The 360 | How does Kamala Harris change the presidential race?
Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday ended months of speculation by selecting California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate.
Harris, 55, has quickly ascended the political ladder over the past 15 years. A former prosecutor, she served as district attorney of San Francisco before being elected as California attorney general in 2010. She became a senator six years later and launched a presidential bid in early 2019. Despite being considered a frontrunner in the early stages of the race, Harris dropped out before the Iowa caucuses.
Others see Harris as a poor choice for running mate who will hurt Biden’s odds of winning the presidency. Her tenure as a prosecutor has come under intense criticism from the members of the left wing of the Democratic party, who say she was far from the “progressive prosecutor” she has attempted to portray herself as. That scrutiny may only intensify amid the nationwide push for police reform and social justice that has enveloped the country in recent months.
Her presence on the ticket will reassure voters who are concerned about Biden’s age“Harris is a charismatic and telegenic politician. And as a U.S. senator and recent presidential candidate, Harris also meets another important test for Biden.
She is a strong debater who’s especially well-suited to spar with Mike Pence“Because the pandemic has limited in-person campaigning, Harris’s most important job will be debating Vice President Mike Pence this fall. Harris gained national popularity after her intense questioning of various Trump nominees, including Brett Kavanaugh and Jeff Sessions, during their Senate confirmation hearings. Observers believe she will be an intense opponent for the more subdued Pence.
Biden and Harris are an awkward duo to lead the movement for racial justice “The mostly young protesters filling the streets of nearly every American city to denounce police brutality and President Trump are represented by two figures who have offered sympathetic words and proposals but whose careers have been shaped by their relationship with law enforcement.” — Jonathan Martin and Astead W.
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