It’s hard to remember because she has made it look so easy, but Vice President Kamala Harris has been handed the most difficult task in modern political history. With little more than 100 days left in the campaign, President Biden, the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, dropped out and endorsed Harris, setting off an unprecedented sprint to consolidate the party, earn the nomination, pick a running mate, host a successful convention, and then enter the fall campaign with a mobilized and energized volunteer and voter base. So far on the list, it has been: check, check, and check.
Following her decisive success in bringing the party behind her nomination and ensuring ballot access in every state, Kamala Harris had to speed-run the typical weeks-long process of vetting and selecting a running mate, an effort that risked making an unsuitable pick or splintering the recently consolidated coalition. So it’s a real victory that her decision to run with Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota has gained praise from everyone between Senator Joe Manchin and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, generated yet another massive fundraising haul, and spawned a wave of feel-good memes about his undeniable Midwestern dad energy. Just like that, another hurdle cleared.
Right now, the attention is reasonably focused on learning about the relatively unknown Walz, a former teacher, football coach, and member of Congress who grew up on a farm in a small town in Nebraska. As the man who will help Harris govern the country and serve a heartbeat away from the presidency, it’s important to introduce him to voters so that we appreciate and trust him (and prevent Republicans from defining him). But as we get excited about all of the great things Walz brings to the ticket — his achievements, his kindness, his capacity to learn and to teach — it’s also worth remembering that the decision to bring him on board reflects the judgment and approach of Kamala Harris under some of the most difficult circumstances.
Every choice that pays off is another example of how Harris performs under pressure and has to be balanced against any mistakes she will make. So far, she has made it through some of the biggest challenges for any candidate, let alone one who had just over 100 days to put together a campaign. And as it only gets more grueling from here on out, it’s worth taking a moment to review what has been done well. In her first major decision as a candidate — choosing a running mate — Kamala Harris selected someone with lived experience, political chops, and the capacity to govern, while being a team player. From within the party and from outside media, she received a lot of pressure and advice around this choice, trying to force her in one direction or another. Despite all of the chatter and attention, Harris matched her needs with those of the campaign and the country. And by staying focused on the big picture of beating the Trump-Vance ticket and Republicans down the ballot, she has given herself (and the party she’s set to lead) the best chances to win.
Now Kamala Harris just has to do it every day between now and November.
Topics: Politics
Kaitlin Byrd