Opinion: The Real Electable Democrat Is Kamala Harris

[SidDithers]

From Bakari Sellers

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/bakarisellers/kamala-harris-is-the-electable-democrat

Winning in 2020 requires energizing black voters, just like the last Democrat to win an election did. That's what the "electability" discussion should be about.

A bad idea is running amok in the Democratic primary — the conversation on “electability.” Thanks to the disappointing 2016 presidential election results, electability for many strategists can now be interpreted simply as “the white male candidate who is best suited to defeat Trump.”

That’s precisely the wrong way of looking at things, and it’s based on the mistaken belief that the path to victory in 2020 only requires winning back Trump supporters. It misses the much larger issue at hand: Democrats simply won’t stand a chance in 2020 if we can’t energize African American voters.

The truth is, too many voters who supported President Obama in 2008 and 2012 made a choice to stay home in 2016. In Wayne County, Michigan – home of Detroit, where Kamala Harris gave a speech addressing the “electability” conversation on Sunday – 37,000 fewer voters turned out in 2016 than 2012. The county is 40% black. Given that Hillary Clinton lost Michigan by fewer than 11,000 votes, it is reasonable to assume this turnout drop cost Democrats the state.

It’s worth remembering that the last “electable” Democrat won by energizing African Americans, young voters, suburban voters, progressives, and Latinos. He was uniquely positioned to make the argument most central at that time: We need change. He also was a black man named Barack Hussein Obama.

Sid

[TeamPooka]

1. yup

[DownriverDem]

22. Biden/Harris

would be a formidable ticket. We have never had a woman VP. Harris would then be positioned to become President. Americans are way behind in supporting women as leaders.

[spinbaby]

29. That would be an awesome ticket.

I’m still leaning Mayor Pete, but am just generally thrilled to have so many great candidates.

[sellitman]

65. I'm with you.

Harris is my strong #2.

It's early though.

Love her.

[uawchild]

35. When Harris wins the nomination why would she be anyone's VP ?!?

Biden can't stand on Harris's shoulders, he's going to have to win the nomination on his own.

[Skya Rhen]

36. Which he will.

[bearsfootball516]

51. There's a long way to go, but it looks like he's well on his way

The polls don’t lie.

[TeamPooka]

66. They said that about Hillary in 2008

[athena]

52. Women are not stupid.

The VP position is a completely powerless one. Harris would be better off as AG than as VP. She’s already better off as Senator than she would be as VP! You’re not going to fool women into campaigning for another white man by dangling the name of a woman in the second position — a woman, by the way, who has not accepted that position and probably never will.

[Honeycombe8]

61. She'd make a GREAT AG! But the VP job is only powerless if the President doesn't give power.

Obama gave Biden quite a bit of power, I think. And Cheney was the de facto President instead of GWB for the first couple of years, at least.

[doompatrol39]

2. I agree with this.

Not saying anything is a sure bet. And I definitely don't love EVERYTHING about Kamala ( but could say the same thing about every candidate). But I really like her a lot and think she could win for the very reasons listed in that article.

[DesertRat]

3. I agree that she's the one

Democrats also need a candidate who can excite and inspire. Harris’s historic candidacy and bold platform — which includes giving every working American up to $500 a month through a massive middle-class tax cut, raising teacher pay by five figures, and guaranteeing universal health care — are the perfect mix to energize our base.

You become “electable” by winning, and Kamala Harris has never lost one. She seems pretty electable to me.

[Bleacher Creature]

4. I agree with every single word.

I would be thrilled with a Biden presidency, but I'm worried that this focus on winning back older white Trump voters is a recipe for disaster. We win if our base shows up to vote, not by going after a group of people who are likely too far gone by this point. We won in 2018 because of women, people of color (or both). Biden is a good and decent guy with tons of experience, so I wish him all the best, but I also fear that he's fundamentally the wrong person in these particular times.

