Ezra Klein

And my view, and that was really what that set of pieces was about, was about the argument that even though Biden was clearly going to win the primary, there was still time for Democrats to do something the parties had done in the past and have an open convention. Right. And you could structure the lead up to an open convention in a number of different ways, right?

And my view, and that was really what that set of pieces was about, was about the argument that even though Biden was clearly going to win the primary, there was still time for Democrats to do something the parties had done in the past and have an open convention. Right. And you could structure the lead up to an open convention in a number of different ways, right?

You could have something like a mini primary, but basically you'd have Democrats out in the media, out giving speeches, and their ultimate audience would be the delegates at the Democratic National Convention. And my hope was through that, you would find the person for this moment, right? The thing for Kamala Harris that was really difficult was she was for another moment.

You could have something like a mini primary, but basically you'd have Democrats out in the media, out giving speeches, and their ultimate audience would be the delegates at the Democratic National Convention. And my hope was through that, you would find the person for this moment, right? The thing for Kamala Harris that was really difficult was she was for another moment.

You could have something like a mini primary, but basically you'd have Democrats out in the media, out giving speeches, and their ultimate audience would be the delegates at the Democratic National Convention. And my hope was through that, you would find the person for this moment, right? The thing for Kamala Harris that was really difficult was she was for another moment.

She was picked by Joe Biden in 2020 amidst just a very different political equilibrium, a sense that you had a transitionary moment between two versions of the Democratic Party, maybe Joe Biden reaching a little bit back to the past. to these sort of lunch pail, you know, blue collar Democrats. Joe from Scranton was a big part of the Joe Biden appeal.

She was picked by Joe Biden in 2020 amidst just a very different political equilibrium, a sense that you had a transitionary moment between two versions of the Democratic Party, maybe Joe Biden reaching a little bit back to the past. to these sort of lunch pail, you know, blue collar Democrats. Joe from Scranton was a big part of the Joe Biden appeal.

She was picked by Joe Biden in 2020 amidst just a very different political equilibrium, a sense that you had a transitionary moment between two versions of the Democratic Party, maybe Joe Biden reaching a little bit back to the past. to these sort of lunch pail, you know, blue collar Democrats. Joe from Scranton was a big part of the Joe Biden appeal.

But also Biden never has a chance if he's not Barack Obama's vice president. And so you have this sort of weird set of historical factors like operating at the same time. There's a desire for stability and experience amidst the chaos of Donald Trump and the pandemic. There is Biden as Obama's vice president who nevertheless did not run in the election after Obama.

But also Biden never has a chance if he's not Barack Obama's vice president. And so you have this sort of weird set of historical factors like operating at the same time. There's a desire for stability and experience amidst the chaos of Donald Trump and the pandemic. There is Biden as Obama's vice president who nevertheless did not run in the election after Obama.

But also Biden never has a chance if he's not Barack Obama's vice president. And so you have this sort of weird set of historical factors like operating at the same time. There's a desire for stability and experience amidst the chaos of Donald Trump and the pandemic. There is Biden as Obama's vice president who nevertheless did not run in the election after Obama.

I think a lot of people look back at 2016 and think, you know what, if Biden had been the candidate, he would have beaten Trump and we would live in a different reality. And then Biden chose Harris as an effort to shore up his own, at least assumed weaknesses, right? He's a white man in the Democratic Party at a time when the Democratic Party is diversifying.

I think a lot of people look back at 2016 and think, you know what, if Biden had been the candidate, he would have beaten Trump and we would live in a different reality. And then Biden chose Harris as an effort to shore up his own, at least assumed weaknesses, right? He's a white man in the Democratic Party at a time when the Democratic Party is diversifying.

I think a lot of people look back at 2016 and think, you know what, if Biden had been the candidate, he would have beaten Trump and we would live in a different reality. And then Biden chose Harris as an effort to shore up his own, at least assumed weaknesses, right? He's a white man in the Democratic Party at a time when the Democratic Party is diversifying.

And when the view of how you win elections is you put back together the Obama coalition. And the Obama coalition is young people. It's, you know, voters of color. And it's enough working class white voters and then college educated white voters. That's the Obama coalition. And so Biden picks Harris, you know, for different reasons.

And when the view of how you win elections is you put back together the Obama coalition. And the Obama coalition is young people. It's, you know, voters of color. And it's enough working class white voters and then college educated white voters. That's the Obama coalition. And so Biden picks Harris, you know, for different reasons.

And when the view of how you win elections is you put back together the Obama coalition. And the Obama coalition is young people. It's, you know, voters of color. And it's enough working class white voters and then college educated white voters. That's the Obama coalition. And so Biden picks Harris, you know, for different reasons.

My view at that time was I was sort of a Tammy Duckworth person and thought I should have picked Tammy Duckworth. But there are different people out there. And then the kind of moment that Harris was running in just sort of dissipates. First, she has a particular background from California where she's tough on crime. Her book is called Smart on Crime Prosecutor.

My view at that time was I was sort of a Tammy Duckworth person and thought I should have picked Tammy Duckworth. But there are different people out there. And then the kind of moment that Harris was running in just sort of dissipates. First, she has a particular background from California where she's tough on crime. Her book is called Smart on Crime Prosecutor.

My view at that time was I was sort of a Tammy Duckworth person and thought I should have picked Tammy Duckworth. But there are different people out there. And then the kind of moment that Harris was running in just sort of dissipates. First, she has a particular background from California where she's tough on crime. Her book is called Smart on Crime Prosecutor.