Harris challenges the thinking on the best way to challenge Trump

[mcar]

Harris challenges the thinking on the best way to challenge Trump
By Jennifer Rubin
Opinion writer
May 3 at 9:00 AM

It is not merely grizzled men in the Democratic Party who think they need a white guy to win. Democratic women, nearly all of whom voted for Hillary Clinton, will say without prompting that they cannot “risk” this election on another woman (as if Republicans would ever say after 2008, “We’d better not nominate any of those white old men again!”). My colleague Dave Weigel has heard it. I’ve heard it. Pollsters I have spoken to have heard it. Democratic operatives, veterans of the Clinton campaign, have heard it — and said it....

In short, the notion that Democrats must have a white man to dislodge Trump is based on not much other than fear. Democrats need a competent candidate who can turn out the base, not scare off moderate independents and disenchanted Democrats, and stand up to Trump. Right now, voters are saying that person is former vice president Joe Biden, who both is extremely well-liked and fits the unproved-but-ingrained hunch that only a white man can beat the white incumbent president.

This week, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) reminded voters that there is more than one way to slice and dice a dishonest, arrogant white Republican man. She filleted Attorney General William P. Barr, showing she can plan out and carry off a rhetorical knockout. Hey, maybe she can stand up to Trump on that debate stage. Maybe she is the one to rally the African American vote and keep those women who crossed over to vote Democratic in 2018 in the Democrats’ corner in 2020....

The argument here is not “Harris is the star, she’ll win!” but rather, “Lots of candidates can catch fire at the right time.” So, sure, Biden could be the safe candidate everyone thinks will take down the Republicans, but that’s what they said (twice) about Clinton. Maybe the answer is more basic: Whoever can connect in an emotional way with voters, make a solid case for how he/she will take down Trump and run an adept campaign may be the best bet, the person to fire up Democrats and oust Trump. That could be Biden or Harris or Buttigieg or …

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/03/harris-challenges-best-way-challenge-trump/?utm_term=.cab9e19a3a19

[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. Biden/Harris ticket would be unstoppable.

If Joe Biden is the nominee, Kamala Harris just might be the star to tap. Her prosecutorial skills are needed to attract women, the younger voters, and us older ones like me.

[mcar]

3. I don't think the woman necessarily needs to be at the bottom of the ticket

How about Harris/?? or Warren/??

That's kind of what this column is about.

[still_one]

6. That sounds good to me also. While I think Warren is the most intelligent and knowledgeable of our

candidates, I don’t think she can win the GE, but she has been moving up in the polls

The two candidates I have been supporting and currently donating to are Harris and Biden, but there are others on my list I like also, though at this time I think either Harris or Biden have the best chance to win a GE, my view can change on that as we get closer to the debate

I have no doubt the one candidate in those debates who will provide the most substantiated and specific answers in that debate will be Warren, though each will have their own merits

[Funtatlaguy]

4. She'd also make one hell of an Attorney General

[ProudMNDemocrat]

15. Only if the Senate goes back to the Democrats.

Would Kamala Harris pass the Senate. Senate Republicans, even the women, say for Lisa Murkoski, would not vote to confirm her.


If a Democratic Party Ticket wins, we still need a few more Senate seats to break any tie with a Dem VP as long as we retain what seats we still have, plus 2 Independents.

[mtnsnake]

5. So, you don't think a ticket with Harris heading it would be as effective as with a man heading it?

[patphil]

19. A very good combination and...

Just as good as a Harris/Biden ticket.
Harris brings in the minorities, women, and progressives.
Biden brings in the moderates and white guys that don't like Trump.

Pat Phillips

[Merlot]

28. I don't want to see Harris' considerable talents wasted as VP

She's either the presidenial nominee, or Senator, or Atty General. Not someone to put a face on a campaign and turn in votes, to then languish in VP obscurity.

[NYMinute]

2. This election will be fought on electability

and not on ideals.

Last time, we thought Trump would be easy to beat. We now know he is not.

[still_one]

7. As we all realize there were other factors at play, including Comey, but your the point you are

making is right on, never under estimate your opponent

We did that with bush also

[murielm99]

10. When I saw Comey standing up there

in all his fake righteousness, I knew we were done. I took the champagne off ice.

We will drink champagne again, just not today.

