At this point the Democrats have chosen Kamala Harris as their nominee for president and are in the process of choosing a vice presidential nominee from among several leading candidates. Since President Biden’s withdrawal events have moved swiftly and the 2024 presidential contest has unalterably been changed. The jury is out as to what will happen in November and which side benefits from the unprecedented changes.
The fact is that the Democrats have not been in charge as much as they have been forced to respond to conditions on the ground – the meltdown of Joe Biden and the reality that it would be bad politics to pass over the sitting vice president in favor of a replacement candidate. Harris, by virtue of her Jamaican and Indian descent, commands a bloc of votes that the Democrats desperately need to win the presidency. Other potential candidates, whatever their merits, have to settle for a vice presidential nod at best.
Right now, choosing the party’s vice presidential nominee is the big question. While there are several well qualified candidates, including Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky, Roy Cooper, governor of North Carolina, Gretchen Whitmer governor of Michigan and others, Mark Kelly, senator from Arizona strikes me as the best choice.
As always, choosing a running mate is dicey. VP nominees must be personally compatible with the party’s presidential nominee and broaden the ticket by bringing potential votes and regional balance. They can also present an opportunity to ideologically appeal to the most voters possible.
Senator Kelly meets these criteria and more. He comes across as an affable, serious and thoughtful person who is not driven blindly by personal ideological beliefs. And he has a compelling story as a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut.
As a senator from a border state, Kelly brings invaluable interest and experience in dealing with border security and immigration. He’s tough on border issues and would help balance charges that Democrats favor an open border and are lax on security. Just recently he returned from Mexico City where he met with the Mexican President Obrador about border security.
Recently Jon Tester, senator from Montana, in a tough fight to hang on to his seat, voiced support for Kelly whom he sees as a potential asset to win in conservative states such as his own. Tester, a no-nonsense politician who has managed to get reelected in Montana as a Democrat since 2007, offers a model that more Democrats should adopt if they hope to be successful in rural America.