Replacing President Biden with someone else may not have been so much about getting someone to beat former President Trump, but rather about saving seats on the lower ticket. In other words, polls have shown Harris is no better off than Biden, but it may be enough to save seats.
It will be difficult to hold the Senate, but this strategy may involve flipping the House. The current composition is 220 Republicans to 213 Democrats, with two vacancies. Democrats need to flip a little more than a handful of those seats to take back the House.
Democrats have done nothing but rail against Republicans and their running of the House for a year and a half. Republicans gave them plenty of fodder. They took days to elect former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker and then fired him in the fall. The House then took 22 days to elect Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), after dismissing three other House speaker candidates. They have had to deal with several censures and contempt of Congress resolutions, some of which have gone against the leadership’s wishes. Democrats have also singled out the various maneuvers of Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).
BRET BAIER: BIDEN'S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE 2024 RACE IS A “TECTONIC SHIFT IN POLITICS”
President Biden and Vice President Harris appear on the Truman Balcony of the White House on July 4, 2024. (Tierney L. Cross/via Getty Images)
So Democrats thought the chaos gave them a great chance of winning the House, but Biden was nothing more than dead weight. In other words, this move could end up being more about the House than the presidency.
The House of Representatives returns to Capitol Hill tomorrow and Democrats are expected to face a flurry of questions about whether they support Vice President Harris or someone else filling the role.
It's worth noting that top leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) aren't endorsing anyone. They want to see how this plays out and not tip the scales in favor of any one individual.
Former House Majority Leader Jim Clyburn (D-SC) rescued Biden's 2020 presidential bid ahead of the South Carolina primary.
He had supported the president's stay in the race, but today he changed his allegiance to Harris.
THE CLINTONS SUPPORTED KAMALA HARRIS HOURS AFTER BIDEN WITHDREW FROM THE ELECTION
Former President Trump and President Biden (Fake Images)
The Congressional Black Caucus PAC (not the Congressional Black Caucus) has endorsed Harris. The CBC never issued a statement after Biden’s terrible debate performance in late June. But CBC chairman Rep. Steve Horsford (D-Nev.) stood by the president, speaking only for himself.
But when it comes to Harris, it may be a matter of math and the Golden State. Forty House Democrats hail from California. That represents 9% of the House Democratic caucus and about 20% of the House Democratic Conference. Harris was a senator from California, so it may be hard to top that.
It’s also interesting that Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who ran against the president, was ostracized by some Democrats to the point that he resigned from a lower-level leadership position after raising doubts about the president’s viability. The House progressive bloc has now endorsed Harris. Some members of the caucus now back Harris: Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.).
The “New Democrat Coalition,” a bloc of moderate and traditional Democrats, has also endorsed Harris. Many of the Democrats who called on Biden to step aside early on were New Democrats.
This wave of attacks on Biden has been slowly building. A senior source in the House Democratic leadership told Fox News the day after the debate that “this was not sustainable.” The source added that those close to the president “have not served him well.”
TRUMP SAYS BIDEN IS 'UNFIT TO SERVE': 'WHO WILL RULE THE COUNTRY FOR THE NEXT 5 MONTHS?'
Vice President Harris Speaks (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Let’s not forget that Schumer met with Biden last Saturday in Rehoboth, Delaware. Schumer made his statement about that meeting minutes before former President Trump was shot in Pennsylvania on July 13. It was thought that more and more Democrats would have taken to the streets last week, trying to get Biden out of jail. But the shooting delayed some of that. Otherwise, this conversation might have taken place several days ago. It never happened because of the shooting.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Republicans are now beginning to question whether Biden is fit to serve out the remaining months of his term. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said, “If President Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president. He should resign from office immediately.”
More Republicans are expected to begin calling for Biden to resign. They could also begin holding hearings and investigations, asking who knew what and when about the president's cognitive abilities.
Republicans will also target vulnerable Democrats in competitive states and districts, asking them what they knew about Biden’s circumstances. And they will also ask which of those candidates is backing Harris. For example, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) faces a competitive reelection campaign and is backing Harris. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) also faces a tough race, but he did not endorse Harris.
Republicans are likely to incorporate the president's departure into their campaign strategy for the House of Representatives and the Senate this fall.
In hockey, there is something known as a “last shift.” The visiting team always places their skaters on the ice before each new kickoff. That gives the home team a slight advantage in seeing what line the visitors are placing on the ice and then determining which players they have to create the best matchup.
This is currently playing out similarly for Democrats. Since they are the party in power and their party is in second place, they have the “last chance.” The GOP has opted for former President Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio). But Democrats now have the opportunity to put forward whoever they think best fits the circumstances. It could be Vice President Harris. It could be someone else. It could include someone like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) or Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D). Or it could be two women. Any combination.
It's unclear whether Democrats will seize this opportunity, but with their convention still a month away, they have “one last chance.”
Get the latest updates on the 2024 election campaign, exclusive interviews and more in our Fox News digital election hub.
