All over the internet, you can find various “what if?” scenarios where the white male conservative horde is practically having a panic attack at the mere idea of Kamala Harris taking over for Joe Biden. It doesn’t seem to matter that she’s already taken over for him once (when he had a colonoscopy, temporarily transferring the powers of the Presidency to her), and it was so uneventful they didn’t even realize at the time. Still, they run through various “doomsday” scenarios where Black Lives Matter (a group that has never universally supported Kamala Harris) takes over the Federal Reserve or penises are outlawed or whatever else they can think up.
However, I thought it might be fun if somebody sane answered the question of “What would happen if Kamala Harris suddenly became President of the United States?”
In this case, “suddenly” probably means Joe Biden has died. There hasn’t been a POTUS to die in office since JFK, so this is a rare event. The rest of the world is largely unchanged: Russia still hates America, but our actual allies are largely unaffected.
Democratic Americans might actually prefer it since Dems would have a stronger candidate in 2024. I believe it’s best if the first female President just exists and is already running as an incumbent. That way people can see the sky hasn’t fallen.
But Republicans would probably go even crazier. The conservative white male horde hates Kamala with a passion, partially because they’re losers who couldn’t get a woman like that if they paid her. [Although I admit I really didn’t think they would hate Biden as much as they do. The “Let’s Go Brandon” slogan towards a grandfatherly white male that’s been around forever just shows how pitifully hate-filled and reactionary they’ve actually become.]
If Biden dies of natural causes, then Republicans would express token messages of condolences, while also gloating that they knew he was too old to be doing the job. And a few prominent ones would immediately want to “investigate” his exact health and mental state: “He was lying about his health! What did Kamala Harris know and when did she know it?” A couple will even question if a mentally “deteriorated” Biden could properly pick a VP, and question Kamala’s legitimacy. In short, there will be no honeymoon period or “First 100 Days” for Kamala.
On the other hand, if Biden is assassinated, then it would likely be by pro-Trump MAGA nuts. This might chasten Republican resistance to President Harris a little bit but I doubt it lasts long. After all, these people tried to stage a coup and prevent the peaceful transfer of American power only a year and a half ago, and the conservative nuts online act like it never happened and it’s Democrats that are the “extremists” and “threat to America.” “Did you not just see Trump’s horde invade the Capitol and try to kill the Vice President?” “Uhhh, well it’s no different than letting transgender MEN play women’s sports…” “WHAT?”
If Republicans control the Senate in either of these cases, I could honestly see a scenario where Mitch McConnell refuses to allow Kamala to appoint a Vice President or forces her to appoint one that is a DINO (like Joe Manchin).
That would be a truly pathetic state for our nation, but I honestly believe you cannot count on Republicans (if they control the senate) to speedily confirm a Democratic Vice President. That would be a problem for the 2024 election, as there would be no “Mike Pence” to certify the 2024 election—of course, maybe that’s what they want.