Although Nancy Pelosi is no longer the Speaker of the House, she remains a significant figure within the Democratic Party. On Wednesday, she made headlines when she refrained from wholeheartedly endorsing Kamala Harris as the ideal running mate for President Joe Biden. Accordingly, speculation has arisen about Harris’s ability to serve as president if necessary.
During an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN, Pelosi was asked if Harris was the best choice as Vice President for Biden. Instead of a direct endorsement, Pelosi replied, “He thinks so. And that’s what matters.” This response raised eyebrows, suggesting that while Biden might be content with Harris, others in the party, including Pelosi, might have reservations.
Pelosi then tried to recover from her initial hesitation by praising Harris, stating that she’s “politically astute” and that people often underestimate her. However, her attempt seemed more defensive than genuine. When Cooper pressed Pelosi again on whether Harris was the best running mate, Pelosi reiterated Harris’s current position, saying, “She’s the vice president of the United States!” She then added that the role of the vice president doesn’t involve doing much. Pelosi basically said she is supposed to sit there and look pretty, be a “source of inspiration.”
So, according to Pelosi, the Vice President doesn’t do much? Many Republicans would have probably said she is not doing enough, which would explain her poor handling of the border crisis. To say that the Vice President doesn’t do much is strange. Pelosi proceeded to dig it deeper, saying of Harris, “She’s, of course, values-based, consistent with the president’s values and the rest.”
Pelosi’s reluctance to give a straightforward endorsement to Harris might hint at the Democratic leadership’s concerns about Harris’s suitability for the presidency. Considerations of race and gender influenced the party’s choice of Harris, but any move to replace her might be met with accusations of racism and sexism. Pelosi’s repeated statements and generalizations during the interview suggest the party’s dilemma in navigating this sensitive issue.