Biden aims to cement his legacy: From the Department of Politics

Welcome to the online version of From the Policy Deska nightly newsletter that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News politics team on the campaign, the White House and Capitol Hill.

In today’s edition, White House correspondent Mike Memoli previews President Joe Biden’s speech explaining his decision to abandon his re-election bid. Plus, we dive into Vice President Kamala Harris’ truncated running mate selection process, which chief political analyst Chuck Todd says could give her the opportunity to define herself.

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Biden embarks on a new project: shaping his legacy

By Mike Memoli

For more than three, sometimes painful, weeks, President Joe Biden and his team were involved in a campaign to save his candidacy. With his prime-time address to the nation on Wednesday night, a new effort is underway: shaping his legacy.

A group of Biden’s closest advisers is already working to outline what that will look like. The discussion includes domestic priorities he could advance in upcoming budget negotiations with Congress or through executive action, diplomatic initiatives he could pursue more freely, and accomplishing what he described as the most elusive of the three goals he outlined in his campaign. for 2020 – unify the country.

NBC News spoke to a half-dozen White House and campaign officials about what Biden is planning, and aides said they recognize that the biggest factor that will shape how he is viewed in history will be whether Vice President Kamala Harris has success in your attempt to succeed him. .

“Everything is being viewed through this lens,” said a White House official.

In the early stages of this new phase, Harris campaign and Biden administration officials outline a so far seamless approach to advancing both their goals at the same time. There has been no explicit directive for Biden’s aides to run key decisions through Harris’ team for approval — but they have nonetheless collaborated to ensure they are rowing in the same direction.

A source close to Biden said he will also repeat another message he delivered after declining to run in 2016: Although he is not a candidate, he will not stop engaging in public debate.

Wednesday’s speech will be just the first in a series of farewell messages that Biden will have the opportunity to deliver, including next month at a Democratic National Convention that will be revamped to focus on Harris and his eventual running mate.

Read more from Mike ahead of Biden’s speech at 8 p.m. ET →

Harris faces compact search for running mate

Harris is only on her fourth day as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate. But she may need to compress her entire running mate selection process into two weeks to meet the Aug. 7 deadline Democrats have set to finalize their ticket, reports Alex Seitz-Wald and Ben Kamisar.

That deadline could leave Harris vetting, meeting, selecting and announcing her running mate within the next 14 days — or potentially risk losing her place on the ballot in Ohio.

Yamiche Alcindor and Jonathan Allen report that Harris is sifting through her list quickly — in part because of the compressed timeline and in part because of several potential candidates, including governors. California’s Gavin Newsom and Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer withdrew from the race.

The contenders: In interviews with more than a half-dozen Democratic members, the names of a handful of candidates emerged as top contenders: Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are also in the mix, these people said.

They are all white men, although one source said one name that has been floated is Cedric Richmond, a Black man who is a senior adviser to Biden and a former congressman from Louisiana.

“This is something that will require some quick meetings,” said Michael LaRosa, former press secretary to first lady Jill Biden. “There is a lot to consider. You have electoral calculation. You have personal chemistry. You have someone who really matches your ideology.”

Kelly: While Senate Democrats praise Kelly as Harris’ potential running mate, Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V report that some are nervous about him leaving the Senate, fearing that a Republican could win a special election in Arizona to end his current term, which expires in 2028.

Beshear: He stands out on the list as a resident of a heavily red state. But as Matt Dixon and Katherine Doyle note, Beshear was re-elected last year in a state that Donald Trump won by more than 20 points in 2020. He also won by 22 points in the eastern Kentucky county that J.D. Vance joined mentioned in his Republican National. Speech at the convention, a county Trump won by 52 points in 2020.

In a region where Democrats are still fighting for votes, Beshear is seen as someone with a bipartisan reputation and blue-collar bona fides who can serve as a counterweight to Vance.

How Harris Can Use Her VP Search to Define Herself

By Chuck Todd

If done right, a methodical but efficient veepstake could help reintroduce Harris to the country and allow voters — especially those who start out in the skeptical middle — a chance to evaluate her. Many voters will look to who she surrounds herself with and who she wants to associate with as a way to see how she would govern. In a way, she is being given a gift with the opportunity to nominate a running mate. And she needs to take this time to present herself on her own terms.

Harris’ challenge is not a new issue for sitting vice presidents. Even with months to prepare, vice presidents have always struggled with the burden of being famous without being known. People know her name, they know her position, and perhaps they have a singular, semi-uninformed opinion (positive or negative) about her—and that’s it. She has to fill in the blanks before the Trump campaign and the Republican Party fill them in for her. It’s a race to define it.

And that’s why veepstakes shouldn’t be rushed. This is an opportunity for Americans to get a glimpse of the kind of Democrat she wants to run the country. It’s not just about choosing a running mate. It’s about setting a tone for the kind of politics she intends to pursue – how ideology and practicality will weigh against each other, which issues will demonstrate her pragmatism, and which issues will provoke a fight to the bitter end. Harris can discover all of these things through strategic use of the veepstakes process.

With the Olympics starting on Friday, there will be a short break in the public’s focus on politics for two weeks. It’s the perfect time for Harris to organize her own competition — a political pentathlon — for a running mate. She doesn’t need to become a full-fledged “Apprentice,” à la Trump, but she also shouldn’t shy away from media coverage of various candidates.

She may interview candidates she may never intend to choose, but she may end up interviewing a future Cabinet secretary or chief of staff. And she can use the veepstakes to throw some bones to various constituencies.

Read more from Chuck →

That’s all from the Department of Politics for now. If you have feedback – like or dislike – send us an email at newsletter@nbcuni.com

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