Harris has some good VP choices. The best one is Mark Kelly. - Tumulty WaPo

[question everything]

As the Democratic Party coalesces around Vice President Harris to be its nominee following President Biden’s withdrawal from the race on Sunday, attention is quickly turning to the next matter at hand: Who should she pick for a running mate? It’s a decision she should make as quickly as the vetting process allows. Lucky for her, Harris has a wealth of appealing options among her party’s next generation of leaders. That starts with its governors, some of whom come from states Democrats need most to win, including Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

It is easy to make an argument for any of them, but I think Harris’s smartest selection would be Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. Kelly’s credentials begin with his dazzling biography as a combat-tested Navy pilot and NASA astronaut who commanded shuttle missions aboard both the Discovery and Endeavour and traveled more than 20 million miles in space.

He has also turned out to be a supremely skillful politician in a tough state where the Biden-Harris ticket has been running behind. Kelly won a close race in 2020 to fill the unexpired term of John McCain (R) and then turned around to win it again two years later — this time, with a more comfortable five-point margin against a hard-right Republican election conspiracy theorist endorsed by Donald Trump. Kelly significantly outperformed late polls showing him behind in the race. (If Kelly were to be elected vice president, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, would appoint a replacement to serve as senator until a special election in 2026.)

Picking Kelly, who at 60 is roughly the same age as Harris, would help inoculate her in areas where she is likely to be vulnerable. That starts with immigration. Trump’s campaign has already made clear this would be a line of attack against Harris. The former president has labeled her Biden’s “border czar,” an inaccurate description of her portfolio dealing with the root causes of migration from Central America.

(snip)

Kelly retired from NASA and the Navy after a 2011 assassination attempt at a Tucson grocery store left his wife, then-Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, severely disabled and six others dead. While overseeing her care as she slowly regained some of her ability to speak and walk, Kelly developed a new understanding of how this nation’s gun laws work — and don’t. “I was a gun owner, supporter of the Second Amendment, as I still am,” he told me in a July 2022 interview for a profile I was writing about Giffords. “But I didn’t really know the details.” The couple founded an organization that has helped pass sensible gun laws in nearly every state.

More..

https://wapo.st/3WkjWzM

[TwilightZone]

1. He might be the best, but he's probably the least practical.

We need that Senate seat.

[question everything]

5. He has two more years left and until then AZ D governor will fill it.

[awesomerwb1]

26. In two years he'll win his re-election

someone else might not.

[SocialDemocrat61]

2. I have confidence

the the Harris campaign will examine all the contenders and make the best possible choice.

[PortTack]

6. Dem gov there picks his replacement

[msfiddlestix]

3. Not now. He's occupying a vitally important U.S. Senate Seat. I don't believe we have a shoe -in to take his place,

Or is there?

[question everything]

7. Which will be filled by AZ D governor until 2026

[msfiddlestix]

44. Well, Good to know! thanks for the info.

[PortTack]

4. Shapiro...will land PA and help with other MW states. He has a 64% approval rating in the state.

Very dynamic speaker!

[SocialDemocrat61]

9. I hate to say

But anti-semitism is too rampant in this country at the moment, on both the right and the left. He may end up being a drag on the ticket, especially with young people It’s very regrettable but it’s just reality at the current moment.

[Electrolite]

14. Antisemitism on the left is not really a thing.

Not enough to mention IMHO. It's way overblown.

[SocialDemocrat61]

15. Maybe so.

I hope you are right.

[Electrolite]

16. Anti-Likudnik? That's another story.

Sometimes confused with antisemitism.

[SocialDemocrat61]

17. Very true.

[question everything]

23. No, he is very much wrong. I have not thought that something like that would be posted on these pages

[Electrolite]

35. Why not?

Don't lump me together with the violent and the stupid. I am neither. This is a discussion board. Does everyone have to hold your opinion with regard to Israel?

[Elessar Zappa]

21. It is a thing.

Not near as much of a problem as it is on the right but it exists. Look at some of the protesters marching against Israel. Their signs and words were pure anti-Jewish trash. Not all of them, of course, but some.

[Electrolite]

34. Some, sure. But can I remind you of Charlottesville? "Jews will not replace us".

There were many stupid fucks saying stupid shit after 10/7 to be sure. Doing stupid, violent shit as well. I am not certain they were Democrats and I am not certain that they were liberals for that matter. There are a lot of farkin idiots out there. I think a lot of it was reaction to the level of violence that was occurring in Gaza.

