The Democrat camp, having hastily rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris in their zealous pursuit to succeed President Biden, have left the date of their decisive vote in limbo. Their National Convention is due next month, though they are eager to nominate their frontrunner before that grand event. According to Jaime Harrison, the head of the Democratic National Committee, they aim to choose their champion through an online vote by August 7, a public announcement he made on a call with reporters.
This rushed arrangement shows the Democrats’ turmoil, as they scramble to replace President Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris. Minyon Moore, who chairs the party’s convention, promised a ‘quick, open and fair’ nominating process. However, she acknowledged that a contested nominating struggle at the convention would be unfeasible due to state ballot deadlines, exposing a significant weakness in their process.
The party officers on the call implied that the Vice-Presidential nominee might also be finalized by August 7. They also hinted that the Presidency hopeful, Ms. Harris, will have some say when her running mate is elected and voted upon by the delegates. This raises questions about the democratic integrity of the process if the candidate has a say in the selection of a VP candidate.
This unprecedented action of nominating a presidential aspirant via an online vote weeks prior to the foyer of the party’s delegates in Chicago, slated for August 19, demotes the convention to a mere symbolic function. A reflection of how the democratic party is manipulating traditional political processes for their convenience and expediency.
The DNC’s party affairs director, Veronica Martinez Roman, proposed that the massive contingent of approximately 4,600 delegates should choose if they would like to receive candidate messages. This suggestion indirectly restricts the delegates from obtaining a comprehensive view of their proposed leaders.
Candidates can throw their names in the running if they scoop up nominating signatures from a minimum of 300 delegates, putting a cap on no more than 50 from a single state. This seemingly fair proposition may give Ms. Harris an unreasonable advantage due to her current incumbency and the party’s backing.
If Harris, the prospective nominee, is the only candidate to hit the 300-signature threshold, the party officials mentioned that an accelerated roll call vote could be organized as early as August 1. Is this a reflection of the impatience of the Democratic National Committee, or a sign of their desperation to quickly secure a nominee?
If multiple nominees enter the fray, the voting would be deferred but would necessarily end by August 7. This hasty decision-making stands in stark contrast with the more deliberate and strategic maneuvers usually seen in such important nominations.
The convention’s rules committee is primed to convene on Wednesday to establish the calendar slot for the party’s roll call vote. One can only hope that such a hurried process will lead to a candidate truly representative of the Democratic party, although their track record doesn’t instill much confidence.
In summary, the Democrats rush to anoint Vice President Kamala Harris as a successor to President Biden demonstrates a desperation that seems to override their commitment to democratic procedures. Their rush to finalize things well before their convention seems more like a move of political expediency than a genuine democratic process.
The fact that their Vice Presidential nominee will likely be chosen without the input of their convention delegates only adds to the questions surrounding their procedures. It remains to be seen if such hasty moves will ultimately serve the best interests of the American people or just the interests of the Democrat Party.
The rule that a candidate needs to garner signatures from at least 300 delegates, without crossing the limit of 50 from a single state, might seem like a sensible one on the surface. However, will this rule allow for a free and fair competition amongst the aspirants, or will it only serve to boost the chances of the establishment’s chosen nominee, Ms. Harris?
For now, uncertainty surrounds the voting mechanism if multiple candidates step up, as well as the selection of the Vice Presidential candidate. The planned procedure is being framed as ‘swift, open, and fair’, yet the swiftness of the proceedings may ultimately undermine the fairness and openness of the nomination process.
All in all, the Democratic National Committee’s rush to finalize things and their apparent scrambling to have Vice President Kamala Harris nominated highlight their fear of losing ground. One can only hope that, amidst all this haste and unclear decision making, the will of the people doesn’t get buried underneath the party’s anxiety or vested interests.