Democrats rush for new strategy as Kamala Harris emerges as favorite

Many influential Democrats showed their support for Kamala Harris's bid for the presidential nomination on Monday. However, the fact that some important figures have not yet voiced their support indicates that her victory is still uncertain.

A strong show of support for the vice-president was seen from members of Congress and others both inside and outside of the political arena. Various politicians, unions, and supporters showed their approval. The vice-president received important endorsements from the Democratic governors of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin - key states in the Midwest that are crucial for winning the presidency.

Both Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan and JB Pritzker from Illinois were considered as potential rivals to Harris for the nomination. Their support for her candidacy, along with Andy Beshear from Kentucky also endorsing her on Monday, means there are now fewer options for potential challengers.

"The vice-president is intelligent and capable, which will make her an effective president," Beshear told MSNBC's Morning Joe. Many believe that Beshear is a top contender to be Harris's vice-presidential running mate if she secures the nomination, along with other potential candidates like the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro; senator from Arizona, Mark Kelly; and governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper.

Everyone quickly released statements showing their endorsement for Harris's bid for the presidency.

Praises spread on Sunday and continued into Monday morning, but there were a few significant endorsements missing. This could suggest a preference for a competitive Democratic convention with a primary-like battle for the nomination before the event in Chicago in mid-August.

Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer, who are all influential figures in the Democratic party, did not support Harris. They were reportedly instrumental in convincing Joe Biden to withdraw from the race.

Obama expressed his belief that the days ahead will be challenging, but he is confident in the abilities of the party leaders to guide the way and ultimately select an exceptional nominee.

However, Harris continues to maintain a solid standing, with additional support from prominent Democrats such as Elizabeth Warren, who ran for president in 2020, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland, and Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, who serves as the majority whip in the Senate.

On Sunday evening, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed her backing for Kamala Harris, promising to do everything in her power to help her win the November election. Ocasio-Cortez confidently stated that Harris would become the next President of the United States.

Ocasio-Cortez's support is seen as a significant move towards Democrats coming together. Last week, she warned of potential chaos if Biden was removed and noted that many who wanted him gone did not want Harris to become the nominee.

Biden endorsed Harris, stating that picking her as his running mate was his top choice. His campaign fund changed its title to "Harris for President", revealing a $96 million fund for the vice president to use in reaching out to American voters.

Donors who gave small amounts of money raised $49.6 million on ActBlue during the early hours of Harris's presidential campaign. The platform announced this on Monday and noted that Sunday was the most successful day for fundraising in the 2024 election cycle so far.

Harris was scheduled to attend her first public event on Monday morning at the White House to celebrate NCAA championship teams. She is taking over for Biden, who is recuperating after testing positive for Covid last week.

She received support and praise from the leaders of many important groups in politics, such as the Congressional Progressive caucus, the Congressional Hispanic caucus, and the Congressional Black caucus.

If Harris wins, she will be the first female and the first individual of South Asian heritage to hold the position of president.

After weeks of loud voices on the left and memes on social media urging for Harris's promotion, she received rounds of endorsements. Her followers, known as the "KHive", shared coconut emojis as a reference to a speech where she joked about her mother's saying. They brought back an advertisement from Harris's 2020 presidential campaign that criticized Trump for his remarks about women and unethical businesses, and also shared copies of a check Trump had previously written to support Harris's campaigns in California.

There is no organized resistance against Harris or support for any other candidate, indicating that Harris is likely to secure the presidential nomination. California governor Gavin Newsom, who was also considered a potential candidate, announced on Sunday that he would be endorsing Harris.

This past Sunday, Joe Manchin, the senator from West Virginia who recently switched from being a Democrat to an independent, was said to be thinking about rejoining the Democratic party in order to have the chance to run for president.

However, on Monday, Manchin announced that he would not be running for president. He explicitly stated to CBS that he would not be a candidate for the position. He also expressed his support for a "mini-primary" to select a candidate and believed that Harris was too liberal for his liking.

Many people may not be familiar with the rules and procedures for selecting a Democratic candidate. The Democratic National Committee chair, Jaime Harrison, mentioned that the party will be unveiling the upcoming stages in its nomination process, as Democrats navigate through unfamiliar territory.

Biden is the initial president in over five decades to suspend his campaign for another term. Back in 1968, Lyndon Johnson withdrew from the running, causing a dispute for delegates at the Democratic convention in Chicago.

As the Democrats commended Biden for his tough but diplomatic choice, Republicans started criticizing Harris and claiming that the left was involved in an undemocratic activity that could result in legal action.

Republicans tried to blame Harris for Biden's weaknesses and demanded that Biden should step down from the presidency. They argued that if Biden couldn't handle the campaign, he shouldn't be president.

The Trump campaign stated that Kamala Harris is just as laughable as Joe Biden. They believe Harris will be worse for the country than Biden and has been supportive of him all along. They share the same record and there is no separation between them. Harris will have to defend both the unsuccessful Biden Administration and her record as being soft on crime in California.

The information in this report was gathered with the help of Reuters and Associated Press.

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