Associated Press
Democrats have unified with remarkable speed behind Vice President Kamala Harris as she has taken over the top of the party’s ticket heading into the November presidential election.
It may be another story when it comes to a running mate.
As Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly have emerged as among the potential finalists, both have faced criticism from some organizations and activists who might otherwise be supportive of Democratic causes.
Harris’ team says she is interviewing six possible choices over the weekend before an announcement expected Monday. The next day, she and her running mate will appear together at a rally in Philadelphia, then visit six more swing states.
In addition to Shapiro and Kelly, Harris is said to be considering Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Some labor groups have criticized Kelly for opposing proposed legislation they argue would boost union organizing. Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, said that despite backing Harris for president, his 370,000-member union is not supporting Kelly as a potential running mate.
Fain also said the union does not favor Shapiro, who has previously proved willing to join with Republicans in calls to expand voucher programs that allow public tax dollars to flow to private schools.
Fain did single out Beshear, Walz and Pritzker for praise.
“She’s probably got a thousand people telling her the same thing, you know, of what they think,” Fain said in an interview. “And so she’s got to make the decision based off of what she feels is, you know, is best for her.”
The nonprofit Institute for Middle East Understanding said in a statement that Shapiro “is not the right candidate for the job, and selecting him would be a step in the wrong direction.”
Shapiro, who says he plans to be at Harris’ rally Tuesday in Philadelphia, has aggressively confronted what he views as antisemitism cropping up from pro-Palestinian demonstrations and he has professed solidarity with Israel in its drive to eliminate Hamas as it Israel battles the militants in Gaza.
Shapiro called out universities for not acting quickly to tackle antisemitism and he became a prominent critic of the University of Pennsylvania’s president, Liz Magill. She resigned after testifying at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.
Shapiro has also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while suggesting that any end to the Israel-Hamas war requires the removal of Hamas from power.
The governor has been criticized by the Council on American-Islamic Relations for not condemning Israel for the killing of civilians in Gaza or for not calling for Israel to stop the fighting in the territory. Shapiro has countered that he has met with Muslim Americans and understands their pain.
The progressive activist organization RootsAction.org opposes Shapiro’s views on Israel, school vouchers and the environment, among other issues. It says that in considering Shapiro, Harris “has set off alarm bells among young people, racial justice organizers, Arab Americans, Muslims and others whose votes and campaign activism were crucial to defeating Trump four years ago.”
Meanwhile, The Philadelphia Inquirer resurfaced an opinion article Shapiro wrote in 1993 as a 20-year-old college student at the University of Rochester where he said peace “will never come” to the Middle East and that Palestinians were “too battle-minded” to coexist with Israel.
Asked about it, Shapiro responded, “I was 20” adding that he long has supported a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
“It is my hope that we can see a day where peace will reign in the Middle East,” he said.
Also opposing Shapiro are some environmental leaders and residents of the rural town of Dimock, Pennsylvania. They have drafted a letter to Harris urging her not to choose Shapiro and charging that the governor failed to keep his promises to clean up area groundwater contaminated by natural gas production via hydraulic fracturing.
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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
12 comments
Ninety Three
August 3, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Back at you Demos. You dish the Repub VP, yet it appears you have issues with your candidates as well. Just pick a Squad Member and move on. That’s the future of your party.
Ocean Joe
August 4, 2024 at 6:34 pm
I happen to like Vance. A lot. A guy who called Trump ‘America’s Hitler’ knows what he’s talking about.
Question: If the Black chick goes with the Jewish guy, will your heads all explode in unison, or one by one? Will you welcome all those Pali rioters to your team?
Hung Wiil
August 3, 2024 at 6:19 pm
Shapiro would be the smartest choice, but Hairass is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I think she be forced to pick him by the party bosses.
MH/Duuuval
August 3, 2024 at 6:23 pm
It’s not easy to pick one candidate out of this outstanding group, especially in a rush. I would not choose those currently holding office in MAGA land. That leaves Tim, Pritzker, and Pete. If we go with the youth movement, Pete is the logical choice.
Michael K
August 3, 2024 at 7:12 pm
Mayor Pete has the perfect combination of wonky policy detail and the ability to explain anything in simple to easy-to-understand terms. He’s a brilliant, masterful communicator and can reach across the aisle.
Ninety Three
August 3, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Ha! Ha! Seeing Butta Bug riding his bike to work one day after he was dropped off via gas burning vehicle near work reminded me of Dukakis riding that tank back in the day. Go Pete Go.🤣
ELVIS "THE BIG VOICE ON THE RIGHT"
August 3, 2024 at 8:35 pm
After 8arak orders the Happy Happy Joy Joy news made public regarding the Harris/Goldberg POTUS/VPOTUS pushed out by the “Fake News Media” each and every “Dook 4 Brains Lefty’s” rotten hearts will swell with “Dook Pride”.
ELVIS
*FREE BUMPER STICKER 4 YOUR SUBARU*
*KAMALLA/WHOOPI 2024*
*Question: America does any other poster here love you so much as to gift you with FREE BUMPER STICKERS?
Answer: NO.*
tom palmer
August 3, 2024 at 10:08 pm
Some activist somewhere is going to complain about any choice Kamala Harris makes. Move on.
Tom
August 4, 2024 at 6:54 am
That’s my take as well. Just stay to the center where the vast majority of Americans live and stop pandering to left and right wing whack jobs regardless of how much noise they make.
ELVIS
August 4, 2024 at 8:30 am
Good Morn ‘Ting America,
We have eyes everywhere to help Americans get a grip on exactly who Kammi is going to pick as her VEEP.
THIS JUST IN:
Whoopi Goldberg was seen at 7:26AM, this morn ‘ting doing “The Walk Of Shame” outside Kammi’s home” (slightly disheveled and missing a few articals of clothing).
OUR TAKE:
America, it must have been one heck of a Whoopi accepts the VPOTUS offer.
ANYWAY:
We’ve ran this by SNOOPS and they concure with ELVIS on the “Soon To Be Announced” HARRIS/GOLDBERG tickit.
IN CLOSING:
America, with ELVIS as your “Political Comsultant” you dont have to wait for the Dook 4 Brains Leftist News to guide you.
ELVIS
Albert Sharpton
August 4, 2024 at 9:48 am
I also endorse this tickit because Whoopi is a real Black lady, Al
ELVIS "The BIG Voice On The Right"
August 5, 2024 at 12:56 pm
Thanks Al,
I dont often got props from r@ce hustlers.
ELVIS
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