NEWS AND MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR
SHAWNA THOMAS IS WITH US.
SO, AFTER WEEKS OF SPECULATION,
JOE BIDEN HAS ANNOUNCED SENATOR
KAMALA HARRIS AS HIS RUNNING
MATE FOR THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
IN TEXTS AND EMAILS TO CAMPAIGN
SUPPORTERS SHORTLY AFTER 4:00
P.M. YESTERDAY, BIDEN BROKE THE
NEWS, WRITING IN PART, "I’VE
DECIDED THAT KAMALA HARRIS IS
THE BEST PERSON TO HELP ME TAKE
THIS FIGHT TO DONALD TRUMP AND
MIKE PENCE AND THEN TO LEAD THIS
NATION STARTING IN JANUARY OF
2021."
AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT, HE
POSTED THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON
TWITTER, CALLING HARRIS A
"FEARLESS FIGHTER FOR THE LITTLE
GUY AND ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S
FINEST PUBLIC SERVANTS."
BIDEN’S ANNOUNCEMENT COMES MORE
THAN A YEAR AFTER HE AND HARRIS,
A FORMER PRESIDENTIAL RIVAL,
CLASHED OVER BIDEN’S RECORD ON
RACE DURING THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC
DEBATE.
>> OOH.
AS WILL FERRELL --
>> IT WAS TOUGH.
>> -- WOULD SAY, THAT WAS ROUGH.
THAT WAS ROUGH.
>> IF ELECTED, HARRIS WOULD
BECOME THE NATION’S FIRST BLACK,
FIRST FEMALE, AND FIRST ASIAN
AMERICAN VICE PRESIDENT.
HER FATHER IS FROM INDIA, HER
FATHER.
HARRIS WAS A PROSECUTOR, SAN
FRANCISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND
LATER, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
BIDEN’S CAMPAIGN SAYS THE NEWS
OF HIS VP PICK IGNITED THE
BIGGEST ONLINE FUND-RAISING HOUR
OF HIS CAMPAIGN.
IRONICALLY, DONALD TRUMP WAS
ALSO A FINANCIAL SUPPORTER --
>> OF COURSE.
>> -- AS WE MENTIONED, OF KAMALA
HARRIS.
>> A COUPLE YEARS AGO, ACTUALLY.
>> YES!
HE CONTRIBUTED TWICE TO HER
CAMPAIGN.
>> TWICE?
>> NOT ONCE, GUT TWICE TO HER
CAMPAIGN FOR CALIFORNIA --
>> HE THOUGHT SHE WAS SO NICE,
HE CONTRIBUTED TWICE.
>> WELL, HE BELIEVED IN HER.
>> YES, HE DID.
>> HE INVESTED IN HER.
>> WOULD BE A GOOD PICK, HE SAID
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
>> HE DID.
GIVING $5,000 IN 2011 AND $1,000
IN 2013.
IVANKA TRUMP ALSO INVESTED IN
KAMALA HARRIS, WAS ONE OF HER
FINANCIAL BACKERS --
>> IT’S A FAMILY THING.
>> I HAD HER AT THE KNOW YOUR
VALUES SAN FRANCISCO EVENT.
>> YEAH.
>> THE CROWD WENT WILD.
>> THEY DID.
>> AND SHE REALLY CONNECTED WITH
THE WOMEN IN THE AUDIENCE.
EXTREMELY, NOT JUST LIKABLE, AS
THEY TALK ABOUT AS PEOPLE COVER
CAMPAIGNS AND TALK ABOUT
TEMPERAMENT, BUT SHE CARES ABOUT
WOMEN’S ISSUES.
SHE CARES ABOUT EQUALITY DEEP
WITHIN HER SOUL, FROM HER OWN
EXPERIENCE.
WE’VE HAD A GREAT TIME KNOWING
HER SO FAR, AND IT’S KIND OF
EXCITING, THIS PICK.
AND JOE, YOU ALWAYS HAVE A
SAYING IN POLITICS THAT REALLY
APPLIES TO THE CHOICE OF KAMALA
HARRIS FOR VICE PRESIDENT.
WHAT IS IT?
>> STAY OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT?
NO.
