Biden's decision to drop out leaves Democrats across the country relieved and looking toward future
After weeks of uncertainty about who would be at the top of the Democratic Party맥스카지노s ticket in November, many voters expressed relief over the news that President Joe Biden would drop his reelection bid and began to think about who might replace him in a dramatically altered election landscape.
Jerod Keene, a 40-year-old athletic trainer from swing-state Arizona, had planned to vote for Biden in November but was thankful for the president맥스카지노s decision, calling it 맥스카지노inevitable.맥스카지노 Keene said he맥스카지노s excited about the next candidate, hoping it will be Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden endorsed on Sunday.
맥스카지노Kamala Harris is the easiest pick based on the fact that she맥스카지노s vice president and it would be tough for the party to try to go a different direction on that,맥스카지노 said Keene, who lives in Tucson. 맥스카지노And I think she seems ready.맥스카지노
The Democratic Party has been deeply divided since Biden맥스카지노s poor debate performance on June 27, which left many questioning his ability to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November and secure another term. Party leaders had increasingly called for Biden to step aside, but his reluctance to bow out left voters nationwide uncertain about who would face Trump in November.
Recent revealed that nearly two-thirds of Democrats felt Biden should withdraw from the presidential race, while a majority believe Harris would perform well in the top slot.
Keene맥스카지노s relief that the saga surrounding Biden's decision was over was echoed by voters nationwide in interviews with The Associated Press. In key swing states such as Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Nevada, many expressed optimism about the party맥스카지노s next nominee 맥스카지노 whether it be Harris or someone else.
In Pittsburgh, Fred Johnston said he has been terrified of another Trump presidency and had long worried that Biden couldn맥스카지노t beat Trump again. After seeing Biden맥스카지노s wobbly debate performance, he was eager for Biden to drop out and hand off his candidacy to Harris.
맥스카지노Kamala is someone we can vote for, and that맥스카지노s what we need,맥스카지노 Johnston said.
He also thinks she can win Pennsylvania: 맥스카지노I have no logical basis for this, but it맥스카지노s good to have hope. I haven맥스카지노t had hope for a while.맥스카지노
In Las Vegas, Lucy Ouano, 68, said she was proud of both Biden맥스카지노s decision to drop out of the race and his move to quickly endorse Harris.
맥스카지노He맥스카지노s ending on a great note,맥스카지노 Ouano said. 맥스카지노Trump should be worried. He맥스카지노s now running against someone strong.맥스카지노
Ouano, who emigrated in 1960 to the U.S. from Thailand as a young child with her parents, said she couldn맥스카지노t have imagined this outcome just a few weeks ago when she attended a Harris rally in Las Vegas meant to quiet concerns about Biden맥스카지노s reelection campaign.
At the time, she told the AP that while she planned on voting for Biden, she wanted Harris at the top of the ticket.
맥스카지노She맥스카지노s going to get the Asians drummed up, and she맥스카지노s going to get the women drummed up,맥스카지노 Oaano said Sunday after learning about Biden맥스카지노s decision.
Similarly, Arthur L. Downard Jr., a 72-year-old resident of Portland, Oregon, viewed Biden's presidency favorably but said he was "very pleased맥스카지노 that Biden stepped aside. The Democratic voter, who cast his ballot for Biden in 2020, said his opinion of Biden changed after what he called a 맥스카지노disastrous맥스카지노 debate.
맥스카지노He맥스카지노s been a great president and he맥스카지노s gotten a lot done for our country. But he맥스카지노s too old, he맥스카지노s not articulate,맥스카지노 he said. 맥스카지노He맥스카지노s not a good messenger for the Democratic Party.맥스카지노
Some voters, like Nebraska resident Lacey LeGrand, had planned to reluctantly vote for Biden simply because he wasn맥스카지노t Trump.
