I spend too much time thinking about the ingrained misogyny and racism in politics and in the gossip world. So it is with the presumption that Senator Kamala Harris will be chosen as Joe Biden’s running mate. I’ve felt that Kamala Harris would be Biden’s ultimate choice for several months. The fact that she endorsed him so quickly this spring spoke volumes to me, and despite the idiotic conversations elsewhere, I don’t think Biden holds a grudge against her for “attacking” him during the Democratic debates last fall. I think Biden has known that he would choose Kamala as VP for months now. And yesterday, someone got a photo of Biden’s handwritten notes, which seemed to indicate that Kamala is The One:
"Do not hold grudges."
A photo of Joe Biden’s handwritten notes revealed his talking points on Senator Kamala Harris, a potential pick for vice president. https://t.co/WZIoI6hAI1 pic.twitter.com/WMdx8SLRW1
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 29, 2020
Again, I’ve been operating under the assumption that Kamala Harris is The One for a while now. No disrespect to Stacey Abrams and the other women who were seen to be “in the mix” or “on the short-list.” But it was always Kamala. Biden will apparently make the formal announcement next week and I can’t wait to see it. But wait, did you know that a bunch of “Biden backers” are butthurt about his choice?
Some of Joe Biden’s allies are waging a campaign behind the scenes to stop Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., from becoming his vice president. This disgruntled group of at least a dozen Biden backers, including a few of his top donors, initiated the move against Harris close to a month ago, just weeks before a decision is expected, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. Many who spoke to CNBC declined to be named as these efforts have been made in private.
In some cases, her foes have taken their concerns directly to members of Biden’s VP search committee, led by former Sen. Chris Dodd, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., and Cynthia Hogan, who previously served as counsel to the presumptive Democratic nominee when he was vice president under President Barack Obama. Although none of these actions signify that Biden will drop Harris from the list, the movement gives a glimpse into the effort being waged to derail her candidacy.
Yeah. It’s a little late for all of this, and the last thing the Democratic Party needs, 95 days until the election, is in-fighting between purity-test Democrats looking to torpedo the chance we have to see a woman of color on the ticket. These “Biden backers” will hopefully shut their f–king mouths in a hurry.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.
I hope so. she was my initial first pick for president, and I think she would be great to have.
Yes, yes and yes. My friends yesterday (I think) were sure he was choosing Susan Rice and that was making me nervous. I mean we know the right will try to destroy anyone he picks but I feel like Rice has already had a level of propaganda swirling around her that would be extra hard to overcome.
I do too and it makes me sad because I love her. She would be my 2nd choice behind Kamala actually.
Susan Rice has been my second choice behind Kamala and I would love to see her as Sec of State. Honestly the only thing that’s getting me through this sh*t show right now is the thought of VP Harris and the cabinet that Biden will put together.
Susan Rice is certainly capable but the VP position needs more of a politician type and Kamala Harris fits that bill. Rice would be an excellent Secretary of State.
I have always thought it would be Kamala. I’ve said as much here for months. It’s a smaller choice. She had experience, she will mop the floor with Pence in any debate, her seat is protected as Newsom will appt her replacement. She is ready day one. My other place for her would have been AG but I think that could have been problematics I think after the impeachment performance that Adam Schiff should be AG (would love to see it be HRC as she would F up these criminals)
Happy with this pick.
I’m not a huge Harris fan, I was hoping for a VP candidate from a Southern or Mid-West swing state (Florida, IN or IL). My first choice was Tammy Duckworth. But if Biden picks Harris, I’m good with it. She will be ready to go on day one.
OMG Hillary as attorney general would be epic. I’m in!
Ditto. Biden/Harris.
Absolutely. She’s a strong woman and he needs someone who can take charge if he gets sick or dies. She’s not perfect but she’s a heck of a lot better than who’s in the WH right now. Also, I would PAY MONEY to watch her debate Mike Pence. She will wipe the floor with him.
Thaisajs agreed. The debate between Harris and Pence would be epic but I still think Pence is going to be replaced at the last minute (probably with Nikki Haley) and even if he’s not, he will find a way to get out of a debate with her. He knows he would stand no chance.