THE SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE
A COUPLE SAYINGS.
ONE OF THEM IS --
>> YES, YOU HAVE A COUPLE.
>> JUST A COUPLE.
ONE OF THEM ALWAYS IS, THOUGH,
THEY NEVER STOP YOU WHEN YOU GO
90 MILES AN HOUR.
THAT DOESN’T APPLY HERE AS MUCH
AS WHAT I ALWAYS TELL
POLITICIANS
POLITICIANS OVER THE PAST 25
YEARS, WHEN THEY COME UP WITH A
GREAT IDEA, AND IT’S THIS --
NEVER SNEAK UP ON THE PRESS.
DO NOT TRY TO SURPRISE THE
PRESS.
LET THEM KNOW WHAT’S COMING.
YOU GET NO EXTRA POINTS IN THE
LONG RUN --
>> NONE.
>> -- FOR A BIG, EXCITING
ANNOUNCEMENT.
IT USUALLY BLOWS UP IN YOUR
FACE.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO SELECT DAN
QUAYLE, GERALDINE FERRARO, OR
SARAH PALIN AS YOUR VICE
PRESIDENTIAL PICK, WHAT YOU DO A
MONTH BEFORE IS YOU SAY TO
SOMEBODY, HEY, I’M THINKING
ABOUT PICKING DAN QUAYLE.
I’M THINKING ABOUT PICKING SARAH
PALIN.
THINKING ABOUT PICKING GERALDINE
FERRARO AS MY VICE PRESIDENTIAL
PICK.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
AND THE MEDIA AND THE ACTIVISTS
LOVE DRAMA.
THEY LOVE TO BE SURPRISED.
THEY LOVE TO SAY, WHO?
WHO DID HE PICK?
WHO DID SHE PICK?
NO.
DON’T SURPRISE.
DON’T SNEAK UP ON THE PRESS.
IT NEVER ENDS WELL.
AND I’VE BEEN SAYING THIS WHEN I
WAS A POLITICIAN, I SAY IT NOW.
WHAT’S SO INTERESTING ABOUT THE
KAMALA CHOICE IS THAT JOE BIDEN
IS GETTING THE POSITIVE EFFECT
OF A LANDMARK CHOICE.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SAYING
BEFORE, WELL, KAMALA HARRIS,
THAT WOULD BE A BORING PICK
BECAUSE --
>> WELL, THAT’S GOOD, IF THAT’S
TRUE.
>> -- EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT, YOU
KNOW, SHE’S A FRONT-RUNNER.
THERE’S NO EXCITEMENT.
WRONG.
IT’S A LANDMARK PICK,
REGARDLESS.
AND THE BEST THING IS, IT WAS
ALSO THE SELECTION THAT MADE THE
MOST POLITICAL SENSE, THAT WAS
THE MOST EXPECTED.
AND IT WILL MOST LIKELY GENERATE
AN AWFUL LOT OF SUPPORT AMONG
CONTRIBUTORS TO JOE BIDEN’S
CAMPAIGN AND ALSO AMONG THE
BLACK VOTERS THAT SAVED JOE
BIDEN’S CAMPAIGN IN SOUTH
CAROLINA AND ACROSS THE DEEP
SOUTH EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND
ALSO THE SAME BLACK VOTERS THAT
DIDN’T SHOW UP AS MUCH AS
EXPECTED DURING THE 2016
CAMPAIGN, WHICH WAS REALLY THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HILLARY
CLINTON BEING PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES AND DONALD TRUMP
BEING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
LET’S BRING IN REVEREND AL
SHARPTON.
REVEREND AL, WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON
KAMALA’S SELECTION?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN 2020,
ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME?
AND WE HAVE TO ALSO ASK, DOES
SHE MOVE DONALD TRUMP CLOSER TO
LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE, OR DOES
HER SELECTION SOMEHOW GIVE HIM
SECOND LIFE AMONG THOSE, QUOTE,
WHICH THE MEDIA WOULD SAY, THE
ANGRY WHITE VOTERS IN WISCONSIN
AND MICHIGAN AND PENNSYLVANIA
AND FLORIDA?
THE PRESS SAYS THAT, NOT ME.
