A vice presidential candidate should support the presidential candidate in several ways. The vice presidential candidate should raise the chances of winning a swing state that could tip the scales in the electoral vote; he or she could bring some foreign policy experience to a presidential candidate whose experience is primarily domestic. A moderate vice presidential candidate could also silky out some of the edges of a presidential candidate who is closer to the fringes.
There have been few presidential candidates in the history of the Republic who have been closer to the fringe than Kamala Harris, so it is intriguing to see that her choice for vice president appears to have been based on three white guys: Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) and Governor Tim Walz (D-MN).
Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Harris’ campaign, said she had “instructed her team to begin vetting potential vice presidential candidates” but declined to elaborate on the search.
Harris is expected to make her selection by August 7, in line with the party’s plan to virtually put together a slate of candidates by that date.
Choosing a vice presidential candidate will solidify the Democratic frontrunners who will face Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance in the November election. Harris’ sidekick can act as a force multiplier, able to campaign and raise money on her behalf while ideally complementing her strengths and offsetting any weaknesses.
Harris’s list is primarily made up of white, male politicians with centrist leanings who could support Harris appeal to swing state voters as well as business leaders and donors.
Note to Bloomberg: “White” is not a proper noun.
Aside from the fact that these three are white, it is a little odd that the people who selected Harris for vice-presidential selection are allegedly led by “Fast and Furious” mastermind Eric Holder would choose these three in particular. Two of them are governors and theoretically have leadership experience; Kamala Harris has, well, no experience at all. So let’s take a quick look at the three.
Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, could bring a bit of a “right-stuff” vibe to the left-wing campaign, although his penchant for gun control makes him a no-go for anyone who cares about the Second Amendment. Kamala Harris might see that as an advantage, but there are plenty of undecideds who don’t. The main thing he has going for him is that he may be able to sway Arizona, which would be a must-win Electoral College candidate.
Although Josh Shapiro is from Pennsylvania and therefore theoretically has a chance of winning this crucial Electoral College state, he is also Jewish, which, to be quite frank, will alienate the vocal (and sometimes violent) pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas wing of the far left.
Tim Walz is quite the enigma. The Democrats are almost certain to win Minnesota either way; Walz is a bit further left than the other two and is unlikely to attract many undecideds to his side. Granted, Trump is holding some events in the Land of 10,000 Lakes to get Democrats to invest resources there, and that’s certainly worthwhile, but the last time Minnesota’s Electoral College votes went to Team Red was in Richard Nixon’s landslide re-election in 1972.
See also: Kamala Harris has a message for the Olympic Games in Paris, revealing her biggest weakness
Schumer raises a fantasy scenario in which Trump wants to dump JD Vance; Graham immediately brushes it off
Whoever Kamala Harris chooses, whether one of these three or someone else, it won’t support her with her fundamental problem: herself. She’s abrasive and reportedly tough on her staff; all of that, combined with her inability to speak clearly unless she’s reading from the teleprompter (and even then, barely), and her high-pitched laugh, makes her the most unlikable candidate since, well, Hillary Clinton. But at least one of the three named candidates already seems to be gunning for the job.
Shapiro campaigns for Kamala Harris in Cumberland County: ‘She’s tough’ | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/mRaYDwMkqi
— WTAE-TV Pittsburgh (@WTAE) July 28, 2024
No matter who she chooses and what she puts on the table, the clock is ticking and she will have to make a decision soon. And it’s sheltered to assume that the Trump campaign team is already compiling dossiers on these three and all other possible candidates.
