Democrats’ giddiness over Vice President Kamala Harris’ competitive “vice presidential bids” is underscoring the party’s new enthusiasm for what it considers to be a deep and formidable bench that could last well beyond 2024.
The conversation over who could become Harris’ running mate has elevated several rising stars in the party, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Calif.) Pa. ) and gave Democrats a boost of energy for future cycles.
“We saw through the veepstakes process that Democrats have a deep bench – which includes governors, senators and other elected officials. I think it’s exciting for Democrats and energizing,” said Democratic strategist Tim Hogan, who served as communications director when Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) ran for the White House in 2020.
“The main excitement is that all of these people are deeply qualified and that there is an embarrassment of riches for the party and for Vice President Harris as she chooses a running mate.”
Before his historic withdrawal, President Biden’s presence at the polls “stifled what needed to be a generational shift” for Democrats, said Larry Jacobs, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota.
Voters were apathetic to the idea of a rematch between Trump and Biden, and the incumbent was overwhelmed by a barrage of concerns about his age and warning signs that key demographics, including younger voters and voters of color, were hurting the election. broken.
“By resigning, Biden has sort of uncorked and uncorked the next generation of political leaders. And Kamala Harris is part of that,” Jacobs said.
When announcing his withdrawal, the president argued that it is time for new “younger voices” and that “the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation”.
And by elevating Harris, who made history as the first woman and first person of color to assume the role of second-in-command, Biden renewed enthusiasm about the party’s future.
Now, talk of who could join Harris on the new ticket — made urgent by the short period before she accepts official approval at the party convention next month — has boosted Biden’s top surrogates and launched lesser-known Democrats into the national conversation. .
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has covered the airwaves in the days since Harris took over for Biden, and Shapiro is on a path to disrupt Harris in her critical battleground state. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has said she does not intend to seek second place, but is nonetheless fueling speculation about her next move.
Observers suggest Harris will turn to a swing-state governor like Kelly or Shapiro to help shore up a key swing state. But in a series of media appearances that, to some observers, seemed like heated auditions for a larger national role, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear became one of the country’s leading attack dogs, defending the vice president as the leader. successful Democrat from a red state.
At the same time, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz went viral for his down-to-earth branding of Trump as “weird,” a label the Harris campaign quickly latched onto.
The surprise veepstakes is serving as a “speed dating” exercise for voters, heralding a new class of high-profile party leaders, said Democratic strategist and lawyer Abou Amara.
“It is an opportunity for the country to meet Democrats in leadership in different states in a very unique way. I can’t think of another time we’ve had an opportunity like this,” said Democratic strategist Martha McKenna, who argued that it opened up a “healthier” dialogue about the future of Democrats.
“Across the hall, [it’s] as if everything was related to Donald Trump. He likes you? …Is he in a good mood?” McKenna said. “Whereas I feel like we’re in a situation where, even with Biden gone, a few weeks of conversation about the level of talent and strength among governors and senators and cabinet secretaries is allowed here.”
The stage is now set forthe first run for the White House in decadeswithout Biden, Clinton or Bush at the top of the ticket, key names that have long dominated the Democratic leadership.
These standard bearers “did great things” for the party, Amara said. But he noted that while they were in charge, “you had a lot of pent-up demand, pent-up talent that didn’t really get the sunlight and the care that it deserves.”
The veepstakes are building optimism not just about Harris’ vice presidential pick and her chances in November, but about who the party could field in future voting cycles.
Newsom, Whitmer and several other Veepstakes candidates — many of whom were also rumored names amid negotiations over who could replace Biden on the Democratic ticket before he endorsed Harris — have already raised speculation about a run for the White House in 2028 and beyond.
And while many of the names will already be familiar to political observers, they will be new to many ordinary voters.
“The American people can see the harvest, this new generation of Democratic leaders, and I think they are excited not just by the diversity within them, not just by the energy, not just by the generational change, but by the sheer numbers,” Amara said.
“I mean, we have nearly a dozen top-notch talent in the Senate, governors’ offices across the country — and for many, this is their first introduction to the depth of the bench.”
Harris was the only candidate to win enough delegates to qualify for the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) virtual call to nominate the party’s official presidential candidate, a process that is expected to conclude on August 7.
She is expected to choose her running mate in the coming days, with plans to begin a statewide tour alongside her pick in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, next week. The Democratic convention begins in Chicago on August 19.
The first polls on the Trump-Harris confrontation suggest that the vice president is closing the gap on her Republican rival, but is still heading towards a competitive autumn contest, with fierce fights in important battlegrounds.
But even if Harris doesn’t win the White House in November, the post-2024 conversation is more likely to focus now on the next generation rather than “shedding blood” because Biden “blown” her chances, said Jacobs, the political scientist. . teacher.
“It’s really going to be: OK, who’s the talent going forward? Who is the voice of the party? This is what we are seeing now. It’s setting the stage for the 2025 and beyond 2028 conversations about the direction of the Democratic Party,” Jacobs said.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
