It's the Brian Laird Show on WNYC. Good morning, everyone. And as if I had to tell you,

welcome to the new and now completely different. 2024 presidential race.

I was hearing from various Democratic Party-leaning friends and relatives yesterday since the announcement

came around two in the afternoon.

And the mix of first emotions was really interesting, just in my small unscientific sample.

The first word that came up for a number of folks was relief. The unresolved

tension of Biden staying in while so many Democrats were pressuring him to get out really fell tense

to many Democrats who care about politics and policy and beating Donald Trump. And frankly,

almost everyone I know in that category wanted Biden to drop out. So relief is a

prominent word I heard yesterday once he did. Others used the word hope. One friend wrote,

My wife's reaction was pure joy. I haven't seen her that animated about a political issue

since Obama's election. Another one said cautiously optimistic.

Another said energized or re-energized. Another who is no big fan of Kamal Harris in the past

said she's now excited about her. Several said sad for Biden, even if they supported the decision. Another said concern that whoever replaces

Biden can actually be Trump. And one other just said, interesting. He was still dismayed. He went on

that half the country could support what he called the fascism of Donald Trump and wrote that he

hopes Kamala, as he put it, can unite the Democrats

quickly and overcome the many racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic with her Jewish

husband, attacks to come. So listeners, what about you? What was your dominant reaction

upon first hearing that President Biden was ending his campaign? 212-433, WNYC,

212, 433-9-6-9-2. And moving on from that, has that already changed since? As the news has

already moved on, it seems like the question of Vice President Harris versus an open process

...