What if Kamala stayed as VP nominee?

A big part of the Democrats’ Joe Biden Problem is their Kamala Harris Problem.

In contrast, imagine if in 1996 while running for re-election, President Bill Clinton had become permanently cognitively incapacitated by a severe medical condition a couple of months before the Democratic convention.

Then the Democrats would very likely have smoothly switched in Vice President Al Gore. Al wasn’t as talented of a candidate as Bill, but he was at least plausible as both candidate and President; and he was Bill’s choice. Making Gore the replacement nominee would have shown that the Democrats’ remained confident in 1996 that their 1992 decisions to nominate Clinton and Gore were good ones.

Thus, in 1996 they were just Following the Plan.

Confidence appeals to voters.