Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who served as a member of President Biden’s transition team and is influential in designing the Affordable Care Act, said there should be another Democrat on this year’s presidential ticket.
Emanuel shared on X: “The ONLY justification” for replacing the 81-year-old incumbent would be to put together a ticket that can “get to 270 electoral votes.” While Emanuel did not go so far as to endorse possible replacements for Biden, any seasoned political observer knows exactly who those potential candidates could be.
He went on to say, “As a scientist, I look at data. As an Emanuel, I know that elections are about winning.”
So, by Emanuel’s measure, a few possible replacements would be Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Governor Tony Evers (D-WI), or Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AR).
Emanuel also scoffed at the possibility of Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) making it onto a ticket, stating he is not from a state that might swing for former President Donald Trump.
“We don’t need candidates from deep blues [sic] states – like California or New Jersey,” he argued. “We need a ticket that can win in swing states. It’s the only choice.”
Under Emanuel’s logic, Vice President Kamala Harris — a former San Francisco district attorney and US senator from California — should not be considered to succeed Biden.
