"It is a rare thing to see Josh Shapiro sweat. For all the grief the Pennsylvania governor gets for imitating Barack Obama-the staggered cadence, the side-of-the-mouth delivery for effect-their essential shared trait is self-possession. If Pennsylvania's governor has a superpower, it is an unflappability that allows him to stay cool and composed and to communicate precisely what he wants to communicate."
"I sat down to talk with Shapiro earlier this fall, shortly after he held a tough-on-crime press conference near Philadelphia. By that point, I had interviewed him several times. His comments were always polished and predictable: More than once, I would return to variations of a question I'd already asked, hoping to penetrate his practiced commentary, only to get the same responses, word for word."
"I knew, from speaking with people close to Shapiro, that he'd lost some respect for the former vice president during the 2024 campaign-and not simply because she chose someone else as her running mate. In Shapiro's view, given the near-existential stakes for both the Democratic Party and American democracy, Harris's lapses during the election-in particular, ignoring Joe Biden's obvious decline-were unforgivable."
Josh Shapiro normally displays notable self-possession and unflappability, communicating precisely while masking stress. His public responses to questions were repeatedly polished and predictable, often repeated word for word. Shapiro privately lost respect for Kamala Harris because of her conduct during the 2024 campaign, especially for ignoring Joe Biden's evident decline. He judged those lapses unforgivable given the near-existential stakes for the Democratic Party and American democracy. When informed that Harris had taken shots at him, Shapiro's usual composure broke and he moved between outrage and exasperation. He furrowed his brow, crossed his arms and uttered 'K,' signaling immediate displeasure.
Read at The Atlantic
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