Make room for Kamala Harris

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No decent human being wanted Joe Biden’s career to end as it will. It isn’t ignominious, but it is gut wrenching. President Biden is a consummate public servant who has an extensive list of accomplishments during his five decades in office. Mr. Biden hasn’t always been right; no politician is. Still, irrespective of whether one has voted for him, integrity demands that the American people recognize his political career, especially his presidency, as highly consequential. Unfortunately, not everyone is integrous.

Indeed, it is stunning and shameful that Biden gets so little credit for judiciously stewarding this nation during very difficult times, domestically and internationally. Nonetheless, it has always been the case that even iconic leaders can outlast their welcome. Eventually, they will either step (or be ushered) aside. For example, the British people voted Winston Churchill out of office in July 1945 — before World War II had even ended. They were looking beyond the Allies’ historic military campaign, choosing to focus on domestic issues. They decided that the immensely popular Prime Minister and his party were not up to the job (though Churchill would make a political comeback).

With history in view, I believe that President Biden’s decision to run for a second term was ill-advised. One of the myriad reasons is that, had he decided otherwise, the Democrats would have had a genuine primary process. Instead, we were subjected to a type of Kabuki Theater in which the outcome was predetermined. Had Vice President Kamala Harris prevailed in a primary, she would have underscored her “legitimacy” as the Democratic nominee. As it stands, many people will believe that it was handed to her. There are bigger hurdles to overcome, but this is an unnecessary distraction.

In any case, once the people who President Biden trusts and respects the most asked him to stand down, the die was cast. As excruciating as it must have been, Biden placed his country and his party above his own political aspirations. That is something his opponent almost certainly would never do.

Unfortunately, the extended plaudits and long goodbyes that Mr. Biden is due will have to wait until after November. At present there is an election to be waged and won. Speaking of which, the Republican Party has already begun to attack Vice President Harris in familiar and predictable ways. Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett called Harris a “DEI vice president,” derisively employing the abbreviation that racists use as a synonym for the “n-word.” This is only the beginning; there will be no shortage of hateful words for Ms. Harris going forward.

Of course, sexism is the evil twin brother of racism. This reality will limit Harris’ choices of a running mate to white male WASPs. While a Kamala Harris/Liz Cheney “unity ticket” would be potent, too many people in America (including women) would reflexively vote against four X chromosomes on the same ballot. Similarly, a ticket that is comprised of Harris and another person of color (e.g., Governor Wes Moore) is a non-starter.

Thus, if I were a betting person, my money would be on governors Andy Beshear, Roy Cooper, or Tim Walz. Arizona Senator Mark Kelly wouldn’t be far behind, but the immigration debate might be too much to overcome, even though Kelly publicly broke with his party on the issue. Also, Arizona is perhaps too close geographically to Harris’ home state of California.

Am I being cynical? No. The vast majority of people who say that “race and sex should not matter” vote for the political party that only supports white men as candidates for president and vice president. They will drone on about “identity politics,” ignoring the fact that politics has always been about identity. At our founding, only white men could vote or run for office. Further, they often had to be “gentlemen of property and standing” (i.e., wealthy). Women, Black people, and the poor were explicitly excluded. Our history does not have to determine our destiny, but it is a factor that has enduring implications.

While Vice President Harris has secured enough delegates to win her party’s nomination, she has pledged to earn it. Still, there are a few whispers about having a truncated primary. I believe that doing so would be an unmitigated disaster. At this point, mounting an attempt that could push aside the first Black woman Vice President carries the risk of turning off the Democratic Party’s most important constituency: Black women. If the Democrats lose them, they lose the election. Why even take the chance?

In 2020, The Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty wrote a column regarding then President Donald Trump’s obsession with what he considers to be loyalty. Tumulty expressed it this way: “Loyalty is the most perfect form of mutual respect. It is a bond that goes two ways, and that is why it endures. Fealty, on the other hand, must be endured. It is based on power and ends the moment the one who commands it no longer has a grip on the one who is shackled by it.”

Those of us who support President Biden and Vice President Harris have loyalty to principles, not fealty to a person. Democracy is, at its core, an agreement between those who govern and those who are governed. That agreement hinges on our leaders’ willingness to abide by ideals that are rooted in human dignity, freedom, the right to vote, the right to speak, and the right to dissent. That is what is on the line this year. Choose wisely.