The presidential political landscape is in upheaval following the resignation of President Joe Biden from his position as the Democrat nominee. It became even more tumultuous when Vice President Kamala Harris stepped into his shoes.
Now the question of who will step into the number two position remains unanswered, but many more experienced Democrats are concerned about who the already unpopular Harris might pick, as The Washington Examiner reported.
As rumors circulate that the senator from a swing state could secure the highly sought-after position of vice president, Kamala Harris's running mate, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and several Democrats are cautioning that he may not be the best choice.
According to John LaBombard, a political insider from Washington, D.C., who has worked as a senior advisor for Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, he is uncertain that Kelly will help the presidential ticket.
“My guess is that Sen. Kelly would have some growth to do in that part of the role, at least as compared to Gov. Walz,” the Democratic strategist said. Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) is also rumored to be on the vice presidential shortlist.
“The vice presidential candidate really ideally would be somebody who would be comfortable being an attack dog on the other ticket but doing it in a way that’s not off-putting to winnable voters,” LaBombard added.
According to Steve Jarding, a former counsel to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and another Democratic strategist, Kelly did not conform to the conventional "attack dog" profile for candidates running for vice president.
Jarding, on the other hand, thinks that might work in favor of people who are turned off by "pit bull" politics.
This week, the senator from a battleground state stepped up his attacks on the Trump-Vance ticket, seemingly eager to portray himself as the "pit bull" that campaign strategists aspire for, amid growing speculation that Kelly leads the probable Democratic nominee's vice presidential shortlist.
Kelly avoided questions regarding the vice president while swiftly criticizing the GOP immigration reform ticket on Wednesday's MSNBC Morning Joe.
“We can’t have four more years of Donald Trump, especially with J.D. Vance one heartbeat away from the presidency,” the Democrat said.
In other comments from this week, Kelly told reporters that Trump had made the world “a more dangerous place.”
Kelly may already have a significant backer. During an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday, Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J. ), a personal friend of Harris, lauded the senator, who is now in a battleground state, as "out of the world."
Booker has stated that he personally urged Biden's candidate for the position of heir apparent to run for the United States Senate in the year 2016.
Booker looked to favor "one of the greatest champions and heroes in the country" in his enthusiastic approval for the Arizonan.
