"Buttigieg "would have been an ideal partner-if I were a straight white man," Harris writes in a passage of her soon-to-be-released book, 107 Days, that I saw. "But we were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man. Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, let's just do it. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk." "And I think Pete also knew that-to our mutual sadness.""
"Her honest recounting of that decision-much more candid than I usually see in political memoirs-highlights one of the core challenges facing Democrats, especially as they try to refocus their message ahead of the next presidential election, in 2028. After years of highlighting and celebrating the historic characteristics of their nominees, many in the party are now embracing a singular focus: who can win."
"Harris writes that Buttigieg originally topped the eight names on her vetting list because "he is a sincere public servant with the rare talent of being able to frame liberal arguments in a way that makes it possible for conservatives to hear them." "I love Pete," she wrote. "I love working with Pete. He and his husband, Chasten, are friends.""
Kamala Harris placed Pete Buttigieg at the top of her vice-presidential vetting list because of his ability to communicate liberal ideas to conservative audiences and their personal rapport. Harris concluded that pairing a Black woman with a gay man risked asking too much of American voters given her own historic candidacy and identity. She ultimately chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, and the ticket lost to Donald Trump. The decision illustrates a Democratic tension between representation and perceived electability as the party refocuses strategy ahead of the 2028 presidential contest.
#vice-presidential-selection #kamala-harris #pete-buttigieg #electability #race-and-sexuality-politics
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