Harris Reveals Buttigieg was First VP Choice in New Memoir

4 HOURS AGO·UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO

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Above: Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg on May 13, 2022 in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

Harris made a pragmatic decision based on electoral reality. The country has struggled to accept diverse leadership, and asking voters to embrace both a Black woman president and gay vice president simultaneously would have been political suicide. Harris was already breaking barriers as a woman of color married to a Jewish man — adding another historic first risked alienating swing voters who determine elections. Strategic campaigns require tough choices, and Harris chose electability over idealism to maximize Democratic chances against Trump.

Atlantic

Narrative B

Voters care about competence and policy solutions, not identity categories, as evidenced by Obama winning Indiana and Buttigieg's own electoral success in conservative areas. Americans deserve more credit than Harris gave them — reducing electoral politics to demographic calculations insults voters' intelligence and judgment. Effective politicians earn trust through their vision and capabilities, not by playing it safe with conventional wisdom about what the electorate can handle.

Politico Independent

Narrative C

This whole episode exposes Harris' fundamental unfitness for leadership. She couldn't pick the best candidate because of his sexual orientation, yet had no problem endorsing taxpayer-funded sex changes for minors during her campaign. The hypocrisy is staggering — making identity-based decisions while claiming to champion inclusion. Tim Walz was objectively a terrible choice that helped nobody, and now she's trying to blame American voters for her own political cowardice and poor judgment.

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