>> I THINK THE CHOICE OF KAMALA
HARRIS IS THE WISEST CHOICE FOR
JOE BIDEN AND FOR RIGHT NOW
WHERE WE ARE IN POLITICS IN
2020, BECAUSE SHE BRINGS A
PERFECT BALANCE.
WE ARE DEALING WITH A NATION
THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL IN
THIS PANDEMIC TIME WITH HOW
REGULAR PEOPLE SURVIVE.
SHE HAS A BACKGROUND OF HAVING
GROWN UP WITH A SINGLE MOTHER
AND HER SISTER.
SHE KNOWS THE STRUGGLES, SHE
KNOWS WHAT IT IS TO LIVE IN A
COMMUNITY THAT HAS PROBLEMS WITH
POLICE BUT ALSO PROBLEMS WITH
GUN VIOLENCE, AND SHE WAS A
PROSECUTOR AND DEALT WITH THAT.
SO, SHE BRINGS REAL LIFE INTO
THIS.
SHE ALSO, FOR THOSE THAT
CONSIDER OURSELVES PROGRESSIVE,
SHE WAS THE ONE THAT BROUGHT THE
RACE ISSUE TO JOE BIDEN DURING
THE DEBATES, SO WE WOULD FEEL
SHE WILL BRING TO HIM THE KIND
OF ADVICE THAT WILL NOT BE
WATERED DOWN AS VICE PRESIDENT,
IF THEY’RE SUCCESSFUL.
AND WHEN WE GET BEYOND THE
PANDEMIC AND WE TRY TO BUILD
THIS COUNTRY OUT OF A HUGE
DEFICIT, YOU NEED SOMEBODY IN
THE ROOM THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT
IT IS TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE ENDS
MEET AND TO KNOW HOW IT IS NOT
TO BE ABLE TO PAY THE BILLS.
SHE WOULD BE IN THE ROOM.
SHE WOULD BE IN THE SITUATION
ROOM WHEN WE’RE DEALING WITH A
GLOBAL KIND OF POLITICS.
SO, I THINK IT IS A GOOD
POLITICAL CHOICE.
SHE WILL GALVANIZE A VOTE THAT
WASN’T THERE, AS MIKA SAID.
SHE WENT TO HOWARD UNIVERSITY,
THE AKAs AND OTHERS, THAT HAVE
BEEN MARGINALIZED.
WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE
MARGINALIZED LIKE THEY’RE JUST
THE LATTE LIBERALS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF US THAT HAVE
NEVER BEEN EXCITED THAT ARE
EXCITED ABOUT SOMEBODY THAT HAS
HAD OUR EXPERIENCE, BLACK AND
WHITE, LATINO AND ASIAN, THAT
HAVE HAD TO STRUGGLE IN THIS
COUNTRY NOW BEING ON THE TICKET.
SHE’LL BRING THAT OUT.
HISTORICALLY, I THINK IT IS
GREAT.
I STARTED AS A TEENAGER WORKING
FOR SHIRLEY CHISHOLM’S CAMPAIGN
FOR PRESIDENT ’72, I BECAME 18,
FIRST YEAR I COULD VOTE.
SHIRLEY CHISHOLM DREAMED OF
BEING PRESIDENT AND BREAKING
THAT CEILING.
IN ’84, WHEN JESSE JACKSON RAN,
HE TALKED ABOUT A WOMAN SHOULD
BE ON THE TICKET.
WE GOT GERALDINE FERRARO THAT
YEAR.
HE HELPED SET THAT CLIMATE.
AND NOW, TO BE ABLE TO SEE A
BLACK WOMAN ON THE TICKET IS
HISTORIC, AND IT COMES IN A
TRAJECTORY OF PEOPLE THAT CAME
BEFORE HER, AND SHE WILL LIVE UP
TO THOSE DREAMS.
AND I THINK SHE WILL MAKE
AMERICA BETTER.
I THINK DONALD TRUMP, IF HE
THINKS THIS IS GOOD FOR HIM, THE
ANGRY, WHITE AMERICAN VOTER THAT
HE THINKS IS THERE, IS THERE,
AND THEY’RE ANGRY AT HIM FOR