(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Beat Iron and It Only Gets Stronger [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-06-23

www.dailykos.com/...

I am now quite certain that Adam Schiff has the qualities we need in a President. This censure by the Republicans is the best thing they could have done for him. This gives him a megaphone to broadcast the Republican's loss of credibility to what should be their great shame. And yet they treat their debasement as if it were a badge of honor or simply self serving in their approach to winning re-election. Their perfidy does nothing but highlight their own hypocrisy.

Adam Schiff exemplifies all the best attributes I want in my leaders. This attack serves nothing but to perfect his stature as a leader at the very vanguard of a large body of people who think rationally and fairly. Our goals most closely align with trying to improve the circumstances of life for all our fellow travelers on this world. We seek to make everyone's life better in the process.

I salute Adam Schiff and all the other people in this country who understand that we can only do better as a whole if everyone is included in the process of getting better. These are the kind of people I will support with my time and money. We can rise above the maelstrom of hate, suspicion, violence, and war on truth we are currently engaged in. We have the majority. Let's resume control and right the ship. We must be the party representing sanity. Vote and talk to those who you know.

All the above to his credit, I do not suggest that Adam Schiff should pursue the presidency now. I see that as unnecessary and could fracture our goals for solid gains. He is but mid-course in his political life. His tenure in the House is secure. He might advance to the Senate in this coming election. There is no concern that his voice will be diminished in any case.

That said, and as a way of exploring what might be best for the Democratic party, let's consider what might be some interesting scenarios. Adam Schiff would be the very best Vice Presidential candidate in the coming election. As an insurance policy we would have strong connections to continuing our policies. I could easily see Schiff shepherding some very successful policy advances in Biden’s administration with his knowledge of Congress and in heading the Senate. These will both deepen his expertise and expose him to world leaders as a task master capable of achieving positive change. His path forward to the presidency would be much enhanced. Stability and the ability to be trusted once again in world matters will be critical in the coming years. A steady hand on the helm in matters both international and domestic would be our reward. We will need it.

Kamala Harris has a done a very creditable job as Vice President but now she should bow out at the completion of this term. Adam Schiff has displayed all the characteristics of the person we want to lead us now and into the future. I really have no certain knowledge of how Kamala Harris would do thrust into the mantle of leading the United States. With Adam Schiff I have no qualms.

With Schiff in line to cover a Biden misadventure, we would have paved the way to 2028 and should, God forbid, Joe Biden have an issue that removed him from the Presidency, we have a strong resilient person to continue our policies. In a bit of a similar situation, Schiff would follow Biden into the presidency just as Biden followed Obama. Joe Biden is healthy by all accounts and should finish both this term and the next four years with a strong performance. But careful planners have plans for contingencies.

What other paths to success do we have? What are Kamala Harris' alternatives should Biden become incapacitated? Naturally in this age of AI I posed the question to Chat GPT and this is its minimally edited reply:

"If the President of the United States is incapacitated and the Vice President assumes the role of President, the process of selecting a new Vice President depends on the specific circumstances. If the Vice President becomes President due to the death, resignation, or removal of the President, the Constitution grants the President the power to nominate a new Vice President. This nomination must be confirmed by a majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In this scenario, the new Vice President could be someone chosen by the President and subsequently confirmed by Congress. It could be an individual who already holds a high-ranking position within the administration, a member of Congress, a governor, or any other eligible individual who meets the constitutional requirements to hold the office of Vice President. (Insert usual disclaimers)"

In this way, Harris would nominate and Schiff could be her choice for VP. This approach is fraught with variables and as such quite problematic. She might not nominate him. She might decide she could win the presidency outright at the next election and pick someone who would not challenge her. She conceivably could serve out the remainder of a Biden term and be re-elected once or twice so her tenure could potentially be well more than 8 years should Biden not serve his term out.

Again ChatGPT:

According to the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, an individual who serves as president for more than two years of a term to which someone else was elected can only be elected to the office of president once. This means that if the vice president assumes the presidency due to the incapacitation of the president and serves more than two years of that term, they are only eligible to be elected to the presidency once thereafter

The variables multiply exponentially as always and in those details always lurks the Devil, but Schiff as VP is a solid winner for continuity and for an extended tenure to insure all a better outcome.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/23/2177224/-Beat-Iron-and-It-Only-Gets-Stronger

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/