Veep’s veep

As Harold Wilson once said, a week is a long time in politics. As the Democrats have just demonstrated, so can a day be. That’s about as long as it took Kamala Harris to secure all the delegates she needed to become the presumptive nominee and raise over $100 million dollars. Now the only question is who she will choose as her running mate? All anyone knows for sure (and as I said as soon as Biden stepped down) it will be a white man.

Let’s have a look at the contenders.

I confess I don’t know much about Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, other than the strong stance he took on abortion rights in his re-election campaign and how effectively he’s trashed J D Vance since the Wankmaggot chose him as a running mate. These are both good things, but what else does he bring?

What can I say about Pete Buttigieg? I bloody adore the guy and part of me would love to see a Harris/Buttigieg ticket. But this is the United States we’re talking about. It’s already a huge leap for a lot of Never Wankmaggot Republicans to vote for Harris. A woman of colour president and a gay vice-president? That would probably be a leap too far for many. Pete’s time will definitely come. He’ll only be 50 in 2032 when he can make history as the first gay president.   

Then there is Arizona senator Mark Kelly. When I first heard his name mentioned I thought Harris would be crazy not to choose him. Husband of former Representative Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head by a gun nut. And he was an astronaut! Also, he’s from a border state and can talk knowledgeably about tackling immigration. What a dream story! I’ve since heard Kelly speak. He is not great. Whilst it may be true that at this point a lamppost could beat Vance in a debate, Harris needs a running mate who can inspire on the stump. Kelly isn’t that guy.

Since it was reported that Kamala Harris plans to announce her running mate at a rally in Pennsylvania next week, all eyes have been on that state’s governor Josh Shapiro. I sincerely hope she does not choose him. Shapiro is all in on Israel’s war on Gaza. And nothing suggests that he is a Jew who can see both sides. Yes, Hamas’s killing and kidnapping of Israelis on October 7 was absolutely deplorable. But the Israeli government’s slaughter of innocent men, women and children in Gaza is also deplorable. Not all Palestinians are terrorists, but Shapiro’s condemnation of student protestors suggests that the governor gives little credence to that. The youth vote Biden lost by supporting Israel is back on the table for Harris, but could and probably would be lost if she chooses Shapiro. (Not to be cynical or anything, but if Harris wins, there will be a Jewish man in the White House – her “first gentleman” husband Doug Emhoff, the father of this “cat lady’s” stepchildren.) Oh, and Shapiro’s in favour of private school vouchers, as a coalition of education and racial justice groups pointed out to Harris in an open letter they wrote last week urging her not to choose Shapiro as her running mate.

A week ago I’d never heard of Minnesota governor Tim Walz. Now I love him. It was this interview that did it for me.

I cannot tell you how much I would like to see this witty granddad debate slimy Vance.

Okay, Vice-President Harris, that’s my two cents’ worth. Over to you.