Team Kamala rallies to create path to power for VP as Democrats call on Biden to step aside

Democrats supporting Kamala Harris for president are gathering behind the scenes to plan the vice presidential takeover, even as she continues to openly support President Joe Biden.

Harris has done no public planning, but NBC and Politico report that her supporters are quietly organizing to ensure they are ready in case Biden leaves office.

Harris and her supporters want to move quickly to consolidate their power if Biden abandons his re-election campaign as more Democrats in Congress call for him to resign.

As vice president, Harris is Biden’s natural successor, but her performance in her first three years in office has left many Democratic backers skeptical about her chances in the 2024 presidential election.

Their greatest fear is that party elites and donors will try to push her aside for an open party convention, allowing Democrats to select their favorite candidate, rather than Harris being crowned Biden’s successor.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez warned her followers on social media on Thursday that there is still significant opposition to Harris within party elites.

“I’m just going to say it. If you think there’s a consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to abandon Kamala, that they’re going to support Kamala, Vice President Harris, you’re wrong,” she said.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has reportedly suggested using an open process to choose Biden’s successor, rather than automatically selecting Harris.

Harris’ most influential supporter is former President Barack Obama, who not only endorsed her as Biden’s vice presidential pick but also said she would likely step in to support her claim that she would succeed him, Axios reported.

Even as vice president, Harris doesn’t have the natural popular support or enough elite donors to automatically propel her to power.

However, Harris’s supporters argue that she has a number of political strengths that would serve her well during the campaign.

President Joe Biden, left, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on the Truman Balcony of the White House in Washington, DC

Vice President Kamala Harris reacts as President Joe Biden shakes hands with former President Barack Obama at the White House

Her supporters praise her popularity among younger voters and voters of color, and her record as a staunch advocate for abortion rights.

According to NBC, strategists backing Harris are preparing the vice president’s case, arguing that she can better mobilize black voters in southern states like Georgia and North Carolina than Biden.

More and more Democrats are describing themselves as “coconut-infected” after a video of Harris talking about coconut trees went viral.

In May 2023, Harris spoke to young people, urging them to live in the context of family members who came before them.

She quoted her mother as saying, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” as she laughed.

In early July, the video resurfaced, bringing more attention to Harris.

“F**k it, I’m full of coconuts. I just want this to stop,” a prominent Democratic operative told CNN.

US Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina,

US Vice President Kamala Harris boards Air Force Two as she departs on a campaign trip to North Carolina

The political action committee EMILY’s List, which focuses on supporting abortion rights, has already given Harris more than $10 million to improve her public standing.

Congressman Jim Clyburn, the political leader who helped Biden in South Carolina, told supporters that Harris should become Biden’s replacement if Biden leaves office.

Meanwhile, Harris is making her presence felt on stage as Biden rests at home in Delaware with his family after contracting the coronavirus.

After campaigning in Michigan and North Carolina last week, Harris is scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on Saturday, followed by a campaign trip to Milwaukee on Tuesday.