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Editorial: Kamala Harris VP pick shows Biden isn’t afraid to have a strong woman at his side
In picking California Sen. Kamala Harris to join the Democrats’ 2020 presidential ticket, Joe Biden has shown that, unlike the man currently holding the job he seeks, he’s not afraid of strong women.
It would have been disappointing but understandable if Biden had dismissed the highly qualified Harris as his running mate. She had also sought the nomination, and during the course of the primary she harshly criticized Biden’s position on busing to integrate schools and other racial justice issues. Before one CNN debate, Biden quipped, “Go easy on me, kid.” She didn’t. That’s not Harris’ style; she’s been a prosecutor for most of her professional life, not a therapist.
For this, Biden aides reportedly tried to block her selection as vice president, suggesting she lacked sufficient loyalty and deference and had too much ambition to make a good sidekick. And if Biden won, critics warned, she might spend most of her time in the West Wing preparing to run for president. That’s an absurd reason to reject a candidate. The vice presidential spot has always been seen as a launching pad for the presidency; it’s not like veeps have a whole lot else to do.
Besides, isn’t ambition something you want in a leader? Or is that a trait admirable only in men? Indeed, Harris is ambitious. She had to be to overcome the obstacles she faced as both a woman and a person of color (her mother is from India and her father is Jamaican). And Harris didn’t just advance, she pioneered. She is the state’s first Black district attorney, the first woman to serve as California’s attorney general and the second Black woman to serve as a U.S. senator.
Now, she’s the first woman of color to join the Democratic presidential ticket.
As Biden heads into the most consequential president election in modern history, he sees what we do: Harris has a lot to offer the campaign and the ticket beyond being a symbol.
For one thing, Harris brings an unusual blend of social justice progressiveness and law-and-order conservatism. She has a long career of fighting to protect the downtrodden and looking for ways to reform the criminal justice system while still locking up plenty of the proverbial bad guys. She’s gone after for-profit colleges and the mortgage industry when they preyed upon her constituents. She’s outspoken (at least when she wants to be) on issues she cares about, will not be cowed by bullying, and is not afraid of being seen as overly aggressive, which can be a career killer for women. Just ask Hillary Clinton.
Her debating skills are not in doubt, as Biden well knows from personal experience. After seeing her recent exchange with Senate colleague John Cornyn (R-Texas) over a police reform bill, we look forward to watching Harris go head to head with Vice President Mike Pence in the fall. Read more
Editorial: Kamala Harris VP pick shows Biden isn’t afraid to have a strong woman at his side
In picking California Sen. Kamala Harris to join the Democrats’ 2020 presidential ticket, Joe Biden has shown that, unlike the man currently holding the job he seeks, he’s not afraid of strong women.
It would have been disappointing but understandable if Biden had dismissed the highly qualified Harris as his running mate. She had also sought the nomination, and during the course of the primary she harshly criticized Biden’s position on busing to integrate schools and other racial justice issues. Before one CNN debate, Biden quipped, “Go easy on me, kid.” She didn’t. That’s not Harris’ style; she’s been a prosecutor for most of her professional life, not a therapist.
For this, Biden aides reportedly tried to block her selection as vice president, suggesting she lacked sufficient loyalty and deference and had too much ambition to make a good sidekick. And if Biden won, critics warned, she might spend most of her time in the West Wing preparing to run for president. That’s an absurd reason to reject a candidate. The vice presidential spot has always been seen as a launching pad for the presidency; it’s not like veeps have a whole lot else to do.
Besides, isn’t ambition something you want in a leader? Or is that a trait admirable only in men? Indeed, Harris is ambitious. She had to be to overcome the obstacles she faced as both a woman and a person of color (her mother is from India and her father is Jamaican). And Harris didn’t just advance, she pioneered. She is the state’s first Black district attorney, the first woman to serve as California’s attorney general and the second Black woman to serve as a U.S. senator.
Now, she’s the first woman of color to join the Democratic presidential ticket.
As Biden heads into the most consequential president election in modern history, he sees what we do: Harris has a lot to offer the campaign and the ticket beyond being a symbol.
For one thing, Harris brings an unusual blend of social justice progressiveness and law-and-order conservatism. She has a long career of fighting to protect the downtrodden and looking for ways to reform the criminal justice system while still locking up plenty of the proverbial bad guys. She’s gone after for-profit colleges and the mortgage industry when they preyed upon her constituents. She’s outspoken (at least when she wants to be) on issues she cares about, will not be cowed by bullying, and is not afraid of being seen as overly aggressive, which can be a career killer for women. Just ask Hillary Clinton.
Her debating skills are not in doubt, as Biden well knows from personal experience. After seeing her recent exchange with Senate colleague John Cornyn (R-Texas) over a police reform bill, we look forward to watching Harris go head to head with Vice President Mike Pence in the fall. Read more
