Analysis: Sen. Harris could be positioned like no running mate before her for a shot at the presidency. But only if she and Joe Biden can first win this November. - stevekornacki
, Biden took the attack in stride, remained impressed with Harris and never forgot that she'd enjoyed a warm relationship with his late son Beau when he was Delaware's attorney general and she was serving in that role in California.
Of course, for all the hoopla this week, the most likely outcome is that Harris will have little or no impact on the outcome of this race. That's the reality for most V.P. picks, as voters invariably focus their attention on the candidates at the top of each ticket. Consider what happened with what was likely the biggest mismatch of vice presidential candidates in modern history: Democrat Lloyd Bentsen vs. Republican Dan Quayle in 1988. The exuberant and youthful Quayle was already considered a liability for the GOP ticket when he squared off with Bentsen in a nationally televised debate — and Bentsen walloped him with. And yet, for all of his deficiencies, it was Quayle's ticket — headed by George H.W. Bush — that rolled up 426 electoral in a landslide victory. In others words, there's only so much that a running-mate can do. The real political significance of Harris's selection may be felt in a few years — especially if she and Biden win in November. Four of the last five vice presidents who have gone on to run for the top job have at least won their party's nomination: Walter Mondale , George H.W. Bush , Al Gore and Biden. Only Quayle, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination in 2000, failed. Add in the fact of Biden's age and Harris could find herself in a unique position as vice president. Instead of having to wait eight years for her shot, she could get it in the next election in 2024, if a President Biden were to decline to seek a second term at 81 years of age. Harris could be set up like no vice president before her. But only if she and Biden can first win this November.Steve Kornacki, author of"The Red and the Blue: 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism," is a national political correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Joe Biden And Kamala Harris Call For Mask Mandates Nationwide To Prevent CoronavirusJoe Biden and his new running mate Kamala Harris are calling for mask mandates across the country, arguing that state requirements will help save lives. At an event in Wilmington, DE, Biden said th…
Read more »
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris to give DNC convention speeches in Wilmington, DelawareJoe Biden and Kamala Harris will deliver their convention speeches at the Chase Center in Wilmington next week, the Biden campaign said Thursday.
Read more »
Are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Going to Pod Together or What?Biden and Harris aren’t really eligible for a pod under the strictest definition, but here we are.
Read more »
Here's where polls put Kamala Harris after Biden picked her as his VPThe polls released this week suggest the excitement among American voters for Harris as Biden's pick, who made history as the first Black and South Asian American woman selected as the vice presidential nominee of a major party.
Read more »
Why Kamala Harris was a good choice for Joe BidenJoe Biden’s pick of Kamala Harris suggests he wants to recapture some of the excitement of 2008, while still playing it safe
Read more »
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris to give DNC convention speeches in Wilmington, DelawareJoe Biden and Kamala Harris will deliver their convention speeches at the Chase Center in Wilmington next week, the Biden campaign said Thursday.
Read more »