It’s only Monday, and the news cycle this week already feels like multiple coconuts have dropped on our heads. (Yes, going forward, I will be starting every story about Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party circus with a lame little coconut joke.) Now, with Harris set up as the presumptive nominee, the race is on for her potential running mate. And while we’ve historically had no shortage of boy-boy presidential tickets, the prevailing thinking is that a girl-girl ticket—specifically a ticket that already has a *gasp* woman of color at the top—is out of the question. That being said, Harris is expected to tap one of a handful of non-controversial white men, likely hailing from key swing states especially around the Midwest, to be her running mate. Some big-name, Democratic presidential hopefuls have already bowed out or been effectively disqualified from the veepstakes. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who’s become a trailblazing star of the party since first winning her seat in 2018, said on Monday afternoon that she isn’t leaving Michigan. And the American Psycho-resembling California governor, Gavin Newsom, isn’t eligible while he holds his office because he and Harris are both legislators from California. Among some of the names being quietly floated are Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore—both charismatic, rising stars of the party, but both hailing from states that the Biden-Harris campaign, now just Harris, isn’t quite as focused on. (Warnock would also be replaced by a Republican since the governor of Georgia is a Republican.) According to the latest reporting on Monday, it's Midwestern, swing-state governors who are at the top of Harris’ shortlist. They could win over voters from a key region for Democrats; some of them have managed to accomplish a lot in deep-red or purple states; and pretty much all of them are much younger than Trump. The vice presidential pick isn’t always regarded as the most consequential piece of a presidential campaign. But as the alleged cold feet in Trump world over J.D. Vance suggests, veep selection holds some importance: According to The Atlantic, Trump allies are especially frustrated with Vance on the ticket now that Biden’s departure means the campaign will likely face a tougher Democratic challenger, and Vance doesn’t really add anything. With her VP pick, Harris has the chance to make things even tougher for Trump and Vance. So, here are the potential, "non-threatening" white men Harris and her campaign are reportedly considering, and what they would or wouldn’t bring to the table. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was elected in 2019 in his deep red state by running primarily on state issues, like natural disaster relief and economic development, and placing some distance between himself and the national Democratic Party. Beshear has been a highly effective messenger on reproductive rights, winning his race in November by calling out Republicans’ anti-abortion extremism and lifting up the story of Hadley Duvall, a young woman and child rape survivor who lent her voice to the campaign. Beshear has also impressively defeated attacks on trans kids in Kentucky by making the simple, powerful case that Republicans who bully trans kids are the extremists, rather than the other way around. Beshear is termed out from running for governor again, so that’s a point in his favor. On Monday, he hammered Vance on his anti-abortion extremism and remarks in support of women staying in abusive marriages, as well as his Midwest, populist pandering. Beshear is also 46 years old, which would further help the ticket make the case against Trump, the oldest-ever presidential nominee. The only weakness (?)…
