Palos Verdes Democrats’ political picnic rolls with huge Biden news (and a quake, too)

The chief topic for their event, Sunday evening at  St. Luke's Presbyterian Church in Rolling Hills Estates, would be jolted by the mammoth news of Biden's departure from the race

A group of Palos Verdes-area Democrats invited an array of local leaders to talk politics on Sunday at an outdoor event they dubbed their 2024 Summer Picnic.

Little did the local voters know that the chief topic for their event, Sunday evening at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Rolling Hills Estates, would be jolted by mammoth news that would redefine how their party would map out how they aimed to return to the White House.

“It’s an interesting day with our president withdrawing, so historic,” said Rob Katherman, vice president of the Water Replenishment District in the Rolling Hills area, who said he got the news via text Sunday morning.

Hours before their political picnic was scheduled to begin, President Joe Biden abruptly ended his campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his place.

“We have a lot to honor Joe Biden for, and a lot to thank him for, particularly here in California and Los Angeles County,” said county Supervisor Janice Hahn. “The decision he made today, I have such respect for him. It was a tough decision for him to make because he knows what a good president he’s been.”

Moments before the picnic, Hahn, whose district includes the Palos Verdes Peninsula, publicly endorsed Harris.

“In my opinion, this is a great nominee to be at the top of our ticket,” Hahn said about Biden’s VP, “and let’s keep our eye on November.”

“Joe Biden is going to go down in history as one of the best president’s America has ever had,” said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance.

More than 100 members of the group — as well as some other local Democrats — attended the event, set up on the patio of St. Luke’s.

As a simmering summer day’s heat began to ease, tables were arranged to provide local elected officials and local voters an informal opportunity to eat, mingle and talk shop. Also among the speakers were state senators Dave Min, D-Aliso Viejo and Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, as well as  Assembly member  Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance.

Most of the attendees, however, didn’t expect the day’s topic to be quite so “on the news.” Biden, 81, stepped away from his bid for re-election, bowing to weeks of pressure from many of his longtime backers.

The day was doubly newsy for the region, which has made headlines in the past year as it grappled with land movement in some areas, forcing such action as the dismantling of the famed Wayfarers Chapel. A 3.5-magnitude earthquake, reported shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, shook the area,  centered 4.4 miles west of Palos Verdes Estates, 5.3 miles west-southwest of Redondo Beach and 5.3 miles southwest of Hermosa Beach.

The ground shook at varying degrees from Oxnard to Riverside, according to a U.S. Geological Service map. The quake occurred at a depth of eight miles.

No injuries or damage, thankfully, were immediately reported.

But it was the political aftershocks that topped the bill for picnic-goers, as the president responded to deep concerns amid national Democratic leaders that he was no longer capable of defeating former President Donald Trump in a head-to-head showdown.

Many at the event shared that concern.

“I was relieved,” said Katherman.

“I think Joe Biden has done a great job, but clearly after the debate, which was hard to watch, there was something going on. He did the right thing,” said Katherman, who has attended the picnic for about eight years.

“He has done the right thing for our country and for his legacy,” said club member Caryl Schwartz. “He’s a good man.”

Will Democrats nationwide be able to gracefully pivot to Harris? On this evening, among members of this group with its own stake in the race, the mood was upbeat.

“Once the country actually begins to see who Kamala Harris is,” Hahn said, “they will see her how we saw her. She was our attorney general in California,” Hahn added. “I think the rest of the country will see her as smart, articulate and a fighter like we’ve ever seen before.”

“She will be dynamite,” Schwartz said, “I would love to see Trump debate her.”