From WNYC Studios.

I'm Brian Lerer.

This is my daily politics podcast.

It's Monday, July 22.

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

was no big fan of Kamala Harris in the past said she's now excited about her. Several said,

sad for Biden, even if they supported the decision. Another said, concerned that whoever replaces Biden can

actually beat 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.

Seems like the question of Vice President Harris versus an open process that was getting so much discussion,

maybe getting answered more quickly than many people thought, and sort of both,

the way it seems to be shaking out so far. There's nobody closing the process so far, but the

...