[still_one]

17. I felt the same way at the time

[dalton99a]

8. +1. Republicans will solidly unite behind Trump

And it is turnout that wins elections. A Democratic ticket must motivate voters in sufficient numbers to overwhelm them

[patphil]

20. I disagree

Electability is very important, but that is driven by ideas.
A person is electable because their position on the issues strikes a chord with a majority of the voters.
Personality alone will not do it.

Pat Phillips

[McKim]

24. Yes, Now It's about Personality!

Yes, unfortunately it’s all about personality or who you would like to have a beer with. Trump’s reality TV Stardom set a new low standard for what is presidential!

[marylandblue]

9. "Electibility" has become synonymous with experienced old white male from the rust belt.

And/or the "safe" candidate where "safe" is synonymous with looking like all past Presidents except Obama and Trump.

I hope you can see the problem here. How we do know the best candidate is the one leading the polls today or has certain characteristics? It's assumed to be true, even though candidates thought "electable" have lost to ones thought " unelectable."

[mcar]

11. Yes. It's way too early to care much about polls

The column posits the idea that Harris may be a good choice to take on Dotard.

[murielm99]

12. How about a young white male from the rust belt,

along with an experienced woman on the ticket?

[marylandblue]

14. That would be great in my book, but it would be because of their merits as campaigners

not any external characteristics like race, gender or birthplace.

[jalan48]

13. I could vote for Harris. I like that she doesn't take a Biden-like conciliatory tone with the Repubs

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. Fear based defeatism is the Dems biggest risk

Not running a candidate who isn’t an old white male.

[sop]

22. Not voting for the eventual Democratic nominee,

because one's preferred candidate got roughed up during the primaries and didn't win, is the Dems' biggest risk.

That's why we're stuck with Trump, McConnell, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court and most of the governorships and state legislatures in GOP hands. Say what you will about Republicans, but they turn out to vote for their guy. Democrats, not so much.

[treestar]

32. We took that risk last time and it did not work

The race and gender and age of the candidate are not the right factors to consider.

[Fiendish Thingy]

33. Character, skills and experience in governance, and ability to inspire voter to get to the polls

In that order.

[TommyCelt]

18. This group of Dems...

... is chockfull of interesting potential tickets to ponder!

[mcar]

23. It sure is

[FakeNoose]

21. I couldn't bear to see another woman treated the way Hillary was treated in 2016

I love Kamala, Elizabeth, and Amy but it would break my heart to see them (any of them) insulted by right-wingers like what happened to Hillary. I think it's going to get ugly next year. Whoever leads our party will have my full support, but we need a pitbull who can also smile and crack jokes when necessary.

Our women leaders can do a lot of great things, but please leave the "pitbulling" to the men.
These are not normal times.

[prodigitalson]

25. Her questioning of Barr is what got me on board. nt

[Prosper]

26. 2020

Biden represents even more of what people rejected in 2016. If Biden has an 85% approval rating that is not enough. The 15% are the ones that voted for Trump. I like Joe because I like the attitude he portrays. Like whether True or not his washing his Corvette in the White House driveway. The people that will determine this election could care less about about Joe's vette. They are trying to scrape up enough money to make copays and buy medicine. The majority of people are unswayable. The very small minority that only voted for Trump because of his pro Progressive Democratic "Lots of Good Paying Jobs" & "Make America Great Again " & "Health Insurance for Evergbody even if you can't pay".

Remember the polls are showing the votes that don't count.

And if Joe winds the presidency there is a good chance he will turn the midterms of both houses over to the GOP.

[Doodley]

27. I'm sorry but Barr was not "knocked out." He's still standing, and whilst Harris came over as

confident and bossy (by the way, I'm a huge fan of her), she made absolutely no difference. Maybe she should have thought about her questions more. The Democrats, as a whole, had a chance to land a few punches, but they wasted too much time talking and not enough time asking Barr really tough questions.

[mcar]

29. Bossy?

How did she look? Did she sound mean? What about what she was wearing?

[Doodley]

36. Bossy wasn't the best choice of words. I meant she put him in his place.

[Andy823]

30. Don't know what you were watching

But she did a great job, and she wasn't "bossy"!

[Doodley]

35. I used the wrong word. Maybe I should have said "firm" or

"not willing to take shit." But nothing has changed from that hearing. Trump is still safe. His approval is still where it was. Bill Barr isn't going anywhere.

[treestar]

31. Debate is different from questioning

The prosecutorial type tough questioning works in those hearings, but the debate would be a different issue - there she can't grill the Dotard.

[NYMinute]

34. Harris has her own dignified style K&R

[ehrnst]

37. Good on Kamala! (nt)