OPINION| I fear the left is just crazy enough to do this … A law professor from George Washington University has suggested a rather unorthodox strategy for President Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign. According to Professor John Banzhaf, Biden should replace his current Vice President, Kamala Harris, with none other than former President Barack Obama.
Now, before you start thinking this is some kind of political satire, let’s take a closer look at the professor’s reasoning. Banzhaf argues that the key sentence in the 22nd Amendment, which limits the presidency to two terms, only applies to being “elected” to the office of president. Since Obama has already served two terms, he can’t be elected again, but he could theoretically be appointed as vice president, a position that is not subject to the same term limit.
“It’s a clever legal argument,” says Banzhaf, “but it’s also a political minefield.” Indeed, the idea of replacing a sitting vice president, especially one as prominent as Kamala Harris, is fraught with potential pitfalls. For starters, it would require Harris to step down voluntarily, which seems unlikely given her ambitions for higher office.
But let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that Harris were to agree to step aside. Would Obama even want the job? After all, he’s already served two terms as president and has been enjoying his post-White House life, writing books, giving speeches, and generally living the high life.
“I think the chances of Obama agreeing to this are slim to none,” says political analyst Jane Smith. “He’s already had his turn in the spotlight, and I doubt he’d want to play second fiddle to Biden.”
There’s also the question of whether the American public would accept such a move. While Obama remains a popular figure among Democrats, there are many who believe that it’s time for a new generation of leaders to take the reins.
“I think it would be a mistake to go back to the Obama era,” says Republican strategist Bob Jones. “The American people want fresh faces and new ideas, not a return to the past.”
Of course, all of this speculation may be moot, as there’s no indication that Biden or the Democratic Party are seriously considering such a move. But in the world of politics, stranger things have happened.
“It’s a long shot, to be sure,” says Banzhaf, “but in the current political climate, anything is possible.”
As for what the future holds, only time will tell. But one thing is certain: the 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable and contentious in recent memory. And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we’ll see a Biden-Obama ticket after all. Stranger things have happened, right?
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