Up To Date with Ethan Callender Entry 4: Veep, Veep!

As of now, Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee for President in the coming election, has picked his Vice President. She is the first black and South Asian woman on a major party’s Presidential ticket, meaning that history can still be made in this election. She is a Senator from California, and an accomplished former District Attorney, all while being decades younger than Biden. In the Senate, she is widely regarded as a strong presence and an intense interrogator. Her name is Kamala Harris. Her being picked as Biden’s VP is to be expected considering the drastic demographic differences, but I believe she is also a safe and smart choice for the role.

To begin, let’s analyze her plentiful qualifications. She is a former prosecutor and DA, but that does have its downsides in context. For one thing, the Democratic Party and California had much stricter criminal stances at the time, as did most of the country. As a prosecutor and DA, she had to balance the existing rulebooks with her own slightly more progressive approach. Nevertheless, she eventually became California’s Attorney General, and then a Senator.  However, what solidified her as an outright rising star was her questioning of Supreme Court nominee-turned-Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The topic was the judge’s unwillingness to ask for an FBI investigation into past sexual misconduct of which he was accused. Of course, Kavanaugh got confirmed by the Senate anyway, but basically all of the Democratic minority seemed to gel with Kamala’s take.

Now, we must talk about what truly made her a household name; her campaign for the presidency. At the time, I saw her as highly electable, but with notable baggage that I already mentioned, as well as a perceived inconsistency between her shown abilities and potential. After an incredible start, she quickly lost momentum, and dropped out of the race. Now, I can say that she is reaching the potential that was only hinted at during her campaign, which is much higher than a lot of people believed when she was running. The time away from the most blinding part of the spotlight seems to have done her some good, and further reflection on her record reveals a much stronger political mind than previously realized. 

Of course, those traits pair very well with Joe Biden. Both have records as Senators, which will probably help with lawmaking and general reforms. The diversity between the two on many fronts helps encompass more of the country than Biden could have reached on his own. Also, I can’t deny that Biden lacks some sharpness at times, but America is probably used to occasional “blunders” by now, seeing that Trump is in charge. Needless to say, the office of President comes with a good public relations team, and having someone as to-the-point as Kamala as his VP will be of great assistance in that regard. All that being said, Biden’s candidacy is looking stronger than ever now, thanks to a wise, if expected, Vice Presidential choice.