The Pros and Cons of Biden’s Top Vice-Presidential Prospects

On Tuesday, Joe Biden set off a new wave of speculation about his running mate when cameras captured his handwritten talking points about Kamala Harris (“Do not hold grudges”; “Campaigned with me & Jill”; “Talented”; “Great help to campaign”; “Great respect for her”). What that means for the senator’s chances is unclear, but we should know soon; Biden also confirmed that he will announce his vice-presidential pick during the “first week in August.” So we are in the short rows for this long-anticipated event and can now present the main prospects for the last time, with their pros and cons. Unless noted otherwise, the order of this listing is my own ranking of likelihood, and with that and five bucks you can get a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Senator Kamala Harris. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 1. The Front-Runner: Kamala Harris Pros: The California senator is smack-dab in the middle of the party ideologically; has a solid résumé with federal, state (California attorney general), and local (San Francisco city prosecutor) experience; is both Black and Asian-American; and has presidential campaign experience (including, presumably, opposition and media vetting that would have exposed any serious skeletons in her closet). She’s telegenic and fluent on a wide range of issues. As someone from a very Democratic state with a Democratic governor, there’s little risk of her appointment sacrificing a Senate seat. Cons: Some Biden supporters are still upset by her criticism of his record on school desegregation in a June 2019 Democratic debate, though Uncle Joe himself doesn’t seem to mind. She also drew some progressive criticism for her record as a prosecutor (“Kamala is a Cop”), though she may have offset that with her outspoken positioning during the George Floyd protests. Representative Val Demings. Photo: Shutterstock 2. The Ex-Cop: Val Demings Pros: She received some favorable and high-profile attention as a member of the House impeachment managers’ team early this year. Demings is an established political presence in the Orlando area, a critical region in a key battleground state. Her law-enforcement background (24 years as a police officer and then 3 years as chief of police in Orlando, which experienced a sharp drop in crime rates during her tenure) is traditionally a credential Democrats crave. As a congresswoman, she has nothing in her record that invites intraparty criticism, and has been outspoken about her ability to promote improved police-community relations as a Black former police chief. Cons: The unusually large number of excessive-force allegations against Orlando police when she was chief has become a problem. She hasn’t developed much of an issues profile in her brief congressional tenure (two terms), and as a member of the New Democrat Coalition in the House she may be suspect to progressives. Susan Rice. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images 3. The Late-Trender: Susan Rice Pros: Rice is personally close to Biden

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