It\u2019s been a week since President Biden\u2019s disastrous debate performance<\/a>, and his political fortunes only appear to be growing worse by the day.<\/p>\n His poll numbers are dropping<\/a>. Donald Trump is gloating<\/a>. And Democrats are in a full-fledged panic about the future, some feeling deceived<\/a> by the president\u2019s handlers and angry that his inner circle appears to be blaming everyone but themselves for last week\u2019s debacle. <\/p>\n Now it all boils down to two questions: Will Biden will drop out of the race? And who is in the top position to replace him?<\/p>\n The answer to that the second question should be a no brainer \u2014 the vice president, of course. <\/p>\n Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the White House in March about criminal justice reform . <\/p>\n ( Kent Nishimura \/ AFP \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n Kamala Harris was chosen by the people <\/a>as an official replacement for the 81-year-old president should he become unable to fulfill his duties, so it stands to reason she\u2019d be next in line<\/a>, just as Biden was for Barack Obama. Harris served in the U.S. Senate, was attorney general of California and before that, San Francisco. Clearly she has the experience. As for her debate skills \u2014 she\u2019s a former prosecutor. Trump is a convicted felon. What more could you ask for in this cage fight of an election? <\/p>\n Yet the 59-year-old Harris is hardly a shoo-in to replace Biden. Discussions among pundits and regular folk about the VP\u2019s electability often start from a place of reticence, informed by an unfounded, common belief that she\u2019s an unpopular long shot. Then it\u2019s on to lengthier conversations about Gavin Newsom.<\/a> Or Gretchen Whitmore. Or Josh Shapiro.<\/a> <\/p>\n I honestly don\u2019t know if Harris can win in November, or if she truly is the best candidate to steer this country away from what appears to be certain ruin if Trump wins. What I do know is that Harris faces a higher<\/a> bar due to her gender and race. The outright dismissal of her as a serious replacement for Biden is irresponsible, not to mention sexist and racist, and it underscores the double standard that women and people of color face \u2014 especially those at the top of their game.<\/p>\n The flipside of that coin is acknowledging that America my not be ready for a female president, let alone a woman of color. Supporting Harris means believing that the electorate is capable of bucking centuries of tradition and bias, and that\u2019s a risky move in an election where the stakes are sky high.<\/p>\n But it may not be as risky as it seems. A new CNN post-debate survey<\/a> of registered voters shows that in a race against Trump, Harris would place above<\/i> theoretical candidates Newsom, Shapiro, Whitmer and Pete Buttigieg \u2014 and well above Biden.<\/p>\n Despite evidence showing that she\u2019s a viable choice, Harris still suffers from a lingering criticism<\/a> that took root during the 2019 Democratic primaries. She was often described<\/a> in the news media as aloof, distant and not likable. <\/a> <\/p>\n Call it the Hillary Clinton conundrum<\/a>. Powerful women have an impossible line to walk, especially in public-facing roles. They must be commanding, but not too demanding. Don\u2019t appear too emotional, but don\u2019t appear cold, either. Don\u2019t push back too hard, but don\u2019t be a pushover ( the \u201cBarbie\u201d monologue<\/a> comes to mind). Walk a tightrope between strong leadership and pleasant congeniality \u2014 in heels \u2014 because it\u2019s never enough to be qualified and competent.<\/p>\n Democrats and swing voters, you will never get it all in one package. It\u2019s true that Harris doesn\u2019t look all that comfortable at ribbon-cutting ceremonies, but she\u2019s in her element interrogating a sweaty, nervous Mark Zuckerberg or a tongue-tied Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh. And what we need more than anything right now is a fighter.<\/p>\n Harris is a formidable debater. Recall the 2019 Democratic primary debate, when she course corrected Biden on his desegregation record. In a debate the following year against then-VP Mike Pence, she expertly called out his hypocrisy when he accused the Democrats of packing the courts: \u201cDo you know that of the 50 people who President Trump appointed to the court of appeals for lifetime appointments, not one is Black?,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is what they\u2019ve been doing. You want to talk about packing a court, let\u2019s have that discussion.\u201d Bam!<\/p>\n As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she questioned Trump\u2019s then-Supreme Court nominee, Kavanaugh, during a 2018 confirmation hearing about the protection of reproductive rights. \u201cCan you think of any laws that give government the power to make decisions about the male body?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n Kavanaugh paused before answering, \u201cI\u2019m happy to answer a more specific question.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMale versus female,\u201d Harris replied. After some back and forth, Kavanaugh acquiesced: \u201cI\u2019m not thinking of any right now, senator.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump later complained about how unfair she was: \u201cShe was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing … the way she treated now-Justice Kavanaugh, and I won\u2019t forget that soon.\u201d You can bet he\u2019d rather go up against anyone other than that \u201cnasty woman.\u201d <\/p>\n It\u2019s more than fair to talk about Harris\u2019 electability. She deserves scrutiny like everyone else whose name is being bandied about as a possible contender should Biden step out of the race . But simply assuming she\u2019s not the right candidate without a deeper exploration of her strengths and weaknesses is unfair for someone as accomplished as Harris. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Vice](\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/b3db11b\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5666x3777+0+0\/resize\/320x213!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7f%2Fda%2F0e64755b48dc8087565df8875a9f%2Fhttps-delivery-gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F2079433597)