[Andy823]

47. Yes it's not winning trump voters

That we need to do, it's winning all those we can who didn't even bother to vote in 2016. Some sat it out because they "knew" no way would an idiot like trump win, but they didn't realize Russia was helping him.

One thing I am sure of, the trump cult crowd weren't in that group, they "all" came out and voted for trump. I think a lot of those who stayed home but have now seen the results of a trump president, "WILL" be out to vote next year, and I think our candidates could convince some who were conned with the "both sides" are the same to come out also. We have a better chance going after those who didn't vote, than trying to pull some of trumps cult members away from him.

[MRDAWG]

5. I am for Biden/Harris ticket

for 2020.

[Kahuna7]

6. Everybody has an opinion. Don't see why his is more valid

than anyone else. You can't say what worked for Obama can work for Kamala because the conditions are very different now than they were in 2008. We didn't have bots, trolls and fake persona on social media using the racial divides to suppress black voter turnout for Hillary while energizing white turnout for trump. Plus, Obama had the ability by virtue of the dulcet tone of his voice to lull voters into submission. No one has that this time out.

[irisblue]

10. Kahuna7, you've been a poster here for a while.

You know this is a discussion board with many diverse opinions. You have contributed your opinions. Did you mean to sound dismissive & snippy?

You OK?

[Kahuna7]

12. Do not come at me. How I sound is my business

not yours. But for the record, I've updated my post. But still, don't come at me. I'm not here for that. I'm not a child to be talked down to.

[irisblue]

13. I'm not coming at you. I am asking a long term poster, who has been an interesting teacher for me

What is up?
You want/need to block me?

[Kahuna7]

14. You implied that I was attacking a poster...or in your words

being dismissive and snippy when it was clear, the "he" I referred to was not a DUer, but the author of that article.

You can either block me....or you can even respect me.

[irisblue]

16. Naah. You are interesting.

But 'debate me' is low on my list today.

[Kahuna7]

17. Do you.

I might ask if you're OK

[irisblue]

19. Actually, thete is a couple lines of t-storms coming. I can feel a migrane coming up

So thanks. I'm sorta ok today. Going to get some meds & a big strong cup of coffee in .

[Kahuna7]

21. Im Cool. We're cool.. I should really have

included my explanation for why I didn't agree with Sellers in my original post. I don't care for simplistic comparisons when there are no actual correlations. Talk about lazy thinking.

I have something for you and hope you feel better soon.

[irisblue]

33. We're good

[PatrickforO]

23. This is an interesting observation.

'lull voters into submission.'

You know, my take on those years was that Obama started off thundering from the pulpit like a minister, but became more and more subdued as the scope and depth of the '08 financial crisis became more apparent each day. By January, he was quite somber indeed.

My feeling here, in 2019, is that an equally deep financial crisis is coming, and the GOP's 2017 tax cut has raised this nation's debt to unsustainable levels. Things later this year and into 2020 will, I think, be very serious and will require gentle but firm leadership and a very steady hand on the part of our new president. S/he will have to surround her/himself with people who know what they are doing, and work really hard with Congress to save the world's economy.

We are wonks. Oh, we have varying levels of knowledge about varying things - I am an economist, for instance - but on this site we find people who are in leadership roles in local, state and national Democratic roles, journalists, and other people who are heavy-hitters in their own communities.

You must remember that most Americans (Stephen King calls Americans 'the great Stupid') really don't pay attention to much of anything. Until the week of.

So regardless of the trolls and bots and the like, we still have a very good chance to get out the vote. I'm supporting Buttigieg, but I'm noticing that the African American community seems a bit underwhelmed with him, as well as with Sanders, who is still having the same problem with that community that surfaced back in '16. Beto is not being much better received. The truth is, there will be much, much work for ANY candidate to do to lay out some good policy positions, listen to people, and navigate the big 'gotcha' that has become our presidential primaries.

