Here's the thing. There are plenty of highly qualified women to pick from, from Rice to Katie Porter in California. Or Jeanne Shaheen. Or Patty Murphy. Or Stacey Abrams. Or Amy Klobuchar. Or Kristen Gillibrand. Or Kamela Harris. Or Elizabeth Warren. Or Lujan Grisham. Or Maggie Hasan. Or Tammy Baldwin. Or Lieutenant Colonel Tammy Duckworth. Or Laura Kelly (who?). Or Gretchen Whitmer. Or Val Demmings. Or Cortez Masto.
I can make an argument for nearly any of them. They are all qualified and they all appeal to a segment of the Democratic Party. But which one will excite the largest segment of a demographic that is needed to win?
Stacey Abrams would DEFINITELY set the African-American vote on fire. She is a Black woman with no mixed-race ambiguities, and she's whip-smart on policy while being one of the best retail politicians out there - a woman after Biden's heart, as he's superb in that regard. But she's never won anything, and she would also wake up a segment of the fringe righwing who is pissed at Trump but is still racist enough to not want to see a woman THAT Black be one 78-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency. Although, she should be VP in 2024. After Democrats have written into law ironclad voting rights. And I still question her decision not to run for Senator in Georgia this year. She says it's so she can concentrate on voter's rights. OK, that's great. But she also said she would say yes to VP. She can concentrate on voter's rights while running for Vice President, but not while running for Senator? It's a swing and a miss.
Elizabeth Warren would be the best choice for helping to guide Biden towards a return to a strong economy. Her policy chops are unmatched, except maybe by Katie Porter. But there's no reason she can't do that as Chair of the Banking Committee. I love her, but I want her in a job where she does things. VP is not that job. They say she brings the Bernie people (I was one!), but wouldn't the Bernie people be happier with Bernie as Majority Leader and Warren heading Financial/Consumer Protection? Of course, they'd never dump Schumer, because they're Democrats, and suck at politics.
That leaves Kamala Harris. She excites the African-American base (which Biden is already good with, and Obama will remind them), she's easily followed in California by another Democrat, she's kinda hot, she's an ex-Attorney General and will be instrumental in presentation - she's a good speaker who knows the law. A lot of people want her for AG, but I really, really, REALLY want Eliot Spitzer. Just as a huge **** you. Let 'The Sheriff of Wall Street' go to town on the Trump Crime Family. Or Preet Barara, or Sally Yates - there's a lot of good AG prospects. George Conway?