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As a progressive, my preference for VP was Elizabeth Warren for a number of reasons… But I think Kamala Harris is a great choice… here are some of the reasons why. (1/17)
Kamala Harris has one of the most (if not the most) progressive voting records in the Senate. Out of the candidates on Biden’s shortlist, only Warren and perhaps Karen Bass were more progressive. (2/17) https://www.newsweek.com/kamala-harris-more-liberal-bernie-sanders-senate-record-analysis-shows-1524481
The fact that Kamala has a national profile and went through the process of running for President means that she has thought through her positions and developed a platform - preparing her for the Presidency, giving her an edge over those who didn’t go through this process. (3/17)
From a progressive policy standpoint - she was 1 of 14 senators to co-sponsor Bernie Sanders Medicare For All Bill. (4/17) https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/30/politics/kamala-harris-bernie-sanders-single-payer-medicare/index.html
And during the pandemic – she has called for very progressive measures to help people who are financially struggling - including $2,000 a month for every American. (5/17) https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-sanders-markey-introduce-bill-to-provide-monthly-2000-payments-during-the-covid-19-crisis-
She has also proposed legislation that would ban evictions and foreclosures for a year. (6/17) https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/16/kamala-harris-housing-evictions-366413
She was also one of the authors of the "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act," which admittedly does not go far enough - but has an incredibly important provision to do away with "qualified immunity," one of the main obstacles for holding police officers accountable. (7/17)
She also teamed up with AOC to unveil a climate equity bill – which is not only a critically important issue – but shows an ability and interest in collaborating with progressive leaders. (8/17) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/us/politics/kamala-harris-aoc-climate-change.html
There are certainly good faith criticisms that can be made about her time as a prosecutor, or AG - but I found this article written by a public defender on the opposing side to Harris on many issues incredibly illuminating. (9/17) https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2020/08/10/kamala-harris-progressive-pioneer-san-francisco-da-column/3334668001/
And I am inspired by her strength and leadership in securing billions of dollars for Americans hurt by the financial crisis. (10/17) https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-harris-banks-20161016-snap-story.html
It is worth noting that she enlisted the help of progressive superstar Katie Porter in that effort – who considers both Warren and Harris to be her mentors. That sounds like pretty good company to me. (11/17) https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a25558414/katie-porter-california-congress-interview/
It’s also nice to see a smile THIS BIG on one of my progressive heroes, Barbara Lee (perhaps THE most progressive member of congress) when she learned of Harris’ nomination. 12/17) https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/rep-barbara-lee-reacts-to-biden-selecting-harris-as-vp-candidate/2343024/
And from a purely political perspective, I think Kamala makes sense. Her questioning of Barr and Kavanaugh make me pretty excited about the prospect of her debating Mike Pence. She is tough and smart and charismatic. (13/17)
I think she is both more progressive than the left gives her credit for and less “radical” than the right will try to portray her as. No one is going to buy the argument that she is a radical leftist & if they do, they were never going to vote Biden, or it will be a plus. (14/17)
And the Trump campaign will be incapable of attacking her on her record as a prosecutor - either from the right or the left. They can’t say that she wants to abolish the police or is soft on crime... because she was a prosecutor. (15/17)
She has the experience and knowledge to easily prosecute the case against their assault on the rule of law... and they can’t flank her from the left and tout criminal justice reform because she has much more significant bona fides and understanding in this arena. (16/17)
And finally, she is the daughter of Immigrants... A history making choice. I can’t help but feel inspired by the Black women and other PoC in my feed who feel acknowledged and seen and heard and respected because of this choice. And I believe representation matters. (17/17)
