I wish so many things had gone differently in the Democratic primary. I wish that as soon as Bernie Sanders had his heart attack, he had withdrawn from the race and endorsed Elizabeth Warren. I wish that Elizabeth Warren had peaked in the debates earlier. I wish Kamala Harris had run slightly differently, with a different kind of energy, enough to at least get through Super Tuesday. It felt, to me, like Warren and Harris were genuinely the best candidates in the primary, and it would have been beneficial for our democracy and the Democratic party for those two women to be the standard-bearers. It didn’t work out that way. Kamala Harris dropped out before voting even began in Iowa. Sen. Warren dropped out a few days after Super Tuesday. The race is now Joe Biden vs. Bernie Sanders, two 70-something old men. And so… Kamala Harris had made her choice. She endorsed Joe Biden.
Senator Kamala Harris of California endorsed former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. for president on Sunday, becoming the latest of his formal rivals for the Democratic nomination to get behind his presidential bid.
“I have decided that I am with great enthusiasm going to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States,” Ms. Harris said in a video posted to Twitter. “I believe in Joe. I really believe in him, and I have known him for a long time.”
Ms. Harris is certain to draw speculation as a potential running mate for Mr. Biden. In a written statement about her endorsement, Ms. Harris noted the absence of a top female candidate in a primary. “Like many women, I watched with sadness as women exited the race one by one,” she said, adding that “we find ourselves without any woman on a path to be the Democratic nominee for president. This is something we must reckon with and it is something I will have more to say about in the future. But we must rise to unite the party and country behind a candidate who reflects the decency and dignity of the American people and who can ultimately defeat Donald Trump.”
This is the calculation many Democrats have made over the past two weeks. It’s not that all of people voting for Biden suddenly believe he’s the best candidate, or that he’ll make a good president. They’re voting for him and endorsing him because they trust him to be a “good Democrat” who believes in the Democratic platform across the board, like an empty shell with all of the Dem Party talking points. People hope that’s enough to take down Trump. And yes, Kamala Harris would make a great VP for Biden. So would Liz Warren. My fear is that he’ll choose some milquetoast white dude though.
Kamala — You’ve spent your whole career fighting for folks who’ve been written off and left behind — and no small part of that alongside Beau. From our family: thank you.https://t.co/ePtRKVjzXB
— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) March 8, 2020
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Kamala as VP, Amy as chief of staff, Pete as National Security Chief, Sally Yates as AG.
Liz as Senate Majority leader.
‘Amy as chief of staff’
Why would you wish that on White House employees?
@theothersarah. lol. Hide the staplers.
Oh, shame on me, I forgot about Sally Yates! She would be a fantastic Attorney General. Kamala Harris would be as well.
I really feel like Biden is going to select a woman to be the VP, but not sure who.
Liz as majority leader if it would keep her in the Senate, but otherwise she’ll be needed as Secretary of the Treasury, with Castro on Labor.
He will pick her as vp. I just have a strong feeling!!
He shouldn’t because she adds nothing to the ticket he doesn’t already have. There’s a reason her own candidacy never took traction. I don’t think voters want her one heartbeat away from the presidency. She’d be a better pick for Attorney General.
She has charm to burn. She needs to be out front on the campaign, so she’d be a great VP. Adam Schiff for AG.
@ Mimi
FYI Kamala already turned down AG under Obama. She will stay in the senate or become VP.
America would never vote for a woman. A male POC but not a woman. Find it interesting.
America as people elected a woman, Hillary Clinton. The electoral college elected Trump.
Thank you.
Well according to T.I our bits make us emotional and unpredictable…
Not that surprising. If there is a viable black candidate, black folks will carry him to the White House (see Obama).
If there is a viable white female candidate, white women will find every reason under the sun to not vote for her, and uphold white supremacy instead (see the 53%).
That’s why I’ve long been convinced that the first female president is more likely to be a Republican actually.
I could totally see our 1st female President getting the position through some other means than election. Like if she was VP first and things happened. We always get the shaft, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we got the goal but through less than ideal means.
Please no one yell at me for saying this, but I don’t think Kamala as VP would be a good choice. There are a lot of people that don’t like her. She dropped out of the race early because she very quickly lost support. I would love a strong female VP but the choice has to be just right. My wish is for Stacey Abrams as VP, but she is still a little green, maybe a good cabinet position?
Stacy Abrams has gotten a lot of deserved praise but has not held the kinds of governing positions (yet) that would make her an appealing running mate, nor is she needed in terms of electoral politics. She is not equivalent to Kamala Harris in experience, but Harris is not needed to deliver California.
What about the current governor of Michigan? Or Jennifer Granholm? I don’t know if we’ll see any of the obvious suspects.
I’m wondering if selecting Stacey Abrams would possibly put Georgia into play. She just barely lost the governorship, and there was a lot of voter suppression which she has been fighting for the last two years. She also got more votes for that 2018 election then Hillary Clinton did in the 2016 presidential election.
16 electoral votes is nothing to sneeze at.
There’s a good Rolling Stone article about her from last week I think.
