Local Democratic chair thinks Harris candidacy turns age debate to Trump

John Cash Smith, a local lawyer and head of the Orange County Democratic Party, said he thinks putting Kamala Harris in as the candidate for president "turned the tables" on Trump, who had been campaigning against the age of President Joe Biden.

"He's the one man too old in the campaign now," Smith said.

The longtime Democrat is a close follower of local, state, and national politics. He had been on vacation in Colorado Sunday when his oldest son texted him about Biden's withdrawal.

"I really didn't expect Biden to drop out," he said.

Smith is an octogenarian like Biden. "I think he was a great president," Smith said, adding that he thinks Biden is capable of serving another term.

However, Smith said campaigning along with the job of the president may be too much for Biden. He acknowledged Biden had a poor debate appearance against Republican challenger and former President Donald J. Trump.

"The one thing holding Biden back was his obvious age," Smith said.

Now, with Trump at the age of 78 becoming the oldest presidential candidate in U.S. History, campaigning will become different, Smith said.

Smith said he had been reading The Atlantic (magazine) and New York Times online and thinks that Harris has a good chance at winning the race, especially with the coalition she built quickly by gathering enough delegates to vote for her at the August 19 Democratic Convention in Chicago.

News announcements came Monday morning that Harris had enough pledged delegates to win the party's nomination, even with at least three announced challengers.

Smith thinks Harris "will absolutely be able to tear Trump apart in a debate." He said the former president last week rambled and was often incoherent during his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention last week in Milwaukee.

But, according to Smith, Trump will still have a lot of support despite his age and speeches. "He's got the hard-core MAGA and that won't change," he said.

Smith considers the 2024 presidential race extraordinary in American history.

"This is not an ordinary election at all," he said. "This is a race for democracy."

He recommended people read the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 for an outline on how the federal government will be changed with another Trump term as president. The Heritage Foundation is a 51-year-old Washington, D.C., think-tank for conservative policies.