Harris’s First Major Mistake:  Doubling Down on a Progressive as Her Running Mate

Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris just made the first real blunder of her campaign. She has picked, in Governor Waltz of Minnesota, a running mate who aligns closely with the candidate’s own ultra-liberal political leanings, instead of trying to expand her appeal. That is what Democrats criticized President Trump of doing when he selected, in Senator Vance of Ohio, a candidate who solidified his conservative base rather than broadening his reach.

Picking Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party member Mr. Walz confirms Mrs. Harris’ progressive bent but also confirms a troubling reality about the Democrat Party.  The vice president’s choice boiled down to two contenders: Mr. Walz and Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania. In selecting Mr. Walz, Mrs. Harris passed over a candidate many expected to pose a major challenge to the GOP — a choice exposing that antisemitism is an issue in the Democratic Party.

Pennsylvania delivers 19 Electoral College votes. It is considered a must-win for both parties. If Mrs. Harris had picked the popular Mr. Shapiro, who earns approval ratings above 50 percent, she would have significantly increased her chances of winning the Keystone State. She might need that boost, given her past opposition to fracking, which accounts for hundreds of thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania and tens of billions of dollars in income.

Mr. Shapiro is a traditional Democrat, who wants to expand unions but also encourages small businesses. He has broken from the left wing of his party by embracing the state’s oil and gas industry while simultaneously echoing concerns about climate change. He also favors robust law enforcement and, most surprising, last year endorsed a Republican-backed proposal in his state to spend $100 million for vouchers offering families a choice between private and public schools. After huge blowback from teachers’ unions, Mr. Shapiro later rescinded his support, but his instincts were admirable. 

Mr. Shapiro would have made an excellent vice-presidential candidate. However, as a pro-Israel Jew, he was unacceptable to the progressive left. The Democratic Socialists of America, which includes Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York among its members, posted an open letter on X denouncing Mr. Shapiro as an “outspoken supporter of the Zionist project in Palestine,” which the group says has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians.   

To read more of this article: https://www.nysun.com/article/harriss-first-major-mistake-doubling-down-on-a-progressive-as-her-running-mate

Published in The New York Sun