The media strories are off the hook with piecxes about differnt Democrats ‘saying’ they ain’t running for their parties Presidential nomination……
When they actually ARE….
At least…. Starting to…..
Every Democratic politician with a speck of ambition right now is asking himself, or herself, the same question in the mirror this week…
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Well, not every Democrat. Kamala Harris, by virtue of her status as vice president, asked herself and answered that question in the affirmative when Biden put her on the ticket in August 2020. Like all veeps, she’s unashamed about wanting to inherit the presidency. But for the dozen or so leading Democrats, manners require them to be coy about responding. Biden’s age, his infirmities, his poor pallor and his declining political appeal — 64 percent of Democratic voters want somebody other than Biden to run in 2024 — make the question less than rhetorical….
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By signaling his “intention“ to run once more, Biden has blocked anybody but a C-lister from going up against him. But the party’s most ambitious players want an insurance plan in case fate or Joe himself deletes him from the race. And a host of Democratic aspirants know this very well.
The key to not running while really running (NRWRR) requires these aspirants to do most of the things a declared candidate does — raise campaign funds; tickle the media eye; stump for other candidates and put them in your political debt; prospect potential campaign staffers; and travel and give speeches. There’s also a list of things such an aspirant can’t do, and those reside in a politically negative space…
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who recently raised his national profile by buying ad time on Florida TV to criticize the state’s restrictive abortion laws and then sent out fundraising letters pegged to the stunt, stands as our leading NRWRR presidential candidate. “I have sub-zero interest,” he recently told the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board about running for president, using the negative to imply the positive in time-honored NRWRR tradition. “It’s not even on my radar.”….
Note …
One can accept that even if he KNEW he wasn’t gonna try for a second term?
Joe Biden would NOT annouce that for at least another year….
Lameduck President’s get little respect….
image….NBC News/Brendan Smialowski / AFP/ Getty Images