Not sure how Harris will do, but I will tell you that I believe in spite of the horrid racism that arose from Obama's election, I think this country at large is MUCH more ready for a person of color and/or a woman. Obama blazed that trail, and must have endured a lot of pain, had to swallow a lot of anger. But he did.

We have to focus now on getting rid of Trump - whomever we nominate, we've all got to do everything humanly possible to get out the message. Because yesterday Trump said he is taking action to overturn the endangered species act, did you know?

What a jerk.

[IronLionZion]

7. Obama even expanded our electoral map

picking up new states that our party hadn't won in a long time. Kamala could do the same if she can inspire turnout from other types of minorities and women.

In many ways, Trump's unelectability encouraged many on his side to support him to shake things up. American voters like to surprise the experts sometimes.

[INdemo]

8. Remember Hillary also lost Michigan in the primary

[brer cat]

11. She is a very exciting candidate.

I agree that she can energize the same voters who elected President Obama.

[saidsimplesimon]

15. Sid, I have her on My List

of candidates who speak for me.

[PatrickforO]

18. This may well be true. Time (and the primary votes) will tell.

The only concern I have about Harris is she seems to me a bit weak on monetary and fiscal policy. However, that is easily remedied by surrounding herself with people who are strong on that area. Robert Reich comes to mind. But there are others.

[LibFarmer]

20. The real question is if the white working class voters

will vote for Kamala -- that is where this election will be won or lost.

[Taraman]

24. I'm not sure I agree with that premise

It sounds like the myth of the independent voter. I think it'll rest on turnout and enthusiasm on election day.

[Demsrule86]

25. This is nothing like 2008. And she is very low in the primaries. I am not sure

any woman can get elected and not willing to take any chance that might result in the
reelection of Trump. Plus, I don't dislike Kamala ....like all the candidates mostly, but I would vote for her in a general not a primary. At the moment, she is not earning support from POC according to recent polls. If you can't win a primary (and it is early), you can't win a general. Also, Biden brought in the rustbelt which Hillary had carried in the primary.Biden was an important factor in the Obama/Biden coalition. It was a balanced ticket.

[marylandblue]

32. You have a point there. Biden is doing better among black voters than Harris.

I think it's more important to have an exciting candidate, man or woman, than a safe one. People show up for exciting candidates more than they do for safe ones.

[Skya Rhen]

37. So who is the exciting one that is currently in the running? I'm curious...

[marylandblue]

63. Buttigieg grabs me, but I like Warren too, and she seems to do better among AAs.

I think a lot of people are waiting for the debates, so current polls aren't a good indicator (except for Biden fans 😁 ).

[Kaleva]

46. Hillary had far greater support from blacks in 2007 then did Obama

That support shifted to Obama when he won Iowa and showed that he was a viable candidate.

[tishaLA]

49. At this point in 2007, Obama wasn't doing well with POC either

His support grew much later, when it became clear he was a legitimate contender for the nomination.

[Demsrule86]

68. I just folks are going for Biden because he can win.

[Demsrule86]

69. This is nothing like 2008...way more people. I just don't think there is enough room

for her to catch him up,..polls are bad.

[stopbush]

50. Very low in the primaries? Er, there haven't been any primaries yet.

Low in the polls? You mean like everyone besides Biden?

Get back to me after Harris wins the CA primary about who can and can’t win a primary (I like Swalwell, but I think he will be out of it long before the CA primary happens in March).

[Demsrule86]

67. Meant to say polls.

[Chin music]

26. She was a great prosecutor, and she's a great civil servant.

If she was president I'd be perfectly fine w that. Easy on the eyes as well..if I may get just a bit 'piggy' (??) in saying so. It is, however, true.

[cilla4progress]

27. YES!

Harris / Warren!

[marehare]

28. Harris/Biden

Senator Harris represents my state and does a great job.
I support Kamala. I would support Biden as Veep again, but
I prefer Kamala, or Warren.
So Kamala,Warren, Biden, Castro would be great as they all have experience at the national level and all know the law. All are very well educated also which our country needs.

