Two of the most iconic voices on tv were a part of two of the most famous programs in television history, The Price is Right and Saturday Night Live. Don Pardo, an alumnus of both, introduced a generation of young, wide-eyed, college-age kids to the Not so Ready for Prime Time Players and the other Johnny Gilbert told my generation to “come on down!” Just like those iconic personalities in television lore, Joe Biden has to decide who is not ready for prime time and then say come on down to only one of the hopefuls. Those hopefuls are not wearing bedazzled t-shirts or laughing uproariously at the words “cheez-burger—cheez-burger,” they are vying to be the Vice-President of the United States.
Before I tell you who I think will get the thumbs up, let me tell you who I want to get the nod, Stacey Abrams. She is the 46-year-old former Democratic contender for the Governor of Georgia. For me, she is like a good piece of real estate, smart, smart, and smart. She graduated magna cum laude from Spelman College, took a position with the first black mayor of Atlanta [Maynard Jackson] while still a college student, and fights effectively and gallantly for healthcare, youth rights, voter rights, and civil rights. She is serious, thoughtful, and most important to a political campaign, quick with a retort and her answers are void of frivolity.
In a February episode of the ‘ View’, Meghan McCain went to the usual Republican playbook of trying to demonstrate Democratic hypocrisy with questions aimed more at the integrity of Ms. Abrams than about money in liberal politics. Generally, Democrats take the bait, demure, fumble around for an answer, and generally come off having earned the moniker snowflake. There is legitimate debate centering around money in politics but to Ms. Abram's credit, she addressed the question not the assertion or inference. Whether you like Stacey Abrams or not she does what liberals constantly say they want, fight like Republicans, she straps on the gloves, pokes a finger in your eye, and will go bare-knuckle.
Although I would love to see Ms. Abrams as the vice-presidential nominee, the smart pick, the conventional pick, and the winning pick, would be…drum-roll please...Kamala Harris. Democrats will spend the election season fighting false narratives; they are anti-cop, Harris was a prosecutor; holding the base of black women, Harris is a woman of color, the daughter of a black Jamaican father. Experience, Ms. Harris has been a prosecutor as the city District Attorney of San Francisco, the Attorney General of California and currently, serves as the Senator from that same state. As a former presidential candidate, she got a hot dose from the media and it killed her presidential aspirations and therefore will be ready next time.
We have heard all the accusations of prosecutorial misconduct, and over-judicious prosecution. Last week, Chris Dodd, the 76-year-old former Democratic Senator from Connecticut and now on the vice presidential selection committee, questioned Ms. Harris’s objectives intimating she had not been sufficiently remorseful for having the temerity to debate Biden during a debate. Some criticized Harris for not hitting back at Dodd more forcefully or accepting being put in her place. In my view, she proved she can do what a Vice-President is supposed to do, be the Robin-in-chief. Joe Biden will remember, appreciate, and recognizes the skill.
Vote in 2020 for Change.