Joe Biden Hints That Kamala Harris Could Be His VP

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:56 am

THIS IS THE NEWS WE WANT. Joe Biden is considering Kamala Harris, among other women, as his VP.

Daryon Jackson, who was formerly Senator Kamala Harris’ political strategist, flagged video on Thursday of former Vice President Joe Biden saying he was looking for a VP who matched his ideals like Kamala Harris or another woman. Jackson then noted that it sounded like Harris was his top pick.

Watch both clips he posted here:

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“I’ve been begun thinking about that in terms of both women, women of color, Latinos, and men of color. But also, on others who share my philosophic view of what to do,” the Democratic candidate for president said.

Asked if Kamala Harris would fit that bill, Biden said, “I think so.

Biden said he hadn’t spoken with Harris yet, and he was considering a list of women.

Jackson pointed out that it sounded like Harris was Biden’s top choice:

“I think so, but again I’ve not spoken to Kamala Harris about that and it’s presumptuous of me to do that. But I think Kamala Harris is someone — but look, there’s a number of women who –”

Biden then refused to name the women, saying he’d get into real trouble to do so. But he said he’s beginning to talk about it with his close associates.

The man who co-authored the original Violence Against Women Act (that’s Joe Biden) is doing the absolute right thing in contemplating a woman VP, especially Kamala Harris (and other women, but he didn’t name names).

The women in this country are beyond fed up after three plus years of Trump triggering memories of predators like Trump and general Republican assaults on their dignity, rights, and autonomy.

The Brookings Institute wrote last week, “The most profound change in American politics today and in the years to come will result from a massive movement of women into the Democratic Party. As this realignment takes place Hillary Clinton may well go down in history as this century’s equivalent of Al Smith.”

Furthermore, if you want to see the Trump effect in action, in 2018 women opting for Democrats jumped to 19 points from 13 in 2016, “In 2016, Clinton led Trump by 13 points (54% to 41%), but in the 2018 midterm elections women opted for Democratic rather than Republican congressional candidates by 19 points (59% to 40%). More important for the long term, the Democratic margin over the Republicans in party identification grew from six points in 1994 (48% to 42%) to nearly twenty in 2017 (56% to 37%).”

When Harris dropped out of the race, women repeatedly expressed their sense of defeat and loss. They’re still doing it now on social media. Diana Butler Bass wrote of Elizabeth Warren taking on Bloomberg at the debate, “When she yelled ‘This is personal’ to MB, she was yelling what millions of women want to yell to Trump’s face since the Access Hollywood tape. Every woman I know wants to yell at Trump ‘THIS IS PERSONAL’ and watch him fall back on his heels with no response. That’s why we marched. Why we’ve voted. Why we’ve organized. THIS IS PERSONAL.”

Candidates who ignore how women are feeling since Trump got elected do so at their own peril. Add in the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing and the smearing and abuse of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, and you have some very, very fed up women.

After Harris dropped out, many women took comfort in Elizabeth Warren or Amy Klobuchar, but neither are gathering the delegates needed so far, which is only creating a further loss of morale. Warren, with her policy chops and a history of going to battle out of genuine care for the people of this country should be a natural winner, but she is trailing behind Sanders among the progressives.

The Democratic Party is going to need fired up women voters in 2020. They make up the majority of the party and while it’s seldom acknowledged in the media, they brought 2018 to the Democrats and they are the fight.

Chairman of the Dem Coalition Jon Cooper tweeted, “Raise your hand if you think a @JoeBiden/@KamalaHarris ticket would mop the floor with Trump/Pence,” and within an hour had 1.7 thousand retweets.

Kamala Harris would fire up women in the Democratic base. Bigly. Women need a fighter in the White House, and with Joe Biden who fought for women before it was cool and Kamala Harris, they would be assured that they would matter policy-wise and they would be believed.

Sarah Jones

Listen to Sarah on the PoliticusUSA Pod on The Daily newsletter podcast here.

Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.

Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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