A Biden/Harris ticket would supercharge Dem turnout in the November 2020 election.

[LonePirate]

I love every member of DU’s current Top 4; but there is little doubt that a Biden/Harris ticket would turnout Dem voters in 2020 in massive numbers.

There would an experienced and respected leader atop the ticket for those wanting a return to decency and sanity in Washington. He presses all the right buttons for those seeking a return of the Obama years as well. He’s not afraid to battle it out with 45.

As for Harris, she serves as a bridge to the next generation of leaders as she is smart, competent and will make sure issues of importance to women and POC are front and center in the administration. She would make a great President herself so having her as VP and ready to go is an excellent option.

Biden and Harris as a team would appeal to every voter in America except the die-hard conservatives and racists we would never attract anyway.

Buttigieg would make an excellent Secretary of State and Warren, if we can’t promote her to Dem leader in the Senate, hopefully Majority Leader instead of Schumer, would be outstanding as Treasury Secretary.

While I am still undecided on my preferred candidate, a Biden/Harris ticket announcement would effectively end the primary season today.

[dem4decades]

1. If both perform up to expectations i agree with you. Hard to beat combo.

[Demsrule86]

31. It doesn't have to be someone running for president.

[Renew Deal]

2. Harris is already underperforming

[LongtimeAZDem]

3. Hate to admit it, but you're right.

[dawg]

6. Every female candidate is.

But does that say something about them, or does it say something about us?

[Renew Deal]

11. Neither

People just think that other people are better candidates.

[barbtries]

14. us.

as a culture we are still undervaluing women. every step of the way.

[SunSeeker]

64. Yep. nt

[Hortensis]

86. And the press. With so many, no one gets to be

the shiny, fascinating new object for more than a week or so. Candidate fatigue, and it hits women hardest.

Our fault and the press's. Not the women's, who are all dancing backwards in high heels as compellingly as they can manage.

[zaj]

54. Us, but voting depends on us.

So it's not right, but it's real.

[mcar]

76. It says something about the MSM's deplorable habit of devaluing

female candidates.

[apcalc]

101. +1. They get little or no press coverage, meanwhile the media boys fawn all over the white men.....

double standard

[helpisontheway]

100. It says I'm not going to vote for someone based on gender. I would love

to have a female president. However, I’m voting for the person that has the best chance to beat Trump. I have not decided who that is. If it turns out one of the ladies on the ticket is the best for that then so be it.

[still_one]

28. The choice of a potential VP from the list of those currently running in the Democratic primary,

depends on much more than how they are performing in these very early polls for the nomination, and from my perspective you cannot make a conclusion whether that person would make a good VP pick based on that.

When a VP choice is made, it is made after a person has been nominated, and what you are usually looking for is a person who will bring in support to areas where you are lacking.

By conventional wisdom for example, a blue state Democrat would choose a southern or midwestern choice, with the hope that it would help the ticket in the south or Midwest.

However, dynamics have changed, and gender, race, and other demographic considerations now have to be weighed.

What I am trying to say is that the choice of a VP for any candidate is not a trivial endeavor, and a lot of factors need to be considered

[justie18]

50. But

Joe Biden underperformed in 2008 and yet was chosen to be Obama's VP. No way was Obama going to choose Hillary although the primary was almost a tie.

[wysimdnwyg]

69. Until today (or last night)...

Harris still led the informal DU poll. Biden is in the middle of his announcement bump, and will likely - as with all of the other candidates - drop back a little after a bit of time.

As for national polls, Harris is consistently among the leaders of the second tier of candidates behind Sanders and Biden, who both enjoy a significant advantage in name recognition. Occasionally someone from the second (or third) tier will break out temporarily as the new media darling (see Beto and Mayor Pete), but they inevitably drop back down, if not to their pre-bump numbers, at least back down to second tier status. But for someone without the massive name recognition of Sanders and Biden, and even to the degree of Warren, I'd say Harris is doing quite well. Add in the well established bias against women and people of color (both of which are probably hurting Harris to some degree), and I think she's doing quite well.

A look at Harris's position in each of the last 10 polls (per 538 - unless noted, Biden and Sanders took the top two spots in all polls):
3rd
2nd (no Biden)
4th (1 point behind Pete)
T3rd
T3rd
T2nd (no Biden)
T4th (no Biden, clear outlier for Beto in 3rd, announcement bump for Pete)
6th (announcement bump for Pete, 4-6 separated by 2 points)
4th (1 point behind Pete for 3rd)
4th (1 point behind Pete for 3rd)

Even if you don't discount Buttigieg's announcement bump, Harris is right there with him, with only the two big names ahead of them consistently. I'm not saying Harris will get the nomination, or even that she's necessarily the best candidate (I like her, but I'd be happy with most of our candidates in ANY election, let alone this one), but I don't agree with the whole "underperforming" theory.



