2024 Dem Primary: AOC vs. Harris

[vanteran]

Probably under this scenario Harris is running as the incumbent VP under Biden who, due to his advanced age and having achieved his pledge to bring the U.S. back to "normalcy", forgoes running for a second term. If this is the case, Harris has the clear advantage with her establishment support. AOC will be immediately targeted as being way too young and inexperienced to obtain the presidency at 35 years old (although Buttigieg was only 2 years older when he announced his run; gender perception would play a unfair role) and she would only be a three-term congresswoman by 2024 (again, gender perception would play a unfair role as Beto's main experience was being a 3-term congressman in addition to 6 years on the city council and a failed 2018 Senate bid).

This primary cycle, Sanders is faring way worse against Biden than he did against Clinton when it should be the other way around... you would think more would be attracted to his movement 4 years later, but he seems to be losing a ton of support. I think Sanders only did as well as he did in 2016 MAINLY because there was huge anti-Hillary sentiment and Sanders emerged as the main opposition to her. So I think the notion that the party is moving further left is a flawed argument - ideas that are further to the left are gaining steam, but they're not translating into candidates who champion those ideas getting elected. I think Harris easily wins.