And there has also been a big lump together of anyone who criticizes Israel and Bibi Nit is automatically antisemitic, which is not true. I don't like Bibi at all. I am not antisemitic at all either.

To put it another way, if you are saying and doing antisemitic shit, acting violently, then you are not really a liberal, even if you proclaim to be.

[question everything]

22. Just joined us? Try to search these pages for all the supposedly anti Israel protesters who attacked Jewa on campuses

the attackers of elderly worshipers on their way to synagogues the recent vandalism against a Jewish board member of a museum in New York.

Where have you been hiding during the last nine months?

[Electrolite]

31. Are those attacks done by liberals? Confirmed? Democrats? Or just lunatics?

I don't really want to fight this battle. Antisemitism is real. Just not equal on both sides. Not even close.

[lindysalsagal]

18. Yes, but he's so easy to like, he'd be perfect. Plus we need to

Hold Mark's az senate seat.

[SocialDemocrat61]

19. He might be

But there are also other options. I trust that the campaign will weigh the positives and negatives of all the contenders and make the best choice.

[question everything]

20. And the future First Gentleman is a Jew, too

[SocialDemocrat61]

24. Isn't sad

that we aren’t past bs like that yet.

[Cha]

25. Then don't say it. Sorry why

Even go there?

[SocialDemocrat61]

27. Because it's reality

And it has to be a consideration. The role of a running mate is to help with either a swing state or demographic. They have to help bring voters in, not alienate groups needed to win. All the contenders for VP have their positives and negatives. They must be considered objectively.

[Cha]

32. You've seen the

Opinions who think Josh Shapiro’s qualities outshine any perceived drawbacks..

I also love that our 2nd Gentleman is Jewish!

Im confident that Team Kamala Harris will choose her best running mate like Obama did with Joe Biden.

[SocialDemocrat61]

33. I agree

All the contenders have upsides and downsides. It’s the job of the campaign is to analyze them objectively. I assume they will make the right choice.

[question everything]

45. Because if we here do not acknowledge this they will reminds us.

And with both the First Gentleman and the Second couple Jews it will not take long for the Tiki torches to start
marching. This does not mean that Shapiro should not be considered but sticking our head in the sand is counterproductive.

[brush]

29. What does anti-semitism have to do with Senator Kelly as the VP pick?

Is he Jewish, or a campaigner against the Gaza war?

[SocialDemocrat61]

30. It doesn't

I was replying to a post about Gov. Shapiro.

[honest.abe]

38. I hate that the decision will be affected by anti-semitism.

That's so wrong.

[SocialDemocrat61]

39. It is unfortunately

[honest.abe]

40. God I hope not. Good grief her husband is Jewish.

I do not think Shapiro's "jewishness" will disqualify him.

[SocialDemocrat61]

41. It depends

The campaign will objectively weigh the positives and negatives of all the contenders and will make a choice based on which one puts democrats in the best position to win the election.

[honest.abe]

42. Of course, but I seriously doubt anti-semitism will be high on the list of negatives.

That is so against Democratic values.

[SocialDemocrat61]

43. Of course it is

But the issue is the voters, not the candidate. And in the current climate, the feelings of some groups have to be considered.

[Srkdqltr]

8. Someone who is not shy about calling out Trump. Up to now the Dems have been afraid of him.

Time to take the gloves off and speak up.
I think Kamala can and will. Strong voices are needed.
I think Kelly would be good.

[ImNotGod]

10. WaPo or any other corporate media outlet pushing a VP pick isn't very persuasive to me. nt

[Cha]

28. Exactly.. they can FO.

[BeyondGeography]

11. This is going to be a war

We need a running mate who can throw a punch and inspire people. Shapiro’s takedowns of Trump are some of the best I’ve seen. He has the goods and he brings 19 EV’s with him.

[bahboo]

12. I do think having a military background will help....

[MustLoveBeagles]

13. I'm partial to Kelly but will support whoever she chooses

[LiberalFighter]

36. I doubt Karen Tumulty has the right understanding.

I will trust Eric Holder to provide Harris the best options.

[pinkstarburst]

37. I think his senate seat is too valuable to lose