Jonathan Last: “It is possible that Biden’s debate performance was a mortal wound and that having Kamala Harris, or Josh Shapiro, or Gavin Newsom as the nominee would result in an even lower win probability. I’m open to that argument.”
“But it’s an argument that Democrats ought to be having right now. They should be running the traps. Looking at how campaign structures would work. Doing a boatload of polls and focus groups. Figuring out what the money situation would be.”
“Can the logistical hurdles be overcome? What would a brokered convention look like? And those are all questions that have to be answered even before you get to who the alternative nominee would be and how the party could build consensus around her or him.”
“And if the conclusion is that it’s not possible to move forward with another candidate, then the Democratic party has to figure out something. Because this is not a steady-as-she-goes moment. It’s a crisis.”
