Base on the list I have above, a new poll as a new thread might be appropriate at this point.
Actually, I think I will start that.
Here it is:
Huh. So it was. My bad. I wonder why I have those two confused?
Thanks for setting me straight.
Never mind. Wrong thread.
After reading the whole thread, I have concluded that Mark Kelly is the best choice. It won’t mean the loss of a senate seat; the Democratic will choose an immediate replacement (hey, how about well-known astronaut Scott Kelly; no one would know the difference).
Well, now this is a done deal (Harris running instead of Biden), and @Happy_Lendervedder having done the research to assure us that picking Mark Kelly as a running mate does not jeopardize Kelly’s seat in the Senate for the State of Arizona (a crucial hold-onto state), I agree he is by far the best in the stable of available choices.
Kelly is a great guy, smart, brave and has a little seasoning on him. I admired the hell out of him for how he looked after his wife when she was shot. He and his wife lend a lot of gravitas to the gun control debate. That will hopefully appeal to younger voters.
Also, brother to astronaut. Pretty cool!
Brother to astronaut, and was an astronaut himself! Mark was on four Space Shuttle missions: two as pilot, two as commander.
Thanks for this clarification.
I thought I remembered he was an astronaut himself, but then I remembered that Mark was on the ground while Scott was in space so they could conduct twin studies on the effects of space on the human body. My aging brain had let go of Mark’s own time in space, and I thought I’d confused him with Scott. Turns out I had only confused myself! (Happens too often nowadays…)
I believe Kelly is the better choice of all the names on the list. Harris has a good relationship with him and he brings military experience with him.
Is this the right thread to speculate when Harris should announce her pick?
Tradition would have her wait until just before the convention, but I’m thinking the sooner she makes her choice the better. Don’t give voters any time to fall in love with their favorite. Nor keep contenders thinking they have a chance for weeks. Take advantage of the party rally around Harris and get the choice out now. I think that will go a long way toward circumventing any hard feelings by the also-rans and their supporters.
Kelly is a great choice- Az is a purple state. Mind you a Southerner or Rust belter would be nice, but nothing wrong with Kelly.
Not to mention he was a USN captain, so there is the military angle.
I think it fits the thread, but I’ll hide my reply in case a mod thinks this is a tangent.
Summary
I think it’s better to wait a while until there’s a need to grab media attention. Right now, all the media is already focused on Harris, so there’s nothing gained by another announcement.
Wait until it dies down or Trump does something to get attention, then quickly steal it back.
Kelly also diffuses one of the Republican’s biggest talking points: The Southern Border.
Kamala Harris was given a prominent role in the Biden administration to address the “refugee crisis”, and made no headway (although I don’t think it was her fault - there was no means of navigating that morass).
The Republicans are going to howl, loudly and repeatedly, that she’s going to be disaster on securing the border.
But with an Arizona senator as her running mate, the democrats can say that they are taking the issue very seriously, and putting somebody on the ticket that will be mindful of the problem.
Not that I doubt you, but what are the indications that Harris and Kelly have a good relationship?
Meanwhile, there’s growing support for this pick.
Pritzker will be a future contender himself in the future but his attributes bring negatives to her ticket.
See concerns over Shapiro being Jewish, a very very rich one? Woo boy.
Does not reach out to any demographic that needs reaching out to. Does not help a swing state.
Good at attacking Trump though. And brings funding out of loose change in his sofa.
It was mentioned this morning on cnn. I gonna reckon they crossed paths on gun issues.
Maybe I do not have enough imagination to see it.
Here is the problem:
Kelly breaks with Biden over ‘dumb’ decision on immigration
Can you explain in a few sentences how this history fits into the defusing?
Trying to think about it, maybe Harris says we were wrong and Kelly taught me. Is that it?
Yes. Regardless of whether or not his views eventually become policy, adding Kelly to the ticket - with his more conservative position on immigration - makes it harder for trump to turn the border into a democratic liability.
I’m kinda with @PhillyGuy – the VP having a more conservative position on immigration just highlights a split in the Democratic Party over immigration and leads to tough questions. HAS Harris changed her position? Does she agree with him that it was a mistake for the Administration to end Title 42? Doing so would anger progressives – who Harris will need to turn out and vote as well.
Regardless, he’s certainly not going to “defuse” the border as an issue – Republicans believe it’s their top issue and Harris is inextricably tied to the Administration’s efforts in this area.
No deep dive hijack of thread into a border debate. Start a new thread or find an old one.
Enough here.
Moderating
On msnbc Atlantic reporter said that Kelly and Shapiro are the 2 that worry team trump.
If Whitmer’s out, it doesn’t matter, but part of me thinks 2 women would be better for low-key misogynists than a dude balancing the ticket. If women in power make you vaguely uncomfortable, a man holding her purse, so to speak, may make you even more uncomfortable. Ifs not like the VP is going to be playing George Wallace to her Lurleen. Its even more unnatural than two practical, hardworking women working together.