It was a bittersweet moment. I, like many of you, went through a gamut of emotions on Sunday. First was excitement for the new possibilities. A woman for president!? Yes, please!! Then, sadness for Joe and wishing that it was different for him.
A wave of gratitude also hit. He's been a public servant his whole gol-darn life. He was the youngest sitting senator when he was took office in 1973, and now he is the oldest president. He's given immeasurably in service of our country. This latest act is maybe the most consequential of his career. He was selfless in his decision to step aside and hand over the reigns to a younger candidate. This is what it means to have love for your country. Joe Biden is a true patriot.
He has endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris. Here is his letter announcing his decision. Incredibly, he informed his staff only one minute before the rest of the nation found out on Sunday afternoon.
The world feels electric now! It feels like Christmas Eve!
Overnight, the country's blue excitedly rallied around Ms. Harris and embraced her candidacy. They also threw money at her. In the 24 hours since Joe's announcement, her campaign raised $81 million, $47 million in just the first seven hours.
Nearly every top Democrat has endorsed her, and so far there hasn't been any noise from any other potential candidate.
What if someone else throws their hat in the ring?
It would make for an old fashioned open convention, just like the old days.
Biden released his delegates and endorsed Harris, but the 3,900 delegates can vote how they want to. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initially declined to endorse Harris and said she preferred an open convention, but soon after, she reversed and announced her endorsement for Harris.
Other Democratic leaders have also endorsed her, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, both of whom had been thought to be potential opponents.
It makes sense for Harris to be the Democratic candidate. She is already on the ticket. We chose her to step into the office of president should something happen to Biden. She makes the absolute most sense for winning the candidacy.
True, it would be more democratic to have some others run and have a raucous convention (and arguably, more fun!). But it is exciting to have the party coalesce around a candidate and get this thing going! We have important work to do in the next 100 days, Kamala is a great candidate, and we are ready!
Breaking: the point has become moot since I wrote the above; Kamala Harris has enough delegate support to nominate her next month!
What about a Vice President pick?
OOOh another intriguing, exciting question.
Politically, it would be good to balance the ticket, e.g., a white male from a swing state. But there are many men and women, and many people of color who are supremely qualified and I hate that we have to think like that. Who are some of the names being thrown about?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Known for: Governor since 2019; has been a strong progressive voice; debated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and visited many red states. There is a pesky part of the 12th Amendment that prohibits electoral votes to go to president and vice president candidates who come from the same state. If he were selected as VP, one of them would have to change states of residence to avoid that stickiness.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
Known for: Winning the governorship in a landslide in 2022 against an election denier; handling the tragedy of the recent shooting at a T**** rally gracefully when he said this about the man who was killed: “Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. And most especially, Corey loved his family.”
Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky
Known for: Popular governor in a deeply red state; won the governorship in a state that T**** won by 25 points in 2020.
Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina
Known for: Narrowly winning the 2016 election in this pivotal swing state; pushing back against a Republican state legislature; won in opposition to the "bathroom bill" that prevented people from using the restroom that they felt most comfortable in; expanded Medicaid in North Carolina.
Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona
Known for: Serving in the Senate since 2020; was a Navy combat pilot and astronaut; husband of Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot at a constituent event in 2011; has name recognition and is from an important swing state.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Known for: Won re-election in an 16-elector swing state by 10 points in 2022. Has pushed for important progressive issues, from women's reproductive rights to expanding access to healthcare, to improving water quality in Michigan and improving infrastructure. Her decisions regarding Covid precautions made her the target of a kidnapping plot in 2020.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
Known for: Governor since 2018, has been pushing for gun laws, reproductive rights, and signed legislation prohibiting book banning. Can self-fund a campaign, as he is heir to the Hyatt hotel conglomerate.
Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland
Known for: Maryland’s first Black governor; combat veteran; at age 45, already a New York Times bestselling author, Rhodes Scholar, Army combat veteran, and former CEO of the Robin Hood foundation, an anti-poverty organization.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Known for: Presidential bid in 2020 after holding the office of mayor of South Bend, Indiana; first openly gay man to run for president; first openly LGBTQ person to serve in a cabinet position; has served as Sec. of Transportation under Joe Biden; articulate and intelligent; good name recognition. Would you have been able to name the secretary of transportation of any other administration?
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock
Known for: won a narrow victory in a deeply divided state; Baptist minister in the same church MLK served; before entering politics, worked toward expanding Medicaid and expanding voter registration in Georgia.
If I were on Ms. Harris's advisory committee, I would steer her toward Mark Kelly and Mayor Pete. I adore Mayor Pete! He is intelligent and well-spoken and would absolutely trounce JD Vance in a debate!
What about the other guy?
He is in hot water! He has to pivot hard to campaign against this fresh face. It's his worst nightmare: a strong, articulate woman of color who can handle whiny men (I'm looking at you, Brett Kavanaugh) with fierce assurance. He's now the oldest man to ever run for president. He's stuck with an unlikable boot-licker of a VP. And he is who he is; he is a turd.
But this isn't about him.
This is about Kamala! Yayyyy!
.jpeg)
 |
| David Cohen |
And one I made as an item in 2020's Greatest International Scavenger Hunt, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment:
And! And! We will get more Maya Randolph! Here's my favorite:
And lastly, a tune to play on 11:
No comments:
Post a Comment