Political scientist Dr. Bishnu Ragoonath recently questioned whether US Vice President Kamala Harris has enough political traction to potentially become the Democratic Party nominee in the US Presidential election next November. Ragoonath’s comments came right after US President Joe Biden surprisingly withdrew his candidacy for re-election, following pressure from Congress due to low polling numbers after his lackluster debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Ragoonath pondered whether Biden was forced out by his party colleagues, even though he initially resisted calls to step down. He speculated that the Democratic Party may have orchestrated a coup against Biden, threatening him with impeachment on grounds of ill health unless he agreed not to seek re-election.
He highlighted the fact that Harris had not gone through the Democratic Party primaries to become a presidential candidate and questioned if the party saw her as a potential nominee. Ragoonath pointed out that Biden had won the primaries in 2024 with a wide margin and that the usual process is for the winner to select a running mate for the vice president.
As Harris gathers endorsements from party figures, Ragoonath raised concerns about other potential candidates who may want to enter the race. He noted that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is facing a dilemma on how to proceed with the nomination process after Biden’s withdrawal.
With a looming deadline in August for the DNC to finalize the nominee and running mate, Ragoonath questioned whether the party would opt for another round of primaries or choose Harris as the primary candidate. He also pointed out that some former primary candidates like Sanders have remained silent on supporting Harris, raising doubts about her nomination.
As the DNC grapples with these decisions, Ragoonath emphasized the uncertainty surrounding Harris’ position as the potential Democratic Party nominee and the challenges the party faces in the coming weeks.
