Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign speech in Indiana, July 24, 2024 (NBC)

EA on International Media — Biden Steps Aside for Kamala

With Biden’s Departure, The US Presidential Election Has Been Reset

UPDATE 1011 GMT:

I joined LBC’s Ben Kentish on Saturday morning for further evaluation of the Harris campaign, including the endorsement by Barack and Michelle Obama.

You don’t bring the Obamas in to endorse her at the very start. You let this play out where almost everyone in the party does so first, because you don’t want to look like the Obamas are dictating this.

And I talk about this week’s tactical victory for Harris:

Donald Trump always grabs the news cycle, putting out a tweet to lead everyone by the nose.

When was the last time that Trump led the news cycle? He has not been able to do so because Harris had all the momentum, and the Obamas’ endorsement kept the news cycle with her for another 24 hours.

UPDATE, JULY 27:

I spoke with GB News’s Martin Daubney about the surging campaign of Kamala Harris, following endorsements from Barack and Michelle Obama.

The first week of the campaign has been choreographed with the double message of “unity”: unity within the Democratic Party, from the center to the progressives, and unity for “America” given the threat to democracy from Donald Trump.

I emphasize the differences between 2016, when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, and 2024.

Kamala Harris isn’t Hillary Clinton.

There are three factors to watch. First, Harris is tough and she will push back, so Trump can’t bully her as he did with Clinton, literally stalking her across the debate stage.

Clinton didn’t poll well with certain groups, including women. Harris does.

And Harris will probably get Democrats out who didn’t vote in 2016: women, youth, suburban voters. She’s a prosecutor running against a convicted felon.

ORIGINAL ENTRY, JULY 26: I joined Irish and UK outlets on Thursday to evaluate President Joe Biden’s speech to the nation and the opening 72 hours of Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign to succeed him.

Listen to RTE Radio 1

In a 5-minute chat, I highlight the key points of Biden’s speech, the surge of the Harris campaign, and Donald Trump’s insult-filled and possibly counter-productive response.

Biden had to explain why he is stepping aside, and hand over to Kamala to make her case about the future of the US system.

Listen to BBC Radio Scotland from 1:49.10

I discuss Biden’s successful explanation of why he finally stood aside, emphasizing the need to protect democracy and to ensure, “Kings and dictators do not rule. People do.”

I lay out the President’s support for Harris and how it was calculated to ensure that she takes the lead in the campaign for the Administration’s achievements and against the threat of Donald Trump.

I think it was a very clever speech the way he set it out.

“The sacred cause of our nation is greater than any individual. The future of our democracy is more important than personal ambition.”

You can read that as saying as much as he wanted a second term, pursuing it would lead to his defeat and jeopardize the US system he served for so long.

But you can also read it as a message about Donald Trump: that democracy and the American nation had to be greater than Mr. Trump’s ambitions.

I discuss Biden’s initiatives in the remaining six months of his Presidency, and I review the energetic start of Harris’s campaign.

The race is a toss-up. But the Harris campaign has hit the ground running. They have gone out to the people in speeches hitting the issues and prosecutor v. convicted felon and picking up on “We Won’t Go Back” to an America before rights.

In response, the Trump folks have appeared scrambled and disorganized.

Watch GB News

I also spoke with GB News about “a necessary, even vital speech” by Biden.

Biden needed to address why he withdrew from the race and to explain that Harris — “tough” and “capable” — is the person to go forward, not only for the issues but for the future of “our country and democracy”.