”There are a lot of people that don’t like her”. Nobody gives a shit that Bernie bros and broettes don’t like her. Kamala has a dedicated following and still leads in endorsements from Black orgs so you can miss me with that a lot of people don’t like her. Bernie & maga twitter/ media have been trying to poison peoples opinions of her for years, Way before she even announced her candidacy, but that doesn’t equal the general population not likening her, it’s the sign of bernie and maga fearing her because as kaiser says they recognised she was one of the best candidates.
Stacey is great but lets be real nowhere near as experienced. The VP shouldnt be someone who is new to Washington. Especially as Biden is in his late 70s it’s more likely he will pick someone who is experienced enough to hit the ground running. Then someone who has no experience on that level.
I think Jennifer Granholm was born in Canada.
Oooo Stacey Abrams that would be a good one. I mean to be fair Obama was considered a bit green and he ran for president. However, Biden is basic and completely status quo, I highly doubt he would put anyone progressive like Stacey as VP. He will mostly likely choose a moderate.
@Busyann…
Please let me point out some facts for you regarding Kamala’s campaign…and folks not liking her…
Kamala dropped out of the campaign after ONE billionaire stole her voting data material from S.C….and then when ANOTHER billionaire jumped into the campaign…because she didn’t have the money because she didn’t take PAC money…only grassroot $
Kamala ran POTUS Obama’s campaign when he ran the first time…so it was her job to go knocking on doors when NO one knew who Obama was…in EVERY state…to get out the vote for him…he offered her the position of USAG…but she turned it down run for Senator…
Kamala won the position of AG and Senator from the biggest state in the union…
Kamala has NOT lost support…her support has grown…and Stacy doesn’t have the the international background that Kamala has…from sitting on some of the most powerful committees in the Senate….nor does she have the relationships on a federal and international level that Kamala has…and Kamala has PROVEN that she can go into the Whitest of spaces and get support…PROVEN IT!
Thank you! Stacey is the future but it feels like people haven’t done their homework and just mention the name of the other black female politician they can think of when they mention her in the same breath as Kamala in relation to VP.
Loved how black twitter exposed Sarah Silverman yesterday after she tried to turn a post about Selma and Ruby Bridges into an attack on Kamala.
https://twitter.com/SarahKSilverman/status/1236894260940529664
Love blackwomenviews she’s always got those rude Bernie stands number.
I think her support has grown too, especially as we’re left with who we’re left with. I was really disappointed she didn’t get to stay in longer, but I really hope she runs again in the future, after either being VP or AG.
He’s going to pick a woman as veep.
A part of me doesn’t want him to pick her as VP because she’d do better with more power in an AG position, but I’d be vert surprised if she isn’t in consideration. The purity tests thrown at every candidate but Bernie have been mind blowing to me.
If she turned down POTUS Obama when he offered her USAG…and that was BEFORE she won her seat in the Senate…she’s not going to take AG from Biden…
Being USAG at this point in her career would be a step down…she’s on the most POWERFUL committee in the Senate…the Senate Intelligent committee…she gets ALL of the geopolitical information immediately…the type of power and access that she currently has…could ONLY be bested by VP…or POTUS
I wanted to vote for Warren in my late primary, but some of the reasons I supported her (and still do!) are her progressive stances on universal health care, student debt, and a wealth tax. I don’t love Sanders, or his supporters, and I genuinely don’t know if he can win…but Biden doesn’t have a Progressive platform on these issues! Then there’s the Anita Hill case…I’m really torn 😩
I agree, I wanted to vote for Warren and now I won’t get to 🙁
In theory, I align a bit more with Sanders, but I frankly don’t believe that if elected he’ll get much, if anything, done. And as far as not reigning in the Bernie Bros, I find it to be telling that he either can’t, or chooses not to, lead those who most support him and get them to stop harassing other candidates and their supporters. If he can’t do that, how is he going to lead a divided country? It may not be the majority of Bernie supporters, but it’s enough of them that he should have been doing more than making half-hearted condemnations only when put on the spot on national tv.
So, when it comes down to it, I’m likely (though not set in stone) going to vote for Biden—though of course, I may not have to decide between them because my state has a pretty late primary.
The Anita Hill case was more than 20 years ago. He has admitted he made mistakes. Anita Hill has said she would vote for Biden if he’s the candidate in November
I’m Canadian so please forgive my ignorance on this but when Joe Biden was VP all I remember about him were memes portraying him as kind of an idiot…now he’s your best bet to win against Trump? I haven’t really been following your election but was wondering about this.
I don’t consider Biden the best candidate, (voting dem, registered Indie). I do believe he is a stabilizer. In CA the lawsuits against the current administration are between 38-50. Harris and Warren will continue to gain attention as senators. I’m hoping for a Biden/Klobuchar ticket. I believe Biden will establish a strong white house with appointees who will be of benefit to the country.
Kamala worked with Beau Biden on a number of important things when they were both AGs. As a trusted friend of the Biden family, I think it’s likely he could choose her as VP. However, would that help deliver the conservative states Democrats need–such as Michigan and Wisconsin? It seems like Klobuchar would deliver these best. As for the opinion that we need voters to be “excited” about our VP pick to jazz up the ticket, at this point I don’t know what is more exciting than Any Functioning Adult who will save us from Trumpageddon.