As to the OP, I'd be all over a Biden/Harris ticket.

[cilla4progress]

4. I agree.

Right now this is my favorite ticket.. 1) winnable; 2) competent, sane, diverse, experienced. Not in that order!

[calimary]

24. Mine too.

Biden/Harris.

Works gender-wise, geographically, for people of color (especially black women, who have for so long been the backbone of our party), experientially, and age-wise. It sets her up to be President, too.

And it lets US, the Democrats, be the ones who help break that last glass ceiling. WE'RE the party that breaks those barriers down for those stuck behind them.

[redstatebluegirl]

5. Yes, I totally believe this is the winning ticket.

[DownriverDem]

7. What I've been saying

for a long time. A Biden/Harris ticket would be formidable.

[leftofcool]

8. Not if 20% of Sanders supporters won't vote for either one.

[LonePirate]

9. We don't need that 20% as this ticket puts AZ, FL, GA and NC in play.

It also returns MI, PA, WI and maybe IA to Team Blue.

[leftofcool]

12. We absolutely do need those young people

[LonePirate]

20. The 20% of Sanders voters who would defect are mostly older, conservative white men.

Most of Sanders’ youth vote will still vote Dem or will not vote. They are not switching, en masse, to 45 or third party like they did in 2016.

The youth vote in 2018 was overwhelmingly blue and it will remain so in 2020 even without Sanders on the ticket.

[Renew Deal]

17. Don't worry about them

[dawg]

26. Sanders wasn't the only candidate who had a significant percentage ...

of their supporters say they would vote for Trump (or not vote) if their candidate lost the primaries. Like it or not, there are plenty of idiots to go around.

Ultimately, we have to nominate the candidate that the majority of us think is the best, and then do the best job we can of promoting that candidate in the general.

[Demsrule86]

34. May I just say that if Sanders supporters don't vote for the Democratic nominee than,

They can fuck off...tired of the threats.

[angrychair]

68. To be fair

The 20% is going to trash anything and anyone besides Sanders, it has nothing to do with Senator Harris or VP Biden.

[honest.abe]

104. Why would they not vote for the Dem nominee??

Did they not learn from 2016?

[floppyboo]

10. largest growth in turn out # 2018 went to millenials

yes, it was still small - a jump from 18% turnout to 34% - a 16% jump (I'm relying on my sometimes accurate memory here) BUT this is the largest voting block, and I just don't believe Biden/Harris could pull out great enthusiasm, like an AOC for instance.

Biden's remarks that he is the most progressive candidate running for President, IMO, are going to really sting this cynical youth crowd.

edit: and keep in mind that they are not watching cable news, so no amount of spin is going to change that.

[Demsrule86]

41. Vote for the nominee or watch progressive policy crumble. M the midterms prove an

AOC type candidate won't give us the house , the Senate and I submit the presidency either. I say it regretfully. But it is true. And We could win the rustbelt and absorb the loss of some of those voters, but we can't stop Trump without the rustbelt

[TruckFump]

13. I can dig that ticket. EOM

[Tikki]

15. If Ms. Harris is not the Democratic nominee, she would make an amazing Attorney General.

We know this.

The Tikkis

[PatSeg]

21. Before I moved from California,

I voted for Kamala Harris for Attorney General. It was the last California election I'd voted in and very people few knew anything about here. Look how far she's come!

Yes, you're right, she would make an amazing Attorney General, though I'd still like to see her on the ticket.

[PatSeg]

16. I was just saying this to my son awhile ago

What an extraordinary ticket that would be. From my perspective, it would be unbeatable. At this point, I have to say that without Biden in the race, Harris would probably be my #1 choice. The two of them together would be a dream come true!

[Honeycombe8]

18. I would vote for the ticket in spite of Harris. Not because of. What about Stacey Abrams?

I think a woman and/or a minority, or both, is the way Biden is going to go. He sort of has to, although I don't think he'll do it for the purpose of pandering. I think that for him, it would be a logical decision.

[dawg]

25. Abrams would be great, but she lacks experience at the national level.

Besides, I selfishly want Stacey to be my next Senator. I think she's the best chance we have of turning that seat blue, and without the Senate, the next President will be blocked at every turn.