I will never support Bernie due to his lack of ability to compromise with his fellow senators, which is one of the most important qualities a leader must have.

His voting record is dismal.
No on
Amber Alert
Immigration
Gun Control
Raped Women's health care bill which would have allowed rapists of women (once caught) to be tested for AIDS and HIV so women could get medical care early. Bernie put the interests of rapists first

Then there is his insane NO votes to punish Russia with Sanctions for attacking our sacred elections. Bernie didn't want to punish them.

Bernie won't ever win, but he may damage the Democratic candidate like he did to Hillary so trump wins again.

NEVER BERNIE, OR TULSI.

[marylandblue]

30. He's right about rebuilding the Obama coalition, we can even expand it.

Harris could do it. So can some others. We really do need to think about an exciting transformational candidate. The candidate doesn't have to be just like Obama, but he or she have to speak in their own voice. Authenticity is in.

[Taraman]

31. I understand the concern

I was stunned in so many ways in 2016. I hadn't realized the depth of sexism in our society, maybe even deeper than racism. I live in a red state but family and friends are mostly progressive, so my sample was faulty.

I question whether we are being too defensive in our fear of the re-election of Trump. Maybe it's time to present a new view of America's future in a strong way, an alternate reality as it were.

I remain uncertain, myself. I think Kamala has that "it factor" about her, and her experience in law and order issues may be reassuring after the assault on the Constitution.

[marylandblue]

34. I was stunned at the sexism too, but I don't think it's impossible for a woman.

Just harder. I think the best woman to make is Warren because she takes the sexism issue head on. She tells little girls, "I am running because that's what girls do." It makes the unconscious bias conscious, so we can't ignore it and pretend sexism is really something else.

[Drunken Irishman]

38. We'll find out if she's electable...

Electability is more than just policy and message. It takes a lot to win a presidential campaign and a lot of it is built out of campaign infrastructure, ground game and coordination.

Harris has a good message. She's got the background. But does she have the capability of turning out the Obama coalition?

Turnout is more than message. It's about mobilization and campaign strategy. Obama's coalition was a by product of their fantastic GOTV drive in both 2008 and 2012. If Harris, or any Democrat, for that matter, lacks the type of GOTV drive we saw from Obama, they're not going to mirror his successes.

It's why we have a primary process. Harris will either prove, or not, her electability. What's her strategy to get these voters to the polls? It can't all just be message. Obama had a strategy. He had a team that worked countless hours to facilitate a win in Iowa that catapulted him to the nomination. It was that infrastructure that allowed for his wins - in a very similar situation to what Bill Clinton saw in 1992.

It's also the lack of it that can undo a seemingly unstoppable campaign. Just ask Howard Dean in 2004, Mitt Romney in 2008 and, at times, Hillary in 2016. It's why I am glad Biden is running - he'll prove his mettle. If he slips up between now and winning the nomination, it'll tell me he wasn't the Democrat to win back the White House. IF he survives this primary, though, it'll give me great hope that he is.

[MrsCoffee]

39. K&R

[Hassler]

40. Detroit had voting machine "issues" in 2016.

[Botany]

43. Something like 80,000 people from Flint & Detroit showed up to vote but "skipped" voting for POTUS

[dsc]

41. Actually Obama won because Bush had run the country into the toilet

now the size of his victory was helped by the energy but frankly other than Edwards anyone would have won on our side in 2008.

[Kurt V.]

42. K&R

[B Stieg]

44. She is formidable. nt

[Martin Eden]

45. Race and Gender identity can definitely be factors in the election

The key, regardless of those identity factors, is to nominate a champion for the cause who can inspire people across a wide swath of voters.

That includes white Obama voters who switched to Trump and, most definitely, black voters and women voters and young voters who have to come out and VOTE if we are to win this election and end the national nightmare.

