It’s official. It’s historical. Biden – Harris 2020 is a go!
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On Tuesday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selected Sen. Kamala Harris of California as his running mate. The choice is as historical as the Obama – Biden ticket of 2008 since Kamala Harris is the first woman of color (born to a Jamaican father and an immigrant of India mother) to be tapped for the vice-presidency.
The new Biden – Harris 2020 ticket is among many firsts for Sen. Harris. She was the first Black woman elected to be San Francisco’s District Attorney and the first Black female to serve as the Attorney General of California. Additionally, she is only the 2nd Black woman to serve as a US Senator (following the lead of former Sen. Carolyn Moseley Braun) and joins the ranks of such names as Shirley Chislom and Barbara Jordan as Black women in US history who have sought the highest office in the land.
The selection of Sen. Harris is of particular importance for African-Americans. She attended the historically black Howard University and pledged the historically black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. In fact, the desire for Mr. Biden to select a Black woman was so important to the African-American community that more than 100 Black male leaders (including Sean “Diddy” Combs, Charlemagne Tha God, Doug E. Fresh, and others) penned an open letter urging Biden to select a Black woman.
“As someone who has said throughout the campaign that VP Joe Biden needs to choose a Black woman VP, the urgency for that pick has gone from something that SHOULD happen to something that HAS to happen,” the statement of solidarity read.
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The “official” announcement of the Biden – Harris 2020 ticket will take place today with a joint (virtual) appearance by the newly minted campaign team. However, Joe Biden could not contain his excitement and posted news of his choice to his Twitter page.
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I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020
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Sen. Harris was also overcome with excitement for what’s to come and tweeted a post of her own.
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.@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he’s spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he’ll build an America that lives up to our ideals.
I’m honored to join him as our party’s nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 11, 2020
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Former President Barack Obama also tweeted his approval of the Biden – Harris 2020 ticket.
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I’ve known Senator @KamalaHarris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. This is a good day for our country. Now let’s go win this thing. pic.twitter.com/duJhFhWp6g
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 11, 2020
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When asked during a Tuesday press conference about his thoughts of Sen. Harris joining Joe Biden for the White House, Donald Trump seemed unprepared for the question. Still, all he could muster was the comment that he thinks Sen. Harris is “very nasty,” a reference he frequently makes about all women.
However, the Trump campaign did make their thoughts of Sen. Harris known off the record and the team is shaking in their boots.
“The one who scares me the most in the general is Kamala Harris,” an unidentified Trump official said. Described by The Washington Times as a “key player” in Trump’s campaign, the official said Harris was the “least flawed” Democratic hopeful in the crowded field of presidential aspirants.
Now the Trump team has to figure out a way to beat Biden – Harris 2020. Too bad his failed response to the coronavirus and myriad other failures might make any attempts to best the Democratic ticket an impossible dream.
CNN:
It took President Donald Trump less than two minutes to reach for the word “nasty” as he reacted to California Sen. Kamala Harris’ historic selection as the first Black woman to join a major-party ticket.
A few minutes later, the President added “meanest” and “most horrible” to his characterization of Harris and claimed she was “disrespectful” in her attacks on Biden during the Democratic primary, when they stood on the debate stage as equals.
The insults all played into racist and sexist stereotypes about Black women and made clear that Trump does not intend to throw away a playbook filled with misogynistic attacks and dog-whistle racism that have imbued his political career, even as the Biden campaign advances a barrier-breaking ticket.