Kamala Harris should be a bigger part of the Biden campaign. It may save Democrats.

It would be an understatement to say that the fallout from the presidential debate has been bad for President Joe Biden. The backlash and questions of Biden's political future have been reverberating across the country ever since.

While he told campaign staff and a group of Democratic governors that he plans on staying in the race, it seems Democrats should seriously consider a replacement who has been there this whole time.

In the aftermath, one politician is getting a boost from social media: Vice President Kamala Harris.

The “KHive” is making its presence known on X (formerly Twitter), where “Kamala” has been one of the trending topics. The posts range from calls for her to step into the role to memes about coconut trees, comparisons with the HBO show “Veep” and fan cams of her set to music from Charli XCX’s “Brat.”

It seems like she’s looking to capitalize on it, too. Her team is looking for a new social media strategist to “further develop and expand the Vice President’s and Biden-Harris campaign’s voice online.”

I don’t hate the idea of a Harris campaign. I also don’t know if she should take the reins. Either way, her increased involvement on the campaign trail could be good for Biden and the Democratic Party.

Polls show Biden slipping after debate

It’s not just social media talking about how poorly Biden did; the polls are showing a slip in popularity for the president. If polls are to be believed, Harris may have a better shot than the president this fall.

The latest New York Times/Siena College poll shows former President Donald Trump leading with 49% support compared with Biden’s 43%. Among registered voters, Biden’s share of the vote falls to 41%. The poll also found that about 3 in 4 voters believe Biden is too old to be president.

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It’s not just the Times polling: A CNN poll revealed that 75% of voters believe the Democratic Party has a better shot at beating Trump this fall with a different candidate, and a Reuters poll found that 1 in 3 Democrats believe Biden should drop out.

In the same CNN poll, 45% of registered voters said they would support Harris in a race against Trump, who led with 47% support. Compare that with the 43% who would support Biden against Trump, and the argument to replace him with Harris becomes more compelling.

Kamala Harris' track record can help the campaign

If the Democrats are listening, they should at least see that Harris is energizing members of their voting bloc. She has already been a strong force on the Biden campaign, albeit an underutilized one.

For starters, she has been the face of the Biden campaign’s fight to restore abortion rights to the country. She even visited a Planned Parenthood in Minnesota back in March, becoming the first vice president to visit an abortion clinic in U.S. history.

Comparatively, Biden is reluctant to talk about abortion and gave dismal answers on the topic during the recent presidential debate.

Some social media users have also pointed out Harris' previous calls for empathy toward the Palestinian people and that her speech in March calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war was allegedly watered down, noting that she aligns more closely with Gen Z’s beliefs.

Biden, on the other hand, has already faced referendums in this year’s Democratic primaries, where thousands of progressives across the country have voted “uncommitted” to send a message about Israel's attacks, which continue to kill and displace Palestinians.

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Another reason Harris would be a great candidate to take on Trump? Her history as a prosecutor.

Previously, it was a complicated topic for progressive voters who wanted criminal justice reform. Despite that, there's no denying that her history as district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of California would offer an apt contrast to Trump, who has been convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Biden and Trump both need to go. Harris could help change the narrative.

To be clear, I don’t think either Biden or Trump should be his party's nominee. Surely there are other, younger politicians with less baggage who could replace them.

It would be one thing if Biden had a single bad day. Unfortunately, the debate fell when people were already questioning the president’s age and mental acumen. The New York Times reported that Biden’s lapses are growing more common, as are Trump’s.

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Whether Harris is pulled up to the nomination is a decision the party must make. She has support from former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and some Democrats are privately discussing her as an alternative. If social media is an indicator, she has the support of voters.

Personally, I hope that the Democrats are paying attention to this moment. It’s clear that the people want to see more of Harris. She adds some youthful energy to the campaign and could be the key to engaging Generation Z, born between 1997 to 2012, who feel Biden does not represent their hopes. She should be campaigning just as much as Biden, both on social media and at rallies.

This November, the goal of the Democratic Party should be to beat Trump at all costs. If Harris is the secret ingredient that motivates voters, they’d be wise to make her just as important as Biden in campaigning.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Peque?o on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno and Facebook facebook.com/PequenoWrites

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Harris replace Biden? Either way, Democrats need her