[Honeycombe8]

27. So does Harris. So do Buttegieg, Warren, Beto, Klobuchar...

Everyone except Biden & Sanders lack national political experience.

[dawg]

33. Harris is a sitting U.S. Senator, as are Warren & Klobuchar.

Beto served in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is also a national office, although his experience at that level doesn't seem particularly notable to me. (But I do like Beto.)

Mayor Pete is the only one that you mentioned that actually does lack experience at the national level.

[Honeycombe8]

39. No, those are federal offices ...for states. Not national campaign experience.

They all lack national campaign experience, except Biden and Sanders. Only Biden has actual national working experience.

You're splitting hairs to fit the candidate you like. Which is fine. Won't change my mind.

Harris also jumped on the bandwagon to oust Franken. As did Warren, Sanders, & Booker. Klobuchar did not.

I hope Biden goes with Abrams. Not much chance. But there's a speck of a chance and would be an immensely popular choice.

[dawg]

46. We're talking about two different things. The House and Senate are very much part ...

of the national government. Abrams has no experience at that level. And Washington D.C. is a very different place from Atlanta. The rules, both written and unwritten, are very different.

Don't get me wrong, I think Stacey would be great at whatever she chooses to do, but it would be a far greater leap for her in terms of experience that it would be for a sitting U.S. Senator like Harris, etc.

Plus, I suspect our Senate seat is probably unwinnable without her.

[Honeycombe8]

48. I don't think it'll be Harris. She's from CA. He'll need a southerner or midwesterner...

or a big purple state that a VP could bring in.

Only Buttigieg fits the bill...or maybe also Beto. Or Abrams.

Abrams and Biden did have a meeting a while back. But maybe it was just an introductory meeting and agreement to endorse each other.

JFK went with LBJ, despite hating him, because he could bring in Texas. JFK being a Catholic yankee needed someone to pull in from the southern half of the country.

[LonePirate]

30. Exactly. We need a Dem Senate and Abrams is a formidable foe in a GA Senate race.

If she wins the Senate race, we likely have a Dem Senate. If she loses and we win the White House, there will be a Cabinet post for her.

[calimary]

29. Biden/Harris is geographically more balanced than Biden/Abrams.

Last edited Thu Apr 25, 2019, 03:15 PM - Edit history (1)

And the trouble with Stacey Abrams, as much as I like her and as much as I've been impressed by her, is the same trouble Beto has.

They LOST. They don't come from victory in their last face-offs. That can be a problem with some voters. "He/She didn't even win his/her home state..." "If they didn't vote for _____ in _____'s own state, how's _______ supposed to win nationwide?"

[Honeycombe8]

35. Putting CA on the ticket isn't that helpful. But putting a southern state in the mix....

Last edited Thu Apr 25, 2019, 06:34 PM - Edit history (1)

is helpful.

Abrams and Inslee have statewide campaign experience for an executive position (governorship). But any Senator candidate also would have campaigned statewide.

Abrams is very well liked and has shown she's fast on her feet, calm cool demeanor, sharp as a tack. She would do very well in the VP slot. I also think she's more likable than Harris, although Harris is okay.

[ancianita]

80. Good point. Someone who'd be a good successor. I like the way you think here.

[Demsrule86]

42. I love her.

[Honeycombe8]

47. If Biden wins, I'd look for a southerner or midwesterner to be on the ticket.

She's there, she's awesome, she has statewide campaign experience (and she almost pulled it off; in fact, some say she did). It's a possibility.

Buttegieg - he's midwestern. A white guy but belongs to a protected class.

Sanders - won't be him.
Warren- another northeasterner
Beto - could be, except that two white guys on the ticket... Too bad, because it'd be very helpful to have Texas on the ticket.
Klobuchar - Minnesota. I'd like her, but I don't know if she'd have broad appeal nationally..
Harris - CA, a big western state that votes Democratic.
Booker- ???

Anyone who comes from the Senate or House of Rep can be attacked because of their votes.

Who knows. I'm sure he's focused on winning the nomination right now.

[Doreen]

19. I still tend to like a Biden/Warren ticket

but Biden/Harris would be my second choice.

[PatSeg]

23. It would be hard to choose

between Harris and Warren. They both are extraordinary women and have much to bring to the ticket.

