Where do Democrats turn if Biden bolts? Some speculative grist for the political mill

Speculation is growing that, in the wake of his cataclysmic debate performance, President Joe Biden will end his bid for re-election and release his delegates to support another candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination.

If Biden is going to bolt, he'd have to do it soon; the party's national convention is in Chicago August 19-22.

As the Biden speculation grows, so too will speculation about which candidates will vie for the nomination.

Here, for the sake of speculation, is some speculation on those candidates (in alphabetical order) and why their candidacy could work and why it might not.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

Why it might work: Beshear, 46, is young and has won statewide in a red state not once but twice, showing that he could have some appeal to moderate and independent voters.

Why it might not work: In 1844, when Democrats nominated James K. Polk for president, Whigs jeered, "Who is James K. Polk?" And they didn't even have the internet. Beshear, like Polk, is an unknown on the national stage and hasn't gone through the type of national media vetting that felled would-be political stars of old (see: John Edwards, Gary Hart). Of course, Beshear might know that Polk got the last laugh on those Whigs, winning the presidency.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

Why it might work: Buttigieg, 42, is young, charismatic and a top-notch public speaker who has been on the national stage.

Why it might not work: Buttigieg is gay, and homophobia is, alas, still a thing. Plus, Buttigieg, like Beshear, might not win his home state of Indiana, which is ruby red.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper

Why it might work: Cooper has won statewide in red-ish North Carolina, showing he could appeal to those coveted moderate and independent voters.

Why it might not work: Cooper, 67, isn't Biden-old, but he is up there. If the party is going to turn away from one old guy, why turn to another?

Vice President Kamala Harris

Why it might work: Harris has been through the crucible that is a presidntial campaign and has survived national media vetting. A former prosecutor, Harris should be able to "prosecute" the case against former president Donald Trump and appeal to voters who blame him for appointing the U.S. Supreme Court justices who struck down Roe v. Wade. Black voters, the most consistent in the Democratic electorate, would likely rally behind the Howard University alum.

Why it might not work: Republicans have caricatured Harris as a shrill liberal who would be even more liberal than Biden. Harris would be saddled with all of the perceived ills of the Biden Administration — high inflation, illegal immigration, the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan and the horrible war between Israel and Hamas.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

Why it might work: Moore, 45, is young and dynamic, a former Rhodes Scholar who has served in the U.S Army's 82nd Airborne Division. The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Baltimore area put Moore in the national spotlight, and he acquitted himself well, showing empathy for those who died and pledging to have the bridge rebuilt quickly.

Why it might not work: As a young-ish Black, male politician, voters might well seek to compare him to Barack Obama. That's not a bar most candidates would be able to clear. Plus, Moore is only in his first term as governor.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Why it might work: Newsom, 56, is politics-young, charismatic and speaks with pith and eloquence. He backs all of the positions progressive Dems back and opposes all of the ones they oppose.

Why it might not work: Newsom's first wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, is now Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend. Might she have some stories to tell? At 38, Newsom briefly dated a 19-year-old. Not illegal but icky. And then there was the matter of sleeping with the wife of his close friend and campaign manager, who was also his appointment secretary as mayor of San Francisco. If Newsom's personal life didn't set GOP hearts aflutter, they'd salivate at the prospect of tying him to California's problems with homelessness and lack of affordability.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Why it might work: Shapiro is a popular Democratic governor in a crucial swing state. At 51, he's not old but has plenty of experience, having served as his state's attorney general and in its House of Representatives.

Why it might not work: Shapiro would be the nation's first Jewish president, and he has been forceful in backing Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas. Some delegates might fear he'd be swallowed up by the intractable and vicious conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has pitted important Democratic constituencies against each other.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Why it might work: Whitmer has twice won statewide in a crucial swing state. She has aggressively hammered home her and her party's support of abortion rights and ripped Trump and Republicans for opposing them. "Big Gretch," a nickname bestowed on her by a Detroit rapper, has signed gun control legislation into law, cut taxes for small businesses and resisted GOP efforts to limit voting rights. She refused to abandon COVID restrictions in the face of a kidnapping plot cooked up by infuriated Trump supporters and anti-government types.

Why it might not work: Whitmer has not had national media vetting. There is also the question of whether she has the charisma to appeal to a broad swath of voters, including many who don't follow politics and have never heard of her.

Be certain that this list isn't exhaustive. There would be — you guessed it — speculation about other candidates. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, even at 82, will make some delegates teary-eyed. So will U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, whose 35th birthday in October would come just in time to make her old enough to serve as president.

If Biden quits the race, the Democratic National Convention will be the hottest ticket this side of a Caitlin Clark game.

Wayne Washington is a journalist covering West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and race relations for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Wake of Biden debate performance: Democratic candidates for president