Joe Biden can invigorate his 2024 presidential campaign by reassigning Vice President Kamala Harris, endorsing her now for president in 2028, and replacing her with a new VP most likely to ensure the defeat of Donald Trump. None of this is traditional politics. But this is not a traditional election. The worst case scenario is that it marginally reduces Trump’s media coverage dominance and de-bores Biden a bit. Best case is that it significantly helps to get Biden re-elected and establishes an improved form of succession planning for the future.
Kamala Harris has great experience as a prosecutor, a senator and a vice president. Adding an additional high level federal job will further round out her impressive resume. This new job could be Biden’s Chief of Staff or a senior Cabinet post. The former could be done unilaterally, The latter would require the advice and consent of the (Democratic controlled) Senate. In either case Biden would be in charge.
Lateral personnel moves for the purpose of development and experience broadening is an unambiguously best practice in large organizations. Reassigning Harris would make her a better candidate for president in 2028. And by sincerely endorsing her now to succeed him, Biden can reanimate the constituency that caused him to select her in 2020. (Obviously his endorsement is not determinative and there would still be a vigorous primary contest.)
Biden would have near total freedom regarding when and who to choose as Harris’s successor as VP. He could wait to see who Trump picks as his VP or he could preempt it. He could stay in the headlines by floating elder stateswomen or statesmen. He could poll all kinds of options...Michelle Obama, Chuck Schumer, Al Gore, even Mitt Romney. Even Arnold! Whatever it takes to “beat Trump like a drum”.
There is no reason Biden must stick with the traditional binary of stick with versus ditch his first term VP. That’s a false choice. He can be an incumbent agent of change and improve his odds of re-election against a man who truly is a threat to democracy itself.