She’s my only pick, but I am concerned. Beginning with Chris Dodd. i don’t know. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Right? In fact I’ve seen way more attacks towards her from the left than the right. It’s very frustrating and Biden needs to shut that down quick.
Also, sick of purity-people on the left.
They clearly didn’t learn from last time.
Being “woke” is more important to them than real issues
She will be an amazing VP, and the role will line her up for being a kick ass President!! Go Kamala!
I like Kamala but it will be a mess.
+1 – A lot of the posters don’t seem to know her or her history like the Californians (me included) do.
I’m from a California and I have no problems with issues that Bernie people ginned up on twitter when they thought she was their biggest rival. #Biden/Harris.
There are several women I would be happy with as VP, including Harris. But it has been really upsetting to see the bigoted attacks being waged against her online.
Yes. The conversation should be about her policies and her record.
My late Mother said Hillary will not be the first woman President – Kamala Harris will. She died about 11 years ago and to be honest, at the time I did not kow who she was. What I’m looking for in a politician is foem to be the smartest person in the room or if they’re not- to seek out and heed the advice of their advisors.
This would be great because if anything happens to Biden, she’ll be president! Also i wonder why they want to derail her candidady and who are these people? I would like to know the names or organizations
Kamala is a biracial, intelligent female. Biden is 77 years old and is alleged to have made clear he will be a one term President. That sets his VP pick to run for President in 2024. The misogynoir is in full force.
Yeah, I feel like this VP pick is so different than past picks. Whoever is chosen is basically the frontrunner for 2024. I’m no convinced Biden has any intention of NOT running again, but we’ll see. Anyway, if not 24, then 28, she’s the standard bearer for the Dem party for the next decade, a likely future President, the face of the Democratic party for the forseeable future.
Oh, and gee, a bunch of fat old white men like Chris Dodd don’t want that person to be Kamala. I’m so shocked.
I’m here for this! I also hope that all the women on “the list” get appointed to important positions. I’m looking at you, Secretary of (insert any role because she’d crush it) Elizabeth Warren!
We need many of them to stay in the Senate to exert their power there.
YES. Someone on here – maybe you LightPurple, or Darla – pointed out a while ago that the Senate confirms the cabinet. It would actually be a step DOWN for someone like Warren. and she’s too good in the senate anyway.
I think its going to be Harris as VP and I think Susan Rice for Secretary of State.
That is such a good point, Lightpurple.
And to follow up on that; I think every woman on the short list is a powerful force in her own right, although my preferences are Harris, Rice, and Warren in that order. Biden has to choose the person with whom he has the best working relationship and chemistry; so they can get the job, all the jobs, done. We are so fortunate that there is such a “deep bench.” But we do need many of them to stay right where they are because the President needs control of the Senate. And we need to see women leading in the Senate. There truly is such a deep bench that Biden could fill Cabinet positions from outside the Senate. I would love to see Sally Yates as Attorney General; it would be sweet justice and she’s phenomenal.
Cabinet appointments are considered way more prestigious (present administration exempted). I realize that Warren’s seat would likely revert back to red, but I think Amy’s would stay blue. And Stacey is obviously not in the Senate. I think Dems will pick up some more seats in the Senate.
IMO, if Warren can’t be his VP pick, she should be the next Secretary of Treasury. Keep the big banks in check!
I’m fine with Harris, and would have loved her as President.
I’d also really like Duckworth or Demmings. I think Duckworth in particular would be good for getting the Vets out in force for Biden.
Sadly, I can already forsee the hate campaign the right will drum up against Harris. But having a “cop” as his VP pick isn’t a terrible idea considering Trump’s trying to make it seem like Biden would let anarchy reign if elected.
I foresee the hate campaign, too. But it would happen to anyone. I hate this world.
I’m a vet and my first choice choice is Duckworth. She would also wipe the floor with Pence during a debate. If she doesn’t get the VP pick, maybe head of the VA?
So many brilliant women we’d be so lucky to have but she was my #1 pick. Can’t decide if Meghan McCain is going to lose her mind or be happy she finally has a ‘reason’ not vote Democrat.
Because if Biden tapped Liz, Meghan was going to run out and get her “Biden or Bust” tshirt right? LOL. She’s such a fake! I can’t stand her. We KNOW you’re not voting Dem Meghan, give it up!
