Kamala Harris will soon be making the biggest decision of her life: her choice of vice president.
As part of her VP announcement, the Harris campaign plans a whirlwind tour of key battleground states, but the choice of starting point has certainly raised a few eyebrows among political commentators, but it could cause problems, as well.
Politico writes:
The two will barnstorm cities in seven swing states in four days. In addition to Philadelphia, they’ll hit western Wisconsin, Detroit, Raleigh, Savannah, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The stops will mark the first major campaign swing the presumptive ticket will make since Harris became the all-but-certain Democratic presidential nominee following President Joe Biden’s sudden departure from the race. The tour also underscores that the campaign believes the electoral map has expanded since Biden passed the baton to Harris.
Harris’ decision to kick off her tour in the biggest city in Pennsylvania is sure to set off speculation about her vice presidential pick. One of the top contenders being vetted by Harris’ team is Josh Shapiro, the governor of the swing state.
If Harris chooses Shapiro as her running mate, Philadelphia would make an obvious place to roll out the news, given that he hails from the area’s suburbs. But it’s also a diverse, vote-rich city that every presidential nominee must tend to thanks to the state’s 19 electoral votes, and it’s possible Harris’ plans don’t signal anything beyond that.
A Harris campaign aide cautioned against reading too much into the first city chosen for the tour.
The presumptive Democratic nominee plans to interview several potential vice presidential candidates over the coming days, sources familiar with the vetting process told the outlet. Among the contenders are Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Shapiro has long been considered the top choice by most observers, but some worry that as a strong supporter of Israel, Harris could fall into the trap of letting her campaign be influenced too heavily by the antisemitism that has gripped the left over the past year.
Newt Gingrich recently told Fox News, “Well look, they have a big problem. I think, by the way, this is why in the end Harris will not be able to pick Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania,” Gingrich said. “I think to walk into that convention with a Jewish governor as her vice presidential candidate would cause such a level of tension in places like Michigan that it would just be a wild scene. Sort of resemble Union Station. They have a real problem.”
Over the past 24 hours, Israel has appeared to up the ante in the war against Hamas, killing one of its leaders in Iran.
“The problem is more and more of their party’s anti-Semitic, more and more of their party sides with terrorism. More and more of their party is deeply hostile, not just to Israel, they are deeply hostile to the United States,” Gingrich said.
‘They Have A Real Problem’: Newt Gingrich Reveals Josh Shapiro As Running Mate Could Derail Kamala’s Campaign | Daily Caller
Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich revealed Thursday evening Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is the one running mate option that… pic.twitter.com/ghqSlbYRXi
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) July 26, 2024
Shapiro also faces accusations at home that could step on his potential nomination.
