Joe Biden has just horrible poll numbers. As we noted, about ten days ago he hit his lowest approval number in the Quinnipiac poll at 36 percent. He was less popular than the least popular governor in the country — Oregon’s Kate Brown. That’s how unpopular he is at this point.

But if the Democrats thought they could toss him to the side and bring on Kamala Harris, there’s a flaw in that plan. The only person with lower numbers than Joe at this point is Kamala, who was at an abysmal 28 percent approval at last check this month. So it’s not like Americans are going to embrace her either.

Democrats are up a creek without a paddle, not knowing what to do. Biden has said that he intends to run again, but no one really places much stock in that. People aren’t even sure he’ll make it through the current term, given his clear issues.

So now there’s been talk of Pete Buttigieg being a successor to Biden. According to Business Insider, the White House isn’t exactly squashing that kind of talk. If that’s true, that says a lot about what they think of Harris.

“Nobody in the West Wing shuts that down,” an individual with knowledge of the situation told Politico. “It’s very open.”

The Buttigieg talk has reportedly “frustrated” several staffers of color who see the conversation as a slight toward Vice President Kamala Harris — the first female, first Black, and first Indian American to hold the office — and believe that senior White House officials should work to minimize such chatter.

Buttigieg, when asked, pooh-poohed such talk, “There’s no room to get caught up in the parlor games, and I’m proud to be part of the Biden-Harris team.” But the talk is one more indication of the questions in the Biden Administration.

This speculation is also an indication that Democrats understand that Biden is not capable of running again. Liberals are so hard up, they’re casting around for ideas like Buttigieg. Or even this speculation — a Harris-Buttigieg ticket — from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs account.

Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg could agree to run together in 2024 if Biden does not run again, giving the Democratic Party a very strong ticket that would seem like a natural continuation of Biden's first term, writes @LincolnMitchell.@CNNOpinion | https://t.co/VlBR3t2Ueg pic.twitter.com/QMHz9rF2Sm

— Columbia | SIPA (@ColumbiaSIPA) November 26, 2021

The problem is this shows what trouble the Democrats are in with the choices they have. You have Biden, who is incoherent half the time, then you have these two. Possibly the only person more lightweight than Harris is Buttigieg. There’s a reason that Harris bombed out during the campaign early. Because she’s one of the few people who can challenge Biden for the gaffe award crown.

While Buttigieg is smoother — and perhaps that’s why they’re looking in his direction — he has done nothing of consequence, was a bad mayor, and he says nonsensical things like spending more with the Biden bills would cure inflation. So far, he’s best known for taking leave for months while in the middle of the supply chain crisis. He was already rejected during the campaign, just like Harris.

When even Never Trumper Tom Nichols knows this is a bad idea:

This is like some sort of Democratic Party political death wish written out in op-ed form. https://t.co/4Bbw2Zd8Nj

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 28, 2021

I’m not sure you could pick a weaker ticket if you consciously were looking for one. It’s a ticket that would inspire hilarity and much joy on the Republican side. Seriously, who would want a “continuation of Biden’s first term”? That’s like promising Americans you will punish and abuse them more. So yes, please, do cast these two as that, it will make the landslide even bigger against them.