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Josh Foster delves further into Biden's decision to select Kamala Harris as his running mate. Democrats and Republicans alike have waited months for this announcement, with the ex-VP having missed several of his own deadlines. Learn more about Harris' career, reputation, and the public's reaction to her appointment. Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian-American to assume this role.
The upcoming 2020 election is arguably one of the most important in a long time. It was in late April that Joe Biden kicked off his search for a Vice Presidential candidate; the process was long and led him to miss his scheduled announcement. The search was thorough, lasted several weeks, involved 11 candidates, and consisted of 120 hours of interviews. Eventually, only would succeed, and that was Kamala Harris.
The Co-Chairman of the Biden campaign believed Biden ‘’knew exactly what he was looking for in a Vice President’’, having been one himself. Specifically, he described Biden’s thought process, as he “was doing an analysis of one, who he could work with; two, who could help him win; three, who could help him govern. And who he clicked with.”
It was on the 11th of August that the long-awaited decision was announced. It was met with positive feedback from a large proportion of the left wing, with President Obama tweeting: “[Kamala Harris] is more than prepared to do the job. She’s spent her career defending our constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. This is a good day for our country. Now let’s go win this thing.”
Who is Kamala Harris? What does she stand for?
Harris is the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India; she now lives in San Francisco and Washington. The potential VP was the former San Francisco district attorney and the former attorney general of California, and describes herself as a “progressive prosecutor”. Harris was elected to the Senate in 2016 and is often perceived as hardworking and “a fighter for the ordinary American citizen”.
As Harris launched her campaign last year, she took pride in being a candidate with the potential to make history. Now, she is the first Black woman and first Asian-American to run for VP. She strove to appeal to both progressives and moderates, in order to take down Trump and rebuild America. Her policies sought to reduce the struggles faced by marginalised groups such as women, people of colour, and those on lower income. The goal was to overcome economic difficulties with these people in mind, and to bring them “to the table”.
Healthcare and its affordability has really become a talking point in the United States, especially since the outbreak of coronavirus. Millions have started to feel more isolated from the current system, with many opting not to go to hospitals or their General Practitioners in fear of the bill they may receive at the end of their treatment. Politicians such as Senator Bernie Sanders - who had run in the Democratic party election before suspending his campaign - have supported Medicare for All. This would include the removal of private insurance-based medical practices; it would be replaced with a system similar to that of the UK: healthcare free at the point of use.
Senator Harris’ initial position on healthcare was an endorsement of Sanders’ proposition, however her stance has since changed. Instead, she would allow the American people to choose between a tight-controlled private system and a public one. Harris’ main priorities throughout her career have been immigration, healthcare, and other “progressive” issues such as consumer protection. Regarding immigration, Harris is considered to be on the left of the spectrum, having gained attention for being a hard-nosed, tough interrogator after her sparring sessions with the Trump administration’s immigration and homeland security officials. She was the leading voice against Trump’s policy of separating children at the border, and was seen protesting at immigration shelters.
However, not everyone was pleased with Biden's choice. President Trump described the nominee as “nasty”, the “meanest”, and the “most horrible”. Even on the left, opinion has been divided, with some describing Harris as a “cop” who is not to be trusted. Some believe her history as a prosecutor makes her selection inappropriate, as the Democratic Socialists of America maintain their stance of wanting to “abolish the police”. The Progressive Democrats of America and RootsAction issued a statement in which they claimed Harris had previously failed to hold police “accountable for gross misconduct in California”.
For many, Harris is seen as the person who includes marginalised groups in important decisions, instead of further ostracising them. Supporters of Biden believe she can help to rebuild America after coronavirus, while giving the ordinary American fair economic prospects in the process. Nobody can be certain as to what the outcome will be, but with the Democrat narrowly ahead in the polls, America may well have a Biden administration by November, supported by the first Vice President of colour.
