Nailed It: It's Kamala

President Obama said that Joe Biden "nailed it" with his choice of Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate, and of course I agree, having nailed this choice in mid June.  It always made the most sense politically, in terms of winning the election, and in governing.

Biden chose a Black woman, which brings an immediate jolt of energy and excitement.  He chose the most experienced in electoral politics who rivaled any others considered in breadth and extent of governing experience.  He did not lose a Senate seat, for the Democratic governor of California will appoint a replacement for Harris should the ticket win in November.  His choice is 55 years old, and so honors his announced intent to enable the transition to a new generation.  Though Harris has her critics, she has no obvious vulnerabilities to attacks from the AlwaysTrumpers that could stick.

So I greet this choice with a sense of relief and renewed confidence in Biden's acumen.  It also means that she passed the vetting process, which is very intense at this level, and includes the candidate's family.

Kamala Harris and husband after she was sworn in
as U.S. Senator by v.p. Joe Biden

This campaign will be like no other but there should be ample opportunities for Kamala Harris to exhibit those smarts and that smile, with a new story to learn by an eager electorate.  The first glimpses will come on Wednesday, when Biden and Harris appear together, presumably with their families: the very impressive Dr. Jill Biden (and she's Italian!), and Harris' spouse, entertainment lawyer Douglas Emhoff and his two adult children by his previous marriage, Cole (named after John Coltrane) and Ella (after Ella Fitzgerald.)

Kamala Harris is the child of immigrants, a father from Jamaica, a mother from India (get that birth certificate ready, K.)  Both parents were Civil Rights activists. They divorced, and Kamala and her sister Maya were raised by a single mother. There are tons of highly resonant stories there.

Joe Biden is a familiar figure but at the same time, the Biden haven't yet taken the national center stage.  And Kamala Harris and her family are new faces, with new stories.  In a country suffering from Trump fatigue and maybe a lot of buyer's remorse (as evidenced as well by the latest polling that shows no appetite for third party candidates), the appeal and power of new people to watch could be a big factor.  The campaign for the soul and perhaps the existence of the American republic begins.