6.

“After the debate, the already robust number of Americans who deem the president too old to serve another term went up to 74%,” Axelrod remarked. “Only 42% said the same about Trump, 78, whose own terrible debate performance was eclipsed by Biden’s meltdown.”

“Three separate polls conducted by CNN, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal after the debate all showed Biden trailing Trump by six points nationwide,” Axelrod lamented. “Previous polls have shown Biden trailing in nearly all the battleground states he narrowly won in 2020. And now a handful of other states he won — Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Virginia — appear to be in play.”