She would *always* have a reason. She is married to a manatee who’s big in that youngish Republican clique. Doesn’t matter how kind Biden was to her father and her family. These political hacks are soulless.
That said it would be interesting to see what McCain would say if Duckworth was the pick, given her service and sacrifice, and Meghan’s hard-on for all things military. But rest assured there WOULD be a reason regardless.
Look, none of us know what she does in the privacy of the voting booth. I can’t imagine anyone who loved John McCain voting for Trump again. Cindy McCain despises Trump with her heart and soul. I’ve wondered if she’s bankrolling some of the Never Trumper groups.
I think this might be smart given that trump is trying to frame this as a law and order election. The whole Kamala is a cop thing might turn out to be a good thing in the eyes of suburban women? My personal opinions of Biden or Harris and their policy choices aren’t going to influence my vote so to me it doesn’t really matter who he picks. I just want him to pick a winner. Kamala is smart, strong, and will run circles around pence.
Great! Harris is fantastic.
Val Demings crushed Barr the loathsome slime at the hearings, I’d be happy with her too. Or Warren.
Whoever it is has my vote. I stopped caring years ago when this baffoon was elected. Lets just get this nightmare over with.
Now with that said, part of me wonders 2 things 1) was this note/name reveal accidentally on purpose for the Biden campaign to give the negative ninny’s a chance to talk negatively about Harris as VP now, before the official announcement, or was this 2) a chance for his campaign to see what the conversation/response would be if Harris was THE ONE? Hmmmmmm….
@Busyann, I’m with you. It seems awfully convenient that Joe Biden just happened to be carrying out in open view and clear focus a neatly written list with Harris’s name on it. I think they’re floating her as the pick to gauge the response before they make a final decision.
Of course it was deliberate. They are testing the water. They do that every few weeks leaking candidates just to watch the reactions.
Whomever is Biden’s VP pick needs to be prepared for a scorched earth political attack. She will be mauled and torn to shreds. I feel for whoever gets the nod.
Well, the Bernie left is gunning for Kamala and always have been, I really don’t know what the GOP line on her will be. I do know what the GOP line of attack will be on Rice, who would actually be my 2nd choice…and it will be all Benghazi again. You might think that the fact that the current republican President has no problem with Putin putting hits out on our soldiers, would stop the GOP outrage cosplay, but you’d be mistaken. They have no shame.
This. They already came for Duckworth when she was announced they were vetting her. A woman who lost BOTH legs in combat. The GOP have no souls, the party of Reagan and Lincoln is dead.
I think Kamala Harris would be an excellent VP to whom Biden could delegate assignments on Day 1, but after listening to a podcast about the VP vetting process, I wonder how she will pass all the personal questions. Don’t yell at me, you know there is history there that the “conservatives” will use to the most vicious extent. I also think maybe those notes were prepared answers for possible questions he might have been asked at that press conference. I agree with Edna above: whoever she is, she’s in for the most misogynistic attacks EVER, throughout her whole term.
Whoever Biden’s VP is they’re gonna have their work cut out for them dealing with covid19. I hope they’ve got a good plan.
I want to be excited.
There isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t be torn to shreds for being on the ticket. On any ticket. Fortunately Kamala eats butthurt men for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She’s ready. She’s been ready.
There isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t be torn to shreds for being on the ticket.
This.
It will be uglier because the pick is a woman, but a man would be shredded too. Trump is losing. This morning he actually tweeted about delaying the election. they will do anything. anything. Say anything, do anything. Buckle up it gets crazy from here. And i know, we all thought it’s been crazy…we are gonna learn now!
Wait, what? JFC
Yeah….no. A woman is always going to get 76421x the shit a man will. A WOC will get 864335588544x that.
In my Mountain Progressive group we were split between a Bernie Warren choice and Biden Harris. We were committed to support the nominee’s either way. I have hoped for a Biden Harris ticket. Not only is she no nonsense and direct in her behavior she’s a good person. Recall the impeachment hearings when she did a drill down in asking questions. As a Californian I was happy she supported and endorsed legislation on Elder Abuse. As AG she was the first to speak out against Prop 8, a law against same sex marriage, and spoke to the 14th equal rights amendment. Currently she has more than one project on the table, National Vote by Mail is one and which is needed. I think Biden mentions on his list she openly supported and worked toward his campaign to become the nominee. We need, I need, a Biden Harris win. Again, I’ll support anyone Biden chooses.