[Doreen]

37. They are more left than Biden and I think we would

do well with a center Democrat and a further left Democrat together. A center may have a better chance at bringing some of the issues to the table without freaking out some people. They could then ease the further left into the issue more smoothly.

[Honeycombe8]

49. They're almost all more left than Biden. It doesn't matter what the VP ideology is, tho.

They go by the President's ideology. And they're all Democrats, so not that different as far as broad ideology.

He's going to need someone from a different part of the country, and a key area or state, that the VP can bring in. So it won't be CA (already a Democratic state). A southern or midwestern state, maybe. Texas, if Beto could bring it in.

Beto - TX
Klobuchar - MN (the rust belt)
Abrams - GA (southern)

[LonePirate]

61. Biden will not select a white male as his running mate, not for this party.

Beto, Buttigieg, Hickenlooper and Inslee will not be his VP. However, any of our female candidates are very likely to be chosen.

[PatSeg]

62. I agree

Reminds me actually of how Biden pulled the Obama administration to the left on same-sex marriage!

[Doreen]

63. Yes

[Demsrule86]

43. No we lose the Senate seat.

[Honeycombe8]

44. Look for a southerner to be the VP. Or midwest.

It won't be a nor'easterner or CA, IMO.

He needs to appeal to an area that is reddish or purple, and different geographically from the northeast.

[highplainsdem]

22. Can you imagine the debates against Trump and Pence?

[calimary]

36. THAT'S what I'd pay good money to see. A debate with Biden against trump.

I'd pay to see Biden start laughing at trump the way he laughed at Sarah Palin. Totally took her down. Made her into a joke, silly and superficial, ignorant, not to be taken seriously. Sometimes he shook his head as he was chuckling - in an "I can't believe how ridiculous you are/your opinion/what you just said is... " He snickered at her the way a kindly family elder would chuckle at the little kid with the wildly flailing arms - who then knocked the lamp off the table-top.

[rzemanfl]

45. Drumpf will call debates, fake, rigged

and beneath him. Won't show.

That's my two cents.

[Honeycombe8]

51. He'll just claim "I won! The people LOVE Donald!" No matter how badly it went for him. nt

[drray23]

107. Yeah picture trump trying to hover behind joe like he did with hillary.

That would not end well.

[Hoyt]

32. Good point, that many of the Dem candidates will become key Cabinet members if we win.

[Hoyt]

38. Like to think so, but there are lot of Seniors whose parents have not taught them well where I live.

?resize=1200%2C800


I do think that the majority of high school seniors would lean Democratic, although I wouldn't bet my house on it nowadays.

[Honeycombe8]

52. Not in Louisiana.

They're little spin-offs from mom and pop. Li'l Trumpers.

[ancianita]

40. IMO it's the best ticket for East-West, black-white, male-female, young-old unifying of the country.

I think this party's got its ticket.

[EveHammond13]

75. how about Mayor Pete for AG

[ancianita]

77. Maybe Secretary of State, with all his language and international knowledge. Just sayin'.

[Glimmer of Hope]

53. I think this is the ticket too.

<img src="?itok=VdkHR1py" alt="Kamala Harris on Biden: 'The more, the merrier!'"/>

[TheFarseer]

55. That's safe establishment beltway thinking

Does that ticket appeal to rust belt? Does it compete well in Florida? Does it offer progressives anything? I’m not sure it does.

[SunSeeker]

65. Joe is from the rust belt. I'm a progressive and would bust my butt to get them elected. nt

[ginnyinWI]

56. Biden and any of the female contenders. n/t

[quakerboy]

57. Lets run to the center. that always works out for us.

Biden and Harris appeal a to a good hunk of democrats, no doubt

Do they appeal to the independents who abandoned Democrats to avoid voting for Hillary and gave Trump his *victory?
Do they appeal to the AOC activist left?
Are we trying to repeat the last election?

I mean, If we are, we can probably win the repeat, given what a shitty job and terrible person Trump has repeatedly proven himself. But then again, I think everyone here on this website knew that to start with and thought last time would be an easy victory.

A preannounced Biden Harris ticket might carry the primary with ease as you suggest. It also might throw complete chaos into the whole process, as people decide the fix is in yet again, and go full ballistic. And thats not even considering what the other candidates might do. What if Warren and Buttigeig made a similar pact. Or Sanders and Castro.

[C_U_L8R]

58. I'm supercharged.

That’s a powerful ticket.

[flamingdem]

59. Have changed from Biden/Harris to Biden/Warren

She has so many strengths and is coming up in the polls.

