• Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
The Screaming Moderate

The comparison is stark. That's the point.

8/12/2020

0 Comments

 
Trump/Pence vs. Biden/Harris.

What do you think? I imagine most folks who are not planning to vote for President Trump are quite happy with the former vice president’s choice of a running mate.

California Sen. Kamala Harris is smart. Tested. Tough. Can be fun, soft and genuine in an interview, showing her true personality.

Biden proved, if he had to, that he can overlook a tough shot taken at him in a debate by his selection and still do the right thing and “bring folks together.” It’s a great comparison with Trump who famously holds grudges, seemingly forever or until his grudge target gets on his knees and pledges fealty.

And, most importantly,  Sen. Kamala Harris is experienced enough to take over the Oval Office in an emergency.

So, Biden accomplished the primary goal in choosing a running mate: Do no harm.
In fact, she does some good for him.

Harris has all the qualities a presidential candidate seeks in a vice president. And, so far, she’s getting fantastic press and reactions to Biden’s choice. Her selection likely will dominate the news through the Sunday shows.

Unless Trump has something up his sleeve to distract from her. Toying with the idea of talking to Putin about his (untested) coronavirus vaccine and possibly bringing it here?
 That would dominate the media for sure.

Meantime, let’s get on with the show.

Because, folks, Sen. Harris did no harm and did Biden some good but the fact is this election is Biden v. Trump.  We can all anticipate with glee the vice presidential debate but, the fact is, unless Pence or Harris mess up royally, that debate matters not much.

Sen. Harris was, among the options Biden laid out for himself, the best and safest choice. In the old days, a vice presidential selection was as much about helping to win a state in the Electoral College. But there is at least one generation of voters who have never seen a veep candidate chosen, successfully anyway, to deliver a particular state.

There’s little doubt Biden can carry Harris' home state of California with or without her. And remember, I said safest among the candidates he interviewed. The first African American/Indian woman on a national ticket is no easy choice. Biden clearly though was going to select a woman and likely a woman of color.

This choice, though, was as much about turnout. Sen. Harris will likely draw more voters to the Democratic ticket especially among women (especially the all-important suburban women) and among African-American and Indian-American voters. This is good for Biden because there has been question about what his pull will be especially with young, progressive voters and young African-American voters.

And Biden, by virtue of his being the oldest person ever elected president if he wins, and because of important issues happening right now (race relations, police brutality, and more) is reshaping the party, especially if he wins. Others on his potential veep list for the most part will be exceptional choices for his staff and government if he wins. Imagine Susan Rice or Sen. Warren as chief of staff. Or Rice as secretary of state and Warren in the financial area somewhere (Treasury?). Imagine Mayor Pete being named to the Cabinet (Health and Human Services? Housing?).

You can see how a Biden Cabinet would look much more like America than the current Cabinet, or any before it, in fact.

President Trump and his political advisors, while not surprised by the Harris choice, do have some thinking to do beyond their first, amateurish ad after the Harris choice.  Nicknames like Slow Joe and Phony Kamala won’t win any more votes than he already has with his “base.”

I imagine the Biden campaign will use Trump’s nicknaming his enemies for ridicule as one more way they will contrast Biden with the childish Trump tactic. So, Sleepy Joe and Phony Kamala away, Mr. President, this time It will backfire.

Will Trump dump Pence to find a running mate that tries to match Harris (Nikki Haley?). Trump certainly is craven enough but Mike Pence has been so loyal to him – a  lap dog as was labeled a former Republican vice president – I don’t see how he gets away with it except, of course, with his “base” although I can imagine the evangelical bloc not being happy about changing out the devout Pence. And some of those voters already have been peeling off Trump. Can he afford to lose any more?

This will be, if it isn’t already, the dirtiest campaign we’ve ever seen.

Already Trump has tweeted that the “’suburban housewife’ will be voting for me. They want safety & are thrilled that I ended the long running program where low income housing would invade their neighborhood. Biden would reinstall it, in a bigger form, with Corey Booker in charge!”

You might wonder why Trump chose Sen. Cory (correct spelling) Booker to symbolize this program and reinforce his not really subliminal message that “low income housing” is a not-so code for “brown people.” Booker not only is African-American, he has lived in low-income housing.

Trump is making no secret of his plan to make race an issue in this campaign as he did his first.

Biden’s campaign is clearly setting up the comparison with Trump both on his crass tactics and his fumbling, failing leadership.

And Biden/Harris may be the perfect ticket to take that on.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

     
    Follow @bjaycooper

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

powered by bjaycooper.com