CNN: Biden May ‘Step Aside’ for Kamala Harris
CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza argues Biden may not be able to do job
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Following Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's announcement that Kamala Harris would be his official pick for vice president, news network CNN predicted that he could be soon taking a back seat.
CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza wrote that Biden could “step aside” for Harris, all but conceding that Biden will not complete his presidential term if he's elected in November.
Cillizza said that Biden's choice in selecting Harris shows he is confident he will beat President Donald Trump in November.
But Cillizza also noted that Biden might not be able to do the job.
Joe Biden made the pick that maximized his chances of continuing to make the race a straight referendum on Trump while also selecting someone whose resume suggests being ready to step in, if and when Biden decides to step aside. | Analysis by @CillizzaCNN https://t.co/Ek4d6sfGfT
— CNN (@CNN) August 11, 2020
"At 55 years old, [Harris] represents a younger generation of leader — something that Biden, who will be 78 on Inauguration Day 2021, said was a major factor in his choice," he wrote.
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"What that all means is that Biden wants the race to be about him as little as possible," Cillizza continues.
"What Biden did is make the pick that maximized his chances of continuing to make the race a straight referendum on Trump while also selecting someone, in Harris, whose resume suggests will be ready to step in if and when Biden decides to step aside."
Cillizza’s argument comes after Brian Stelter, CNN’s chief media correspondent, said it was “offensive and otherworldly” to claim Biden was too unhealthy to compete or to serve in office.
Biden's announcement was also awkwardly worded which implied Harris might be required “to lead this nation starting in January 2021”:
Joe Biden in email to supporters: "I’ve decided that Kamala Harris is the best person to help me take this fight to Donald Trump and Mike Pence and then to lead this nation starting in January 2021."
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 11, 2020
In the 2009-10 election, CNN president Jeff Zucker endorsed Kamala Harris for California attorney general while helping her meet “movers and shakers” in New York.
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Zucker, who at the time was president of NBC Universal, stated he was making a rare exception to his “very, very strict policy” of not supporting political candidates.
Last week, Harris predicted Biden would beat Trump in the November election during an interview on MSNBC’s “Deadline."
“We have a president who is petty. He’s petty," harris began.
"But also, there is something about Donald Trump that is just the antithesis of what we want as an American leader and as our president, which is we want a president who has a generosity of spirit," Harris said.
"I do believe he’s going to be defeated in November,” Harris stated.
