Kamala Harris Could Be a Plus for Biden [OPINION]

Now that Joe Biden has selected Sen. Kamala Harris of California to be his running mate, we know what we are dealing with. She has qualities that might boost Biden.

Do vice presidential candidates help or hurt a political ticket? Most historians and political scientists don't believe the choice of a running mate, regardless of being Democrat or Republican, has a major impact on the decisions of voters. However, historians and professors aren't often in the room with the political mechanics and politicians who are making the choice that will help make or break their party on Election Day.

Senator Harris strikes me as a likable and enthusiastic person. I'm not part of the Biden/Harris targeted voters. She passes the "who would you like to have a beer with" test with me. When she was campaigning, she seemed to have fun with it when it was appropriate. She was also capable of delivering a stiletto to her opponent when it was appropriate for her campaign.

As a woman, she will be attractive to other women who are on the fence between Biden and President Trump. Her ethnicity as the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants will have appeal to certain voters.

Most importantly, she has a track record and she has experience. She was a prosecutor in California, and that gives her experience as an executive over a large government bureaucracy. She has served in the U.S. Senate and that has given her a solid understanding of the federal government she is looking to run one day.

It is up to the voters, but at this time it looks like Biden has made a solid choice for the Democrats.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.