Harris

Scott Hardie | August 12, 2020
What do you think of Kamala Harris being chosen as Joe Biden's running mate?

Chris Lemler | August 12, 2020
I really don't think that Biden should of went with her. Trump knew all of the VP that Biden was going with because he said that Susan Rice he had picked and then he changed his mind and said that Harris was the person he picked. What I would of done if I was Biden was thrown a curveball and see if Michelle Obama would of wanted the VP position and thrown Trump off his game. But I think that he did what was best for him.

Samir Mehta | August 12, 2020
[hidden by request]

Steve West | August 12, 2020
Susan Rice is a remarkable diplomat headed for Secretary of State but her weaknesses would be exaggerated and exploited. Almost all the other choices were only marginally known outside their regional bases except for Warren who would not be chosen because 1) she's white (a black candidate was the right choice), 2) she's old (the 'senior ticket' is a bad idea), and 3) the Dems would abhor losing a seat in the Senate. Kamala Harris was the right choice.

Scott Hardie | August 16, 2020
I was hoping for Tammy Duckworth above all; I've admired her for years. Someone suggested that if he's elected, Biden should make her director of the VA, but I wonder, why not Secretary of Defense? I also really like Susan Rice and would be thrilled to see her working in Biden's administration, but if she was on the ticket we'd have to hear Benghazi mentioned another billion times and I just can't with that crap.

Harris is a great choice. She's tough on the campaign trail, she has a good relationship with the Biden family already, she'll bolster the administration's credibility if elected, and she's a solid choice for the future of the party, if Biden indeed intends to be a transitional president. Her campaign was a dud not because she's a bad candidate but because it was mismanaged by her top staff; she won't have that problem in Biden's campaign. In fact, she's such a great choice that I wonder if she would have been chosen anyway, had Biden never pledged to choose a woman for the job.

I've learned two things about Harris's name since the announcement. One is that I was originally saying it right ("comma-la"), but someone told me the Kam is pronounced like a Camry (or "yes we Kam"), and thanks to them I've been saying it wrong until now, and I wonder how many other people are mispronouncing it too. The other is that I read that although she never had children of her own, she became a stepmother to two teenagers when she got married, and they call her Momala, which is adorable.

The New York Times had a breakdown of the VP selection, in case you want to know how the decision was made and what was thought about each candidate. I can certainly see the campaign's points about why Duckworth was rejected and Karen Bass wasn't considered. I'm surprised and pleased to see that Elizabeth Warren was very seriously considered.