Together, they can best make case for racial fairness
In selecting Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, Joe Biden placed the first Black (AfricanAmerican) and Brown (Indian-American) woman to run on a national ticket.
Everyone remembers that early Democratic Party debate where Kamala Harris called Joe Biden out for his personal opposition to busing and a dealmaking past — which he celebrated — with oldschool Southern Democrats, segregationist politicians who didn’t just oppose busing, but pushed back against the continued expansion of civil rights for African-Americans.
Taking the fight to Biden, Harris said with emotion, “There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day. That little girl was me” The former VP was put on the defensive for most of that debate.
Few recall the next time they crossed paths on the debate stage. Biden crossed the stage, shook hands with Harris, and said, “Go easy on me, Kid.” Sure, some called the septuagenarian condescending, but it showed two things: 1) Joe Biden doesn’t hold grudges; and 2) He’s been around long enough to know how to disarm even his harshest critics with charm and graciousness.
That’s what makes picking Harris as Biden’s running mate not merely historic, but also smart and interesting. Sure, Harris age (55) makes a good balance for a 77-year-old, in terms of someone who could step into the top job if necessary. But, the individual life arcs of these two make a great story for an America once again having a racial reckoning moment.
If the biracial woman could call out an older white man about his blindness and he can turn around and literally and figuratively embrace her as a partner attempting to rescue America during its worst moment in 100 years, well, that’s a powerful message. Each of their personalities balances the other’s: He brings oldschool hail-and-well-met Catholic charm; she brings a daughter-of-two-immigrants steely toughness on display in several congressional hearings. (Harris was one of the few to throw William Barr off his game in his confirmation hearing; expect that to be revisited if and when Barr drops a preelection “Obamagate” surprise courtesy of Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham).
Because Biden and Harris are not perfect, they have the opportunity to guide this conversation in a way that does not label all participants guilty until proven innocent. Let the reality of their own errors guide them going forward.
To the extent the racial reckoning centers around criminal justice reform, Biden and Harris are front and center — in messy ways. He co-wrote the 1994 crime bill that many progressives blame for mass incarceration.
She was a hard-edged prosecutor who gave rise to the “Kamala is a cop” social media meme.
Fine. Lean into that reality, but embrace the humility. Own up to errors, but speak to Americans believing in safety, understanding the need for racial fairness and profoundly disturbed by Donald Trump’s blanket racialism and callous stoking of division.
Biden and Harris may be uniquely, imperfectly, situated to make that case.