Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, chose Kamala Harris to be his running mate, which is demonstrative of his plans beyond the pivotal November 3rd date. This decision is momentous because it marks the first time ever that a woman of colour is going to be on a majority party ballot.
On the surface level, Biden's pick can be perceived as a PR move to consolidate his standing amongst female and coloured voters, yet this is only a small part of the broader reasoning. According to Financial Times, at present, Joe Biden holds a remarkable lead in the preliminary polls.
If the elections were to be held today, Biden likely would have gotten 298 electoral votes vs only 119 for Trump. A candidate needs to garner 270 votes to win the election. California, New York, New Jersey, and Washington are the major states that go to the democratic nominee, whereas Donald Trump holds a tight grip over his strongholds – Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Notable swing states like Florida, Ohio and even Texas are still mostly undecided, but leaning towards the democratic vote.
The selection of Ms Harris as Biden's running mate is unlikely to change this standing drastically; however, it could help the Dems to consolidate their current positions. This would lessen the likelihood of last-minute loss of votes to Trump.
Nevertheless, there is more to the rationale behind Ms Harris' nomination, past basic sugar coating for better approval. As a former attorney general of California and district attorney of San Francisco, Kamala Harris seems like the right person to calm down the violent social tensions and discontent, that sprung in the wake of George Floyd's murder.
During her career in law, Kamala Harris built a reputation as a stringent opponent of the death penalty, as well as a supporter of LGBTQ rights. Her appeal amongst left-wingers could serve as a remedy for the currently ravaging civil unrest in the country, allowing for America to reconcile its history of racial and gender inequalities and to move forward.
A Biden-Harris duo in Washington could undo the divisive policies of Trump, and help a shaken nation recoup from the past several months, which have proven to be quite tumultuous. It all boils down to how relatable the two of them can be to a historically polarized electorate.