Michigan is a swing state, and we’re not really that conservative. Plus, people here have major Obama nostalgia. The auto industry saved our economy, and it’s something everyone in Michigan felt deeply (even if you don’t work for the auto industry, you’re generally connected somehow by providing services to the auto industry or receiving donations if you work in the nonprofit sector). The auto bailout flipped my district blue after my entire life of it being red.
Hillary Clinton was a uniquely flawed candidate. I’m not saying she wasn’t qualified, she absolutely was, but her husband’s history with NAFTA really doomed her career in the rust belt. And I know that Biden supported NAFTA, but he was the VP under Obama, so I think people here are going to look at more recent history.
I’d like to see Biden pick a POC and/or a female running mate. A Biden/Harris ticket isn’t my dream ticket because Biden isn’t my dream candidate, but I think it would do a lot to make me feel better about the way this primary treated women and POC. She’s not my only choice for VP, but she’s got charisma, and I’d love to see her debate Pence (if mother would allow it).
I don’t think a female VP will swing any votes Biden himself wouldn’t already be pulling in.
I don’t think it’s so much about swinging votes away from the GOP, but increasing excitement and turnout, depending on who is selected. People are already pretty firmly entrenched in their camp, it’s just getting them to actually show up and vote.
I think I’m just disheartened over Elizabeth Warren still and it’s making me feel hopeless, so in that same vein, I don’t see anyone who wasn’t going to get up to vote coming out because of a female VP. Guys who are meh on voting aren’t coming out for a female VP and women, well, they didn’t come out in strong enough numbers to give even a single female candidate a chance. Now they are going to show up for the VP nominee? My fear is that a female VP actually has the opposite effect.
Anyway, maybe I’m wrong Hopefully, I’m wrong.
Biden has the working class vote locked down…so he doesn’t need help in the Midwest states regarding that…
He needs help ensuring that he’s got the women/POC vote locked down…and THAT…is where Kamala comes in…she turned the Iowa…UPSIDE DOWN…they…LOVED HER…plus…if Biden wins? Biden is gonna have some SERIOUS scores to settle…and Kamala being on the Senate Intelligent Committee…THAT…is the main reason why he SHOULD pick her….Kamala already knows who has ties to Russia and Saudi and China…Iran and the N.K. and who has been interfering in democracy….for YEARS….
For Biden to TRULY clean house to protect democracy…he’s going to need a warrior who has the information…and the gumption to be ABOUT THAT LIFE…
That’s Kamala….
Again, I wish there was a “like” button. ALL OF THIS!!!
^^^I would like this a 1000x if I could! I listened to a podcast yesterday that mentioned her charisma and how she animates the room. So proud she’s currently one of my senators but willing to share her with the rest of the country as VP since people were too dumb to get her to prez this year.
Agreeing with Kaiser again. I see a milquetoast white guy too. I am also hoping I’m wrong and the VP will be Abrams or Harris. Either of two would be such a big boost for Biden.
i was shocked and disappointed when obama picked biden as VP, but sort of understood that he had to “balance the ticket” by picking a white blue dog dem, in order to assuage the wwc’s fears about him.
didn’t quite understand why hillary picked tim kaine, as he seemed dull and feckless, and virginia wasn’t so risky as a swing state. thought she’d pick sherrod brown, to be honest.
all that to say, biden’s best bet might actually be picking julian castro. name recognition already high, puts texas in play, experienced and served in obama’s cabinet, YOUNG, might help with latino and progressive turnout. just my $0.02.
or i might be totally wrong and dems are counting on progressive turnout being high regardless, because of the last four horrible years of trump.
so a milquetoast white moderate might be the VP to consolidate the “suburban republican never trumper moderate” vote. but the latter never come through because even a slight elevation in their taxes gives them the vapors. wish dems would learn this lesson.
So we’re just gonna totally ignore Joe Biden behaves totally creepy and inappropriate with little girls? And that’s only the stuff we’ve seen him do on camera.
there’s a lot to worry about with biden. first, hunter needs to be hidden away in new zealand or argentina or something until december. second, debates need to be kept at a minimum because trump is ruthless and i don’t see biden coming out on top in a vicious verbal debate with the orange menace. third, vp and cabinet picks need to be announced early on, right after the primary, to assuage the voting public’s nerves about voting for a nearly 80 year old to be at the helm of a juggernaut nuclear arsenal.
biden’s record & comments on abortion rights, the drug war, anita hill, nafta, social security, the iraq war and the black community need to be addressed comprehensively and effectively. with concrete words, plans and actions to redress the most destructive parts of his tenure.
oy, it’s going to be a lot of work, but the dems will have to do it, and do a good job of it, if trump is to be demolished in november. rbg is going to be 87 in a week, she freaking deserves to retire.
Biden has problems, but A) so would any candidate since we’re stuck electing humans and B) we’re left with a choice between Biden and Sanders, so it’s really a question of which problems you want to elect.
Jesse Jackson just endorsed Bernie. Bernie had endorsed Jesse twice in the 80s.