By The growing civil war in the Democratic Party may not have been put to rest with Joe Biden’s stepping down and the elevation of Kamala Harris to the top of the ticket. Recent revelations by The New York Post indicate that former President Barack Obama remains deeply concerned about Harris’ ability to win the presidency, which is why he has so far refused to give her his blessing for the nomination.
According to an insider who talked to the famous newspaper, Obama’s frustrations stem from Harris’ perceived incompetence and his preference for a different candidate.
“Obama’s very upset because he knows she can’t win,” a Biden family source told The Post.
Obama views Harris as “incompetent,” referencing her role as the border czar who never visited the border and her controversial stance on health insurance for migrants. These issues, among others, have fueled Obama’s concerns about her ability to navigate the complex political landscape required for a successful presidential campaign.
“When you are running for president, there are things you can and can’t say,” the source continued, emphasizing the delicate balance necessary in presidential campaigns.
According to The Post, Obama had a strategic plan to get President Biden out of the race. Part of this plan involved an article by George Clooney in the New York Times calling for Biden to stand down and allow a better candidate to take on Donald Trump.
This move backfired when Biden unexpectedly endorsed Harris almost immediately after making his announcement. “Obama was shocked” by this endorsement, the report claimed.
The Post’s big reveal may point to who Harris will pick as vice president, however. The newspaper claims that after Biden’s ouster, Obama had hoped to position Arizona Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly at the top of the ticket for the Democratic National Convention. Kelly, with his impressive credentials and public service record, was seen by Obama as a stronger candidate capable of uniting the party and appealing to a broad voter base.
The former president is likely right, and Harris has taken notice allegedly.
On Monday, noted AZ Central, “Karen Tumulty, the long-respected political writer and commentator for the Los Angeles Times and now Washington Post, wrote that ‘Harris’ smartest selection would be Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.’
CNN’s Washington correspondent Jamie Gangel said the Harris team had given her names. Gangel then mentioned first and talked up, Kelly, “who I am told (Harris) likes a lot, knows very well, and as we saw, he has already come out to endorse her publicly. That happened very quickly, and I know their camps speak to each other quite often.”
Obama, along with several other Democrats, have endorsed an “open process” for picking Biden’s replacement. Last Sunday, following Biden’s shock announcement that he was quitting the race, the 44th president said that he has ” extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
Earlier that Sunday, a joint statement from President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton expressed their support for Kamala Harris: “Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her.”
[Read More: Kamala’s Biggest Failure Comes Back To Bite Her]