[LonePirate]

66. I like them both as it is a coin flip for me. Still, Warren has been very, very impressive lately.

[robbedvoter]

60. Is she articulate enough? Clean enough for him?

Makes him look good?

[Skya Rhen]

67. I would think you would be pushing for her to be on

his ticket as she is unlikely to win the primary nomination according to where she stands, now, in the polls.

It may change later on, but I am speaking about currently...

[EveHammond13]

73. barf

[jalan48]

70. What states will Harris help us win other than California which we would win regardless of the Veep.

[EveHammond13]

72. every state where PoC or people who care about PoC vote

[jalan48]

79. So, there has to be a POC on the ticket in order for POC to vote?

[EveHammond13]

90. I'm thinking it's pretty clear the electorate is demanding it

[jalan48]

92. Interesting.

[beachbum bob]

81. makes Florida, Georgia, Ms competative between Harris and Biden

Texas becomes in play, Missouri could come back to the democratic fold,

[jalan48]

83. Thanks, I didn't realize Georgia and Texas were that close to going blue.

[beachbum bob]

84. a few percentage change in white working class votes from gop to democrat is all it takes

Biden has that appeal and Harris can attract the POC and female support

[Celerity]

91. Texas and Missouri are not close to going blue

Abrams does, however have a good shot at beating a pretty unpopular Perdue for the Senate. I do not see a pathway for us to win Texas, even if Beto were the VP choice, as he still lost to a very unpopular Cruz by over 200,000 votes. Trump won Texas by over 800,000 votes in 2016. Trump also won Missouri by almost 20 points (around 19%). He only won Georgia by 6%, so that is much more like to flip.

[jalan48]

94. So Harris wouldn't help us in those states?

[LongtimeAZDem]

95. Harris lost Texas the moment she suggested using Executive Orders for gun control

[jalan48]

96. So how does Harris help us?

[LongtimeAZDem]

97. I don't necessarily agree that she does anymore

[jalan48]

98. I was under the impression she is going to do best in Southern States in the Primary, however, those

states will go Republican in the general election

[Celerity]

105. Georgia yes, definitely, as would Abrams (obviously)

Do not get me wrong, I am not completely writing off Texas and Missouri, but those are major reaches. If we won either or even both, that signals a 350 plus EV absolute blowout night for us.

[jalan48]

106. It looks like we lost by a mile in Missouri last time. Hard to believe we could turn it around so

fast

[EveHammond13]

71. OMG YES - Schumer is FECKLESS. Kick him out. Warren for Majority Leader.

[ancianita]

78. Amen amen! Couldn't agree more!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

74. Perhaps a Harris/Biden ticket would work even better. Biden prob best US VPres ever. . . nt

[Demsrule86]

93. No.

She won't win a primary.

[Raven123]

82. Way too soon for such speculation.

[proud patriot]

85. Yes it would

I love every single one of our TEAM .. Let's win this Woo Hoo

[samplegirl]

87. I think Biden Warren

Would be a better ticket.

[NotHardly]

88. I'm for Warren ... policies not platitudes

[BlueStater]

89. Harris is fine, but the nearly 80-year-old man doesn't excite me at all.

Let's replace him with someone else.

And, yes, I'll vote for him if he wins the nomination before somebody interrogates me about it. A total lack of enthusiasm is not against the rules. Jesus F. Christ.

[UniteFightBack]

108. Yeah he's just old and in the way huh? He'd run circles around you so PLEASE. When the time

comes you can feign enthusiasm..ya know do it for the soul of the nation.

I'd like you to explain how someone being 76 or 80 or whatever automatically makes them not exciting huh?
You need to think about that and obviously you ain't met the right old people.

[BlueStater]

109. His age isn't the reason I have no enthusiasm for him.

Although I certainly am firmly against having an 80-year-old president.

It's because who he is a person. His voting record is terrible, one of the worst in the field. He's somehow managed to take the wrong side on just about every important piece of legislation in the last 40 years. The party has evolved far beyond his form of politics and I think he's totally the wrong person to lead the party and the country into the future.

So, yeah, I do see him being in the way and I'd wish he'd get off the stage.

[Duppers]

99. ...

This is the ticket to beat tRump!!

[Gothmog]

102. I like this ticket

[honest.abe]

103. Yeah, I am leaning that way also.

I still think Kamala would be great at the top of the ticket but Biden might be what we need to get better traction in the blue collar areas.

It also possible Biden might hand it off to Kamala after 4 years considering what his age will be then.