There is no perfect candidate but Harris will kick butt both during the campaign, and hopefully in office, if she is indeed Biden’s choice.
That this also might finally usher in a woman as POTUS will be a dream come true. I wanted Hillary so badly as President and I don’t even live in the US. I honestly did not think the US would ever vote in a woman but now I am starting to feel optimistic again.
Things have always been nasty since Trump was elected. But I feel that the Democrats have almost 4 years of insight into the “new” Republican Party, and their dirty tricks book is one page long. It’s like an Avengers movie for real, the Democrats are the good guys who try to fight with integrity and honour, but the enemy is an asshole who stops at nothing. Even though it’s just a movie, I’ve always wondered about the fact that the audience always consists of right and left wingers, and everyone wants the Avengers to prevail In the end, right? So why people, in real life, in general don’t want a Democrat as POTUS, who ultimately wants the best for them, has always ALWAYS confounded me…
I’m so hopeful. I really like her. It would also be job security on SNL for Maya Rudolph! “My name is Kam-a-la, it rhymes with Pam-e-la.”
Goes without saying I’m blue all the way…Buuut, please reassure me here. I wanted Harris so so much, and I felt let down in the debates by her performance, except that one time with the Biden attack. Her Senate/committee stuff is great, no question. But she seems so laid back personally that I’m petrified it will be used to crucify her.
Also, while I know she’s white (and I’m literally dying for a WOC on the ticket) but I like Baldwin too. A progressive with experience…
Thoughts?
I’m so ready to fight for Kamala. And I think she’s ready to fight for us.
It was obvious that both she and Booker had the kind of relationships with Biden that would make them great VPs. Yeah, they got scrappy at the debates but Joe Biden doesn’t back down from that and he’s not the kind of man who needs his butt licked 24/7 like some current occupants of the White House. Kamala knows when to argue her case and when to work it and that’s what we need.
I’m for what’s good for the party. As much as I loved Warren as a Presidential pick, she would never accept a VP pick if offered anyway. My problems with Harris are that with the police issues, she had been very much the other way. She may have changed her tune now but that shows lack of conviction. I think Susan Rice would be a good compromise. The dems will lose some of the heavy lead either way. It’s one thing, the thought of him saying he will pick a woman VP. It’s a whole other when he actually does it. There are people out there that will change their minds when they realize he was serious about that, and that he is picking and AA woman as well. We will see when he does. We will also see if there even is an election.
Those are just notes, nothing to suggest she’s his pick. I suspect he allowed that photo to be taken in light of the heat Chris Dodd was getting for slamming her to potential donors. We will see next week who his choice turns out to be.
I have no problem with this. VP or Supreme Court to replace RBG.
Love Kamala and will happily support this choice! She is very intelligent, experienced, and has a powerful presence. She’s not a generic “happy to sit in the background” choice which I’m thrilled about. She will add a brightness and vigor to the ticket that the Biden campaign needs.
I like Kamala. Some of her decisions as AG are concerning. I just want this orange asshole out in November. And to win the senate. And to allow RBG to rest. And also arrest the officers who killed Breonna Taylor.
Oh my God, it’s just hitting me again how this SHE we’re speaking of would be our first woman ever to hold the office Of US Vice President!! As a woman who remembers Geraldine Ferraro and how inspirational her bid for Democratic VP was in 1984, I’m fucking stoked. If we can bring the blue wave, Gerry will be partying on November 4!!!
Not my top pick for president (I wanted Warren), but she’s ok, I’d pick her over Biden but at least she’ll be the VP (fingers crossed). I am under the impression that she’s a bit of a ruthless person but she’s on the side of the good, so that’s hopefully not gonna backfire. I’d pick her over a lot of people, so I’m on board. She’s also very charismatic and she’ll strengthen Biden’s bid for sure.
Imagining Americans hiring Kamala as VP and many other wonderful women for these government jobs has buoyed my spirits considerably.
We have got to get this staffing issue sorted.
Time to fire the current administration and send all who’ve assisted in crimes, as well as their dear leader, to the real BigHouse.