Probably the best analysis I've heard about this double-hater election is if it's a referendum on Biden, Trump wins. And if it's a referendum on Trump, Biden wins. The debate ensures that the election -- if Biden stays in the race -- will be a referendum on him. And that's bad news for anybody who values democracy.
Biden has to go. All the Dems know it. Those who are purportedly backing him are stalling. They're betting the polls will show Biden losing support, and the polls will persuade him to step aside. They're probably right. Why knife the guy? Let the data do the dirty work. Also, they don't want the chaos that would ensue if he resigns and there are 15 people fighting for the nomination. They want a process that will keep the drama to a minimum.
Kamala Harris will probably be the nominee. My guess is when Biden pulls out of the race -- or even resigns the presidency -- he'll urge the party to rally around Harris. As the first black vice president, it'll be too messy trying to take the nomination from her. Trump and the Republicans are trying to call Democrats the chaos party, and the best way to confirm that is with a chaotic convention.
But the main reason Kamala will get the nomination is because the Biden-Harris campaign has $240 million cash on hand, and -- if what I've read is correct -- the only candidates who can legally spend that money are named either Biden or Harris. If Gavin Newsom wins a brokered convention, he won't be able to touch a dime of the Biden-Harris war chest. He'll have to spend the entire month of September fundraising. You can't win an election if you don't have time to campaign. I just don't see any way of avoiding Harris.
She's not my first choice. She's not even in the top ten. She was a mediocre candidate in 2019. But she's the only one who can save democracy now.
I've always been suspicious of unity tickets, but I think this might be the time to play the card. Dems say the fate of Democracy rests with this election. A few sane Republicans say the same. Why not say it with an exclamation mark and try to pick up some votes from the middle. I'd recommend Harris pick a never-Trump Republican as her running mate. Pick Mitt Romney, put him in charge of an inflation task force. Might put Utah in play, or get a lot of Mormons in Arizona and Nevada to pull the donkey lever. That could make the difference in a couple of swing states.
If not Romney... Lisa Murkowski? Adam Kinzinger? Chris Christie? Liz Cheney? There are some interesting choices.
Biden has been a successful president. A decent man. It'll be a shame to see him go, but the time has arrived. Even if he doesn't realize it now, he will soon. I suspect the Dems are working on a transition plan behind the scenes, but it'll be a week or two before they're ready for an announcement.