VP KAMALA HARRIS
"The American Dream Belongs To All Of Us." KH
And there we have it—after much speculation, Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his running mate for the 2020 Presidential Election. God willing, she’ll be the next Vice President of the United States of America. Of course, the last time we saw the two of them on stage together, they were less than friendly. It’s hard to forget Harris taking Biden to task during the primary debates, but it seems as though he’s forgiven that exchange. So how did we get here?
In the lead-up to tonight’s historic announcement, a few prominent Democrats were named as frontrunners for the prized veep spot. Biden committed early to choosing a woman as his running mate, though he fell short of confirming that said woman would be a woman of color.
The result? Prominent Black Democrats called on Biden to choose a Black woman, an essential move considering the national conversation about race that’s been brewing. Meanwhile, Warren supporters held out hope that their candidate wasn’t out entirely.
Assuming that Warren was never really in the running, at least in the wake of the George Floyd protests, the top contenders were Val Demings, Susan Rice and Kamala Harris. Demings, a former cop, was a shaky choice at a time when law enforcement has never been less popular. Rice might have been an excellent option if she didn’t carry the baggage of being linked with the salacious albeit 100% debunked Obamagate conspiracy theory.
Enter Kamala Harris. The California senator has a pretty incredible resume: formerly Attorney General of California and before that a San Francisco District Attorney, Harris has successfully played politics and climbed her way to a moderately successful POTUS run in the 2020 primary.
Despite ultimately losing that contest to Biden, her name recognition skyrocketed. Suddenly, Harris had an entourage—the self-styled “K-Hive”—in addition to a handful of soundbites. “That little girl was me” originated as a rebuke to Biden, but in the end it may have helped her win her a spot by his side.
Harris’ critics point to her prosecutorial record and moderate policies as reasons not to pick her. It’s hard to know whether her history will affect her electability come November 3, especially as leftists and liberals alike have rallied behind milquetoast centrist Joe Biden for president. Compared to homophobic fundamentalist Mike Pence, she’s a much more palatable pick.
If Joe Biden wins the 2020 election—and our country might not survive him losing—Kamala Harris will be the first female VP in history and the first person of color to hold the position.
