Let it be known that Kamala Harris is a solid selection to be Joe Biden’s running mate.
The talk of the proverbial town in politics right now is the announcement that Harris was chosen to be vice president during Biden’s presidential campaign.
It should come as no surprise that a woman is Biden’s choice given his promise during a debate in March to have a female vice presidential nominee on the ticket.
Harris would also become the first Black woman and South Asian woman to serve as vice president in U.S. history if Biden is elected, which is kind of a big deal.
So, what’s up with Harris, and is she a good fit for Biden’s campaign?
Now, it is important to keep in mind that while it is not a regular occurrence in politics, it is refreshing to see a vice presidential candidate that is not going to agree on every topic politically.
According to answers given in previous Democratic presidential debates, Harris does not always agree with Biden.
In fact, she attacked him in June 2019 when she went after Biden’s support for segregated busing.
Biden subsequently stated that the attack was, “a mischaracterization of my position across the board,” according to CNBC.
Now, there are questions about whether Harris was the best choice for Biden and his campaign in relation to other potential candidates.
The other nominees who were possible running mates included: Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.
Realistically, Clinton is a no-go.
Adding Clinton is a death sentence to any campaign that would just add jet fuel to all smouldering problems that Conservative correspondents had with Clinton in 2016.
Warren would have been a good choice as her most vocal policies are fairly popular.
In fact, according to WBUR News, Biden has incorporated a few of Warren’s policies, like student loan debt cancellation and expansions to Social Security benefits, into his campaign.
Warren’s real flaw is that Biden has described Warren’s style as, “my way or the highway,” according to Tthe New York Times, which may not have been the look he was going for as he tries to unite the country under his policies.
Finally, whether or not Klobuchar would be a good vice president is beside the point after she removed her name from being considered for the position.
According to CNN, after doing so, Klobuchar suggested Biden choose a woman of color as his running mate.
Looking into that input, there is some political savvy to it.
Looking back at the 2016 presidential election, Clinton did not bring out more female voters and actually produced fewer female voters compared to the election prior, according to Pew Research Center tabulations.
According to the same study, there was a 5% increase in Black voter turnout in the 2008 and 2012 elections when former President Barack Obama became the first Black president and then was reelected.
This event was followed by a decrease in Black voter turnout in the 2016 election.
So realistically, Harris is a safe option to choose.
Critics will argue that Harris’ past as a criminal prosecutor shows contradictory evidence to her policy choices on criminal justice reform.
However, according to Vox, Harris’s tough on crime past came during a time when California itself had policies related to the tough on crime movement of the 1990s and 2000s.
Additionally, her time as a prosecutor can be seen as progressive, where she worked to enact initiatives that reduced criminal incarcerations and sought less severe penalties for crimes.
Plus, Democrats support tough on crime legislation, according to a Morning Consult National Tracking Poll done in 2016.
Lastly, she is a Black woman, which fulfills Biden’s promise to select a female running-mate while preserving a trend of increased Black voter turnout when a person of color is on the ballot.
