Biden Out, Harris In for 2024: Simpsons' Prediction Comes True

New Delhi: US President Joe Biden has ended his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming election. This unexpected development mirrors a prediction made years ago in the popular animated series, The Simpsons.

In the 17th episode of the 11th season, which aired in 2000, Lisa Simpson became the first female president of the United States. Interestingly, her outfit in the episode closely resembles what Kamala Harris wore at Joe Biden's inauguration, hinting at her potential rise to the presidency.

The episode also features a predecessor who leaves behind a budget crisis for President Lisa to manage, strongly suggesting that a real estate mogul, akin to Donald Trump, previously held office.

For the unversed, The Simpsons has a track record of making eerily accurate predictions about global events. Some of their notable forecasts include the rise of smartwatches, Donald Trump's presidency, Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and Finnish economist Bengt R. Holmström winning the Nobel Prize for his work.

On Sunday afternoon, Biden's campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation of more than 1,000 staffers and a war chest that stood at nearly $96 million at the end of June.

Harris spent much of Sunday surrounded by family and staff, making more than 100 calls to Democratic officials to line up their support for her candidacy, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the effort. It comes as she tries to move her party past the painful, public wrangling that had defined the weeks since the Biden's disastrous June 27 debate with Trump.

Speaking to party leaders, Harris expressed gratitude for Biden's endorsement, but insisted she was looking to earn the nomination in her own right, the person said.

In a sign that the Democratic party was moving to coalesce behind her, Harris quickly won endorsements from the leadership of several influential caucuses and political organizations, including the AAPI Victory Fund, which focuses on Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, The Collective PAC, focused on building Black political power, and the Latino Victory Fund, as well as the chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the entire Congressional Black Caucus. Harris, if elected, would be the first woman and first person of South Asian descent to be president.

Notably, a handful of men who had already been discussed as potential running mates for Harris - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly - also swiftly issued statements endorsing her. Aides to Shapiro and Cooper confirmed that Harris spoke with them Sunday afternoon. In her brief call with Cooper, the North Carolina governor told Harris he was backing her to be the Democratic nominee, according to Cooper spokeswoman Sadie Weiner.

But former President Barack Obama held off on an immediate endorsement, as some in the party have expressed worry that the quick shift to Harris would appear to be a coronation, instead pledging his support behind the eventual party nominee.