I want to make sure we all agree on what you’re saying here, because I don’t want to put words in your mouth. Are you saying all the VP candidates are “Zionists” to @Happy_Lendervedder’s post you were responding too? Are you saying that all the VP candidates would be considered Zionists by the angry supports of Palestine? Or something else entirely?
Because I’d disagree on the first, but probably could entertain the subject on the second, and you may have meant something else entirely.
I bring this up in regards to selecting a VP because if anything BUT support for Palestine from a Democratic candidate = Zionist, then those voters indeed may be well and truly lost no matter what, at which point, Shapiro is no better and no worse on that particular issue than any other candidate.
Thanks in advance for answering the honest question.
One question I have in my mind is – are there still a lot of proud Pennsylvanians, or is that all gone? I do remember Gov. Scranton, many years ago, making fun of claims we Pennsylvanians were better than others. But at least of few of us still have a positive state identity. We certainly make jokes about New Jersey.
One factor could be that Pennsylvania has a high percent of residents who were born here – almost twice the precent of Arizonans born in Arizona. I wonder if this makes it more plausible that middle of the road Pennsylvanians would want to elevate one of their own to national office.
Does Shapiro have to be on the ballot for VP in order to swing Pennsylvania to Harris? Couldn’t he be just as effective at getting out the blue vote by campaigning energetically for the Dem ticket? Indeed, if he were a candidate he’d be diffusing his efforts over a lot of other states, but if he’s not he could focus his surrogate efforts entirely on Pennsylvania.
I’ve posted links before on the poly sci theme of campaigning just not working. There are opposing studies saying that it works some. But I do not think there is much evidence of it working a tremendous amount.
Most voters make up their own mind without being told who to vote for. I’m not saying they do it in a verbal part of their mind. They vote based on their own feelings. If they – we are talking about no more than 2 or 3 percent of eligible Pennsylvania voters – like the idea of one of their own, Josh Shapiro, holding national office – they may vote for a Harris - Shapiro ticket, even though they normally do not bother to vote, or vote for local offices only, or reluctantly vote for Trump. Would any of those Pennsylvanians have the same feeling because Shapiro told them to vote for the Harris - Kelly ticket? Maybe a few, but it is generally implausible to me.
According to the article, “Fetterman’s advisers suggested to Harris’ team that the senator believes that Shapiro is excessively focused on his own personal ambitions.”
Nothing to worry about there. If you want to completely smother someone’s political career, it’s pretty easy to do that by making them Vice President.
I’m looking for the same kind of article on Mark Kelly — one with his Arizona endorsements for VP. The Arizona Democratic Party has endorsed him. But as far as can tell, Arizona’s Democratic governor, and big city mayors, have not. Does this tell us anything about Kelly, or about how politics works in Arizona (or, if I missed the endorsements, my googling skills)?
I suppose a Sinema endorsement would not be welcome.
They talk about it not making a huge impact, but I can almost say for sure* that if Whitmer had been chosen, Michigan would have rallied behind and been blue. Now? It’s 50-50.
What a stupid criticism. That’s every politician. And putting him on the ticket means his personal ambitions are directly tied to getting the ticket elected.
Actually, I see a real difference between a politician who is in “the game” to reach a high position and one who is interested in service to help make people’s lives better.
Shapiro seems to fall in the first camp. I have no firsthand knowledge, of course; this is just my feeling based on some video clips of him imitating Obama and reading about how he handled difficult situations in his office. (Pro tip: protect both the alleged harasser and the alleged victim by moving one of them to a safer position immediately; don’t let the alleged harasser stay in a position of power over the alleged victim for six months while you investigate and he retaliates)
Walz seems to be in it for service. National guard, high school teacher, football coach who sponsored the first Gay-straight alliance group in his school. Good dad. Great communicator. Gave us “weird.”
I’m maybe a weird duck: I don’t get the East-coast hierarchy of pedigrees. But in my community, credibility matters. And I’ll tune out Trump and Vance and Shapiro but I’d love to listen to Harris and Walz for the next three months or four years.
Bookmakers set odds to try to establish that the bets are distributed in such a way that no single outcome can make them lose money. Not quite the same thing.
This is getting absolutely nuts. I still feel Shapiro MAY bring in PA electoral votes, but I feel we lose votes in other states. Now I’m hoping (still) for Kelly, if not, Walz.
I’d rather have Shapiro stay PA’s Governor. He’s barely started his term. He might be a flash in the pan and do terribly. But I’d still want him here holding down the state.
I’d love to see a Harris/Buttigieg ticket. Keeps it young and vibrant and Mayor Pete is a great, maybe the best, communicator for the dems. But, he’s young and gay which may be a bridge too far for this election.
Which to me leaves Kelly and Walz. Kelly has a better resume but is a bit flat. Walz seems better when speaking.
Tough call. Any of them I think can work well. I would not not be upset with any of them.
Since they can send Buttigieg on rounds to speak on behalf of the campaign I think they will opt for Kelly or Walz. Buttigieg will get his time later.
I still say Kelly. Nothing objectionable about him.
Shapiro? Too Jewish. Buttegieg? Too gay.
As I said before, Harris needs to avoid “too much too soon,” on the DEI side. She’s half-Black, half-Indian, which already diminishes her in some Americans’ eyes. Put a solid white male US American behind her (military experience, which Americans seem to love, and an astronaut, to boot!), and she’d be a force to be reckoned with.