Editor-

It's a little early – or late – for April Fool's jokes, but that's what looks like is happening within certain segments of the Democrat Party.

President Biden's rapidly descending popularity, brought on by his disastrous CNN televised debate with Donald Trump on June 27, 2024, suddenly elevated Vice President Kamala Harris into the limelight of a possible run for the Presidency.

The ultimate Murphy's Law conundrum: Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it does!

Can anyone, with a semi-functioning mind – including Joe Biden – ever seriously contemplate Kamala Harris as a legitimate President of the United States? Other than being Joe's pick for Vice President because she met his only two qualifications – African American and female – she appears as competent to fill that position as Wile E. Coyote – who still hasn't caught the Roadrunner.

(Note: Readers may remember Kamala was also a presidential candidate in 2020 but dropped out early due to abysmal poll ratings and near total lack of support. For some unknown reason, Joe later selected her as his VP. Go figure.)

Bad enough, but to also bestow upon her the military Commander-in-Chief title would be incomprehensible.

I was going to say, "unimaginable," but we're talking about Joe and Kamala. As we've seen, practically anything is possible with these two.

What a pair – one is experiencing the debilitating stages of senility, while the other loiters about the Capitol with absolutely nothing of significance to do.

The few assignments she has been given – Border Czar, abortion rights activist and tie-breaking vote in a 50-50 Senate – haven't really elevated her to relevancy. She totally botched the southern border task. Actually, the Mexico/U.S. border is in a bigger mess than before.

Abortion, aka "Women's Health Care," is a passionate subject, but not affecting everyone. Obviously, a certain segment of society believes it is as essential as an annual flu shot, while an equally spirited counter opinion expresses absolute disdain for the procedure.

Kamala's third job, "Tiebreaker" in the Senate is a Constitutionally mandated requirement. One of the few she's actually required to perform. Whenever a Senate Bill reaches a 50 Yea (Yes) and 50 Nay (No) votes, the Vice President – acting as President of the Senate (Art. 1, Sec. 3) – is expected to cast the deciding vote. The VP only votes in case of a tie.

This speculation – that's all it is – hinges on the fact if Joe Biden will soon willingly withdraw from the 2024 General Election or forced out by power brokers within the Party.

However, Joe insists he's going to run again and beat Trump.

That may be wishful thinking.

Joe's been playing the Washington game for about 50 years, so he pretty much knows the tricks, who to contact, how deals are made and what strings to pull to get things done.

Plus, being President comes with additional advantages an aspiring challenger does not have. Chief among them is the ability to raise vast sums of campaign donations.

Which Joe already has accumulated.

Secondly, it is not easy to remove a sitting President who wants to run for reelection. Particularly, if he's already the presumed nominee.

Joe may have noticeable cognitive issues, and the disorder appears to be worsening by the month, but until he decides he can no longer perform the duties of the President, then he will mostly likely be the Democrat Party's #1 pick.

The 25th Amendment provides a procedure to remove a President – without impeachment -- but it's a cumbersome process. With just a few months before the election, things would have to move quickly to replace Joe and then decide upon his successor.

In the meantime, VP Kamala would step into Joe's shoes. Not exactly an ideal condition, but a Constitutional requirement.

It may be a short-lived Presidential career for Kamala if Dems decide they want someone else. Someone they believe has a more reasonable chance of defeating Trump.

As mentioned previously, due to a weak bench Democrats have backed themselves into a corner. There's a couple of relief pitchers in the bullpen, tossing a few warmups, but no one's a serious contender against Trump.

Consequently, even with Joe's recognized ailments, flubs and flaws, he's about all the Dems have.

The Democrat Party – with the assistance of a complicitous media – knowingly created the current situation in hopes Trump wouldn't be around for a 2024 Presidential rematch.

Endless Trump investigations, impeachments, indictments, convictions and nuisance lawsuits has awakened a semi-dormant public into realizing Democrats will stop at nothing to prevent his running for office again.

A "go-along" national press endorsed these tactics right up until the time of the Presidential Debate on the evening of Nov. 27, when it was revealed to everyone Joe Biden was totally incapable of continuing as President for four more years.

Suddenly, the media reversed course and actually began inquiring about Joe's mental health – previously an infrequently discussed topic.

Equally concerning, Blue State Democrats are more than a little worried about their futures. With Joe remaining at the top of the ticket and if he's soundly trounced in November, down-ballot candidates could suffer a similar fate.

Apparently, New Mexico is one of those states whose current Dem leadership is beginning to question if they will remain in control after November's election (see "Lujan Grisham Fears Biden Will Lose New Mexico," The Grant County Beat, July 12, 2024). Ironically, many folks in the Land of Enchantment are wondering if things couldn't be a little more enchanting.

Consequently, if Joe stays, or goes, is a bitter-sweet pill for Dems to swallow. Either way, ramifications are sure to percolate into national and state levels.

All of this craziness because the cat was unintentionally let out of the bag during the Nov. 27 CNN debate: Joe's befuddled demeanor is for real. There's no hiding or lying about it anymore.

Joe's brain power has always been problematical, despite boasts to the contrary. He has never been one of the brighter members of Congress. True, he makes a lot of noise, yammers an earful of stories, and concocts ridiculous tales, but that's about it.

Now, with the classic signs of old age dementia added into the mix, not even hardcore Dems can dance around the problem, pretending a delirious Biden would be better than Trump.

An opinion, I'm sure, various dictators around the world would agree. I'm equally positive, they wouldn't be overly frightened of Kamala Harris as Commander-in-Chief, either.

Especially, if she suddenly lapsed into one of her uncontrollable laughing fits.

Mike Bibb
Safford, AZ