[Andy823]

48. I totally agree with you Sid

She is the real electable candidate.

[Bradshaw3]

53. Wishful thinking

Obama won in 2012 with 51 percent of the vote. He ran as a unifier (remember "no red America, no blue America&quot and was personally liked by a solid majority of Americans - and still got only 51 percent as an incumbent. Harris is not running as a unifier, and her appeal to the swing voters in the upper midwest that will be needed to win the electoral college is very much an iffy proposition. Factors such as voter suppression and meddling will be there again in 2020.

So as much as people want to believe GOTV and appeal to the base is the answer, it still will come down to winning WI, MI and PA. The Dems big gains in 2018 came mostly from white suburban women who mostly supported moderate candidates. A senator from California with the most liberal voting record in the senate may appeal to DUers but it definitely does not to large swathes of swing voters we will have to have to not only win the presidency but also take the senate.

[Bradshaw3]

57. Nothing of the sort was said by me ...

... about not running a female person of color, so don't know who you are talking about. I was talking about Harris in particular. And NC, FL and GA are fool's gold for Dems, as 2018 showed, and Florida has demonstrated over and over again.

[BlueWI]

58. Reread your post - I see what you're saying

I am deleting my original post

[Bradshaw3]

59. Thanks

[Kaleva]

56. Here's a link to how Progressive Punch ranks the senators

https://progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=senate

[Honeycombe8]

62. It also matters that Harris & most others are untested for a nat'l election.

We have nothing to look at to see how thing she or the others might handle things, or how the voters might react to her or the others. Biden's like an old shoe. We know certain things about how his campaign will go. I, like others, have concerns that there will be the enthusiasm that appeals to independents and established Republicans, but he might. He SEEMS popular in a cross-section of Americans.

I'd be fine with Harris. But there might be too many groups that she wouldn't appeal to.

Biden is so far ahead that it looks like he's a shoe-in, even tho it's way early. Things can change, but he's so far ahead of the pack, and none of the others is even nationally known except for Bernie.

[mcar]

54. I think she is a great option

[Honeycombe8]

60. I'm not Af. American or Hispanic, so I can't say who those demographics support.

I'd be okay with Harris (more so than Biden, actually...IF she could win a sh*tload of votes, which I'm not sure of; she is an unknown for a national election, so it's a risk; before you say "What about Obama?" - Obama was....Obama.)

I'm not leaning toward supporting Biden, but I do think he has a large minority support base, doesn't he?

[TreasonousBastard]

64. Maybe, but...

Do we care that Obama beat the sterling ticket of McCaine and Palin? And by a very small percentage.

I do remember in '08 when the teabaggers were out in force and made a lot of noise but really didn't want to do the work. They showed up as poll watchers but left when they found out what they were supposed to do. Knock on doors? You're kidding, right...

What did show up in great numbers, and did the work, were young AA men and women. The "Obama Girls" helped motivate the rest of us with their enthusiasm.

In '12, the magic seemed to be gone, and I don't know why. No more weepy eyes at the sight or mention of Obama, and a lower turnout in key areas. He still won, but because he deserved it, not because he was a new shining light.

So, here we are, with our candidate running against someone who has the incumbent advantage, but an incumbent on very shaky ground. And since Hillary beat him in the popular vote already, before the general public knew what a putz he is, I can't see why Harris would have a problem knocking him out.

My favorite in the whole mob is Warren, who has excellent legislative skills and a mastery of policy. Which is why I think she is better served in the Senate, and her true calling might be Majority Leader in a Dem Senate.

Klobuchar, who everyone discounts for some reason, has the Truman-like quality of "no bullshit-- let's get the job done" which I find incredibly refreshing.

Anyway, unless some dark horse pops up and takes it, I would probably bet on Harris and hope she's smart enough to expand whatever base she has.

[Mosby]

70. Booker has a better chance to get back the obama bump.

[Andy823]

71. K&R nt