맥스카지노I맥스카지노m definitely not supporting Trump,맥스카지노 LeGrand said. 맥스카지노So I think by default I was going to end up supporting Biden. I wasn맥스카지노t very happy about it.맥스카지노
LeGrand, a registered Democrat in Nebraska맥스카지노s Omaha swing district, a potentially decisive electoral vote that Biden and Obama both won previously, believes Harris 맥스카지노has a shot맥스카지노 at defeating Trump, though she added, 맥스카지노I wouldn맥스카지노t say it맥스카지노s a great shot.맥스카지노
But not all voters were happy about Sunday맥스카지노s news. Georgia voter Dorothy Redhead, 76, was 맥스카지노disappointed맥스카지노 that Biden dropped out of the race but said she is 맥스카지노just having to accept맥스카지노 Biden맥스카지노s decision as one between the president and God.
Jarvia Haynes, a real estate agent in New Orleans, said she has 맥스카지노mixed feelings맥스카지노 about Biden맥스카지노s decision to leave the race.
맥스카지노I don맥스카지노t think President Biden should have dropped out,맥스카지노 she said. 맥스카지노On the other hand, maybe it맥스카지노s for the best."
Haynes, 72, of Harvey, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, quickly focused on who should lead the Democratic ticket, saying she is "very positive about Vice President Kamala Harris being able to handle the job.맥스카지노
She added that she hopes Harris would choose Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to be her running mate.
맥스카지노I think two women would change the whole dynamic of the race,맥스카지노 said Haynes, who joins Harris as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority. The group boasts more than 360,000 members in graduate and undergraduate chapters in 12 countries and could be a formidable political force of its own.
Barbara Orr, a psychotherapist in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area, said she thought Biden was capable of running for president, beating Trump and serving as president. She viewed his decision to end his candidacy, however, as a sign that he is not guided by ego and recognized that, because of his debate performance, voters assume that he can맥스카지노t do the job.
Orr, 65, said she isn맥스카지노t 맥스카지노super impressed맥스카지노 with Harris, 맥스카지노but she might rise to the occasion. That맥스카지노s happened before in history.맥스카지노
She also acknowledged that Harris hasn맥스카지노t had the chance to prove her mettle as a candidate against Trump.
Orr, a self-described progressive who favored Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders or Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president in 2020, said she would probably prefer Whitmer to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket.
맥스카지노I love what she stands for,맥스카지노 Orr said.
Joe DeFrain was out kayaking when a text informed him that Biden had dropped out. While the Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, resident said he wasn맥스카지노t stunned to learn of the development, one thing did surprise him.
맥스카지노I was waiting to see if all the boaters out there were going to be screaming with joy, because a lot of them are Trump fans. And I didn맥스카지노t hear anything,맥스카지노 DeFrain said after sitting down for dinner at They Say, a restaurant in the Detroit suburb of Harper Woods.
Biden visited They Say earlier this year, a moment that manager George Ledbetter said was 맥스카지노the best ever.맥스카지노
Ledbetters' first reaction to the news came down to a single word: 맥스카지노Why?맥스카지노
맥스카지노He맥스카지노s a good president. I like Biden,맥스카지노 Ledbetter said. But, he added, 맥스카지노You gotta do what you gotta do.맥스카지노
Ledbetter said he맥스카지노ll support Harris despite his disappointment.
맥스카지노I맥스카지노ll take that, too. I think she can do it. First woman president. That맥스카지노d be nice. African American president. It맥스카지노d be nice again,맥스카지노 said Ledbetter, who is Black.
As for DeFrain, he said he맥스카지노ll be watching to see what happens before and during the Democratic National Convention.
맥스카지노It맥스카지노s going to be something we have never seen in our lifetime,맥스카지노 said DeFrain, who has voted for Democrats in recent elections. 맥스카지노It should be entertaining.맥스카지노
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Cappelletti reported from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Householder from Harper Woods, Michigan, and Kramon from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chevel Johnson in New Orleans, Louisiana, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon contributed to this report.