With Vice President Kamala Harris all but guaranteed to be handed the Democratic nomination (without a shred of voter input, mind you), speculation over who Harris will choose as a running mate is ramping up.
One name that comes up – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – can probably be dismissed out of hand.
AOC is one of the most prominent politicians in the Democratic Party. As the marquee member of ‘The Squad,’ AOC enjoys something of a cult-like following and progressive credibility – despite being a pretty token Democrat.
AOC, who conforms rather comfortably with the rest of her Party, was quick to endorse Harris as president (like the rest of the Democrats).
In doing so, AOC signaled that the progressive wing of the Party was united with the mainstream wing and that the Democrats could likely avoid a squabbling, fractious, drawn-out nominating process that would (be democratic) hinder a pivot towards assaulting the Trump candidacy.
In endorsing Harris, AOC may also have been signaling an interest in joining the ticket, as some pundits have suggested, but that seems like a long shot.
AOC isn’t totally green anymore – she has been a congresswoman for eight years now. But she’s still barely 35, new to politics relative to many of her peers, and a member of the House. In modern politics, the House is not known as a launching point for the White House.
Gerald R. Ford jumped from the House to the White House – but he was pretty much running the House after an impressive tenure. He was selected to join the Nixon team mid-administration thanks to exigent circumstances (Vice President Spiro Agnew’s disgraceful exit).
AOC is not long-tenured, does not run the House, and, despite the urgency of the Harris nominating process, is not dealing with exigent circumstances.
In short, AOC is not qualified to be Vice President. Consider the list of people who have more consequential positions and/or are more established than AOC. Governors. Senators. Another cycle or two, another position, maybe in the Senate, and perhaps AOC will be a worthwhile contender. But at the moment, it’s not close.
AOC’s lack of qualifications and other practical considerations prevent it from being selected for the ticket.
The first is geography. The election will come down to a few suburban voters in a few swing states. Arizona. Georgia. Pennsylvania. Michigan. Soccer moms outside of Pittsburgh, Tempe, and Atlanta will decide in 2024, and AOC isn’t a big draw for soccer moms outside of Pittsburgh, Tempe, or Atlanta. AOC represents New York, a state that Democrats have locked down, so adding AOC to the ticket won’t do much to win new voters in the all-valuable swing states.
The candidates Harris is considering will win new voters in swing-states. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, for example. Or Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. If the popular vote determined presidential elections, then maybe a running mate like AOC, from population-dense urban centers in Democrat-country, would be viable. But as long as the electoral college is used, swing-state logic will reign.
Don’t expect Harris to select, or even seriously consider, AOC for the 2024 ticket.
Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
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