As American voters await the news of Joe Biden’s choice of running mate, the media is building up the importance of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s decision. After the death of George Floyd, Biden has been called to unite his party by selecting a black female VP in attempts to defeat Trump in the upcoming November 2020 election. The media has focused on the potential top three contenders, all of whom have experience in government and can be perceived as an asset to Biden’s candidacy. However, each pick is not without serious controversy.
1) Sen. Kamala Harris – An American lawyer and Democratic politician serving as the junior U.S. Senator from California since 2017. Her experience includes serving as the 27th District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. She identifies as black and is the second African American woman and first Indian American to serve in the United States Senate. Her tough law-enforcement stance could be viewed as a potential negative as it does not align with some Democrats who seek to defund the police. When running for the Democratic nomination for President in the 2020 election, Harris attacked Biden on his racial injustice record and caused Biden to defend his reputation.
2) Rep. Karen Bass – A Congressmember serving California’s 37th Congressional District since 2013, and the state’s 33rd Congressional District from 2011 to 2013. Prior to that, she served for six years in the California State Assembly and was its Speaker during the last two years. She also serves as the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Bass, who paints herself as an activist, made Biden’s VP shortlist. However, what could be viewed as a potential negative is her history with the Brigade, described by The Atlantic as a joint venture of the Castro government and Students for a Democratic Society, the leftist, antiwar organization that gave birth to the Weather Underground Terrorist group.
3) Susan Rice – Serving as the 24th United States National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2017, and the 12th Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1997 to 2001, Rice seems like a logical pick for Biden. She is known to champion human rights, including LGBT and women’s rights. However, what can be viewed as a potential negative is her involvement in the controversy related to the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi that left four Americans dead. When mentioned as a replacement for retiring U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012, Rice withdrew from consideration as related her role in the coverup.
