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Reporter at presser is like: Mr. President, Kamala Harris is a pothead and hypocrite who lies about rap music. Is that bad? And should other potheads pick you instead?
wut is even happening pic.twitter.com/GmKKyPFvRN
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) August 11, 2020
Update (1800ET): President Trump has issued his first comment about Biden’s VP pick. After glancing down at a list of talking points and ticking through a list of criticisms, Trump said She was my No. 1 draft pick. We’ll see how she works out.”
However, he also pointed out “she lied”, a reference to the first Democratic debate, where Harris captivated audiences by roasting Biden over his record for being tough on crime, and for working with segregationists.
With most Americans now doubting Biden’s ability to finish his first term, Harris isn’t just the first black woman, and first Asian woman, to co-headline a major party ticket. She’s also the first VP whom much of the country believes will actually be running things behind the scenes (perhaps in concert with Biden’s Secretaries of State and Treasury, and an ever-faithful chief of staff).
As Fox News pointed out in an opinion piece published after the news broke, Harris gives Biden’s campaign a distinct law and order bent. Experience as a prosecutor should help with playing the “attack dog” role that is traditionally a campaign duty of the VP.
The Trump campaign, of course, has already started unloading on Harris, and her record as California attorney general, and district attorney before that, will provide opponents with plenty of ammunition. But while she may be portrayed as too passive about police brutality, she can’t be painted as soft on crime.
The Kamala brand is an interesting one, since she is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian parents, along with, as of this afternoon, the first black woman on a major-party ticket.
With her prosecutorial bent, Harris is well suited to the running mate’s traditional role of attack dog. And she’ll be attacked back. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel quickly put out a statement that Biden has chosen “the person who would actually be in charge the next four years.” That dovetails with the president’s argument that the 77-year-old nominee is out of it and a captive of his party’s uber-liberal wing.
What’s more, by picking Harris, he has officially elevated the establishment’s second-favorite (after the aging former VP) to front-runner for the 2024 nomination (Biden isn’t expected to run for a second term, and indeed, possibly (probably?) won’t finish out his first.
Interestingly, online betting markets swung deeply in favor of Harris shortly before the news broke. Is it possible somebody had a little head start?
Here’s a smattering of commentary on Biden going with the most obvious candidate.
Nothing from Elizabeth Warren yet, even though Trump mentioned her – and her “problematic” nickname, “Pocahontas” – in his reaction to Harris’s selection.
Before we go, is that a scanned copy of a check made out to “re-elect Harris 2014” when she was running for Cali AG?
And…here's the image of the check, Donald J. Trump to Kamala Harris for A.G.. To learn why he gave the contribution, check out AMERICAN OLIGARCHS: The Kushners, The Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power, p 268https://t.co/47Zy6iAAr5 pic.twitter.com/zoWZd80nrG
— Andrea Bernstein (@AndreaWNYC) August 11, 2020
Update (1620ET): The Biden campaign has announced Kamala Harris as his running mate.
Congrats were in order from Susan Rice, who was not picked (or didn’t want the job?).
My warmest congratulations to @KamalaHarris. I am confident Biden-Harris will prove to be a winning ticket. I will do my utmost to help them win and govern. ?? pic.twitter.com/9pfJggZSV9
— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) August 11, 2020
Congrats queen! pic.twitter.com/iEikNEtkVm
— Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) August 11, 2020
Kamala Harris is the daughter of an Indian immigrant and a Jamaican immigrant by the way. The first Asian American on a major party ticket.
— (((Greg Siskind))) (@gsiskind) August 11, 2020
Will the descendants of the slaves her family allegedly owned support the ticket?
The Trump campaign’s “War Room” account had this ready for the occasion:
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2020
Developing…
* * *
Update (1555ET): CNN just confirmed that Biden has called Karen Bass to tell her she won’t be the pick.
So that’s one down.
* * *
Update (1550ET): Things are changing fast heading into Tuesday evening on the East Coast, and for whatever reason, Kamala Harris has suddenly surged into first place on PredictIt’s online gambling market.
Is it possible that somebody in the know is frontrunning the announcement? It’s possible, but then again, we couldn’t say for sure, and it’s also possible that this is a genuine bet on Harris, who is still widely considered one of the most – if not the most – likely picks.
Of course, going all-in on the “crime bill” ticket means Biden’s team has apparently signed off on a shift to the center, the classic coming of passage for Democratic presidential candidates after cementing the nomination. Harris’s tough on crime reputation, stemming from her crackdown on truancy as a DA that led to many young people being introduced to “the system” for the first time. And once you’re in, it’s impossible to escape (unless you stop committing crimes).
Though with crime rates soaring in some of the country’s biggest cities, it could also be an acknowledgment that the public is genuinely worried about crime despite some progressive columnists decrying Fox News’ coverage as ‘Fake News’. At the end of the day, the statistics and the videos are undeniably real.
Harris supports a financial transaction tax, which could be bad for markets.
* * *
Update (1517ET): The New York Times is now reporting that Biden won’t release his VP pick today, after reporting exactly the opposite just an hour ago.
Breaking from @jeffzeleny:
Joe Biden has selected his running mate, revealing to top advisers on Tuesday the woman he will invite to join his ticket, according to two people familiar with the matter. Biden is poised to make the announcement as early as today.
— MJ Lee (@mj_lee) August 11, 2020
The NYT is now reporting that there is no event scheduled for today. That prompted a flurry of jokes about the elderly former VP’s memory.
Biden Official: No Actual VP Event Scheduled For Today – NYT
Dude's memory has a shorter lifespan than a fruit fly.
— HAP (@hap317) August 11, 2020
If this were Trump, the NYT would be reporting “Trump Campaign In Chaos”.
With the decision reportedly already made, analysts are looking for the signal in everything from flight records to official schedules to wisdom of crowds in the form of political betting markets, which are now pricing in Susan Rice as the most likely pick, edging out “Copmala” Harris.
Will Susan Rice finally get the wedding of her dreams?
Is ordering a drone strike essential foreign policy experience?
* * *
CNN is reporting that Joe Biden (or rather, his handlers) have officially selected his running mate, in the latest fit of DNC kayfabe.
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has selected his running mate, revealing to top advisers on Tuesday the woman he will invite to join his ticket, two people familiar with the matter tell CNN.
The announcement could come as early as Tuesday.
Meanwhile, President Trump said Tuesday during a freewheeling interview with Fox Sports Radio that Biden “roped himself into a certain group of people” by promising to pick a black woman for his VP, and that “some people” might argue that Biden’s decision is offensive to men.
“Some people would say that men are insulted by that. And some people would say it’s fine. I don’t know,” he added.