Kamala Takes the 25th
The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides a mechanism for removing a president from office due to inability to perform the duties of the job. The President may voluntarily relinquish the duties; that’s the mechanism used when the chief executive is undergoing surgery, for example, reclaiming the duties once the situation has resolved itself.
In case of an involuntary removal, the Amendment indicates that “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.” In other words, if the Vice President and enough friends sign off on it, it’s a done deal.
You can bet that Kamala Harris is weighing her options carefully.
Her political career rises and falls on how Joe Biden does. Recall that four years ago, her presidential effort was such a mess, she didn’t even make it to the year of the election. Now, if Biden is a failed candidate, she’ll be a failed candidate, and her future aspirations wither away. Sure, Walter Mondale got the 1984 nomination after being a failed vice-presidential candidate in 1980, but how did that turn out for him?
Harris’ political career has been marked by carefully calculated moves; that’s not a surprise, most successful politicians make carefully calculated moves. What if she sees the writing on the wall for the 2024 election…and figures the only shot she has is to take over now? That does not make her the presumptive nominee; after all, you don’t think Mayor Pete is going to be satisfied with topping out at Cabinet secretary, do you? But she could easily pivot into campaign mode for herself since she’s already there as the running mate.
Don’t dismiss this too quickly, given how desperate Democrats are to make sure Donald Trump does not return to office. Biden is expendable, and the Special Counsel’s report gives them the ammunition they need to slide him aside. Harris could engineer the effort and still make it seem like it’s in the well-meaning, elderly man’s best interest. She’d get to be the first female president, and have a leg up on the nomination…or herself be expendable by the time of the convention, but at least she’d get the title and pension that goes with it.
Strange times. Potentially even stranger outcomes.
