Barely propelled into the race for the White House, Democrat Kamala Harris begins a crucial week on Monday for the selection of a running mate to strengthen her candidacy.
The American vice president, who replaced Joe Biden at short notice in his duel with Donald Trump, must announce in the next few days who she will choose to second her in the campaign.
The future candidate will form with Kamala Harris what Americans call a “ticket” for the November 5 election, and will become vice president if the Democrat wins.
“Condensed”
For a candidate for the White House, the selection of his running mate is the ideal opportunity to broaden his electorate, by choosing a profile that appeals beyond his base.
It is a process that usually lasts several months: experience, hobbies, bank accounts and possible scandals are all examined with a fine-tooth comb.
But with Joe Biden’s surprise withdrawal, that process has been “condensed” into a handful of weeks, notes Joel Goldstein, a professor at St. Louis University.
According to several media outlets, Kamala Harris will announce the name of her partner by August 7, less than 20 days after the launch of her campaign.
Rumors are rife about which candidate the 50-year-old will choose. But political observers seem to agree that it will probably be a white man.
If elected, Kamala Harris would be the first black woman to hold the US presidency.
“One of the characteristics of the selection of vice presidents is often the search for a kind of balance,” Joel Goldstein explained to AFP.
So far, five names have been coming up repeatedly: four governors — Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), Roy Cooper (North Carolina), Andy Beshear (Kentucky), Tim Walz (Minnesota) — and a former astronaut turned senator, Mark Kelly.
J.-D. Vance in turmoil
The selection process for Kamala Harris is being scrutinized even more closely, as Donald Trump’s running mate is the subject of very strong criticism.
The former president announced in mid-July that he had chosen JD Vance, a young senator with a rather atypical profile, to support him in his third campaign for the White House.
But this Ohio elected official has seen his popularity rating plummet in recent weeks, particularly due to the resurgence of several videos that could potentially damage his “ticket” with Donald Trump.
In one of them, the former best-selling author mocks “unhappy cat women”, a reference to people who choose to live without a partner or child. Comments strongly denounced by several American stars.
In other footage, Vance is also seen criticizing Donald Trump, a candidate to whom he now swears absolute loyalty.
“The most insignificant”
For Joel Goldstein, the turmoil in which JD Vance is immersed illustrates how sensitive the process of selecting a running mate is: “The first questions to ask are, above all, can they survive a thorough examination? And is this a plausible president?” he lists.
In the United States, the position of vice president is primarily intended to replace the president in the event of death or resignation.
In total, nine vice presidents have assumed the presidency under these conditions. The most recent were Lyndon Johnson after Kennedy’s assassination and Gerald Ford after Nixon’s departure over Watergate.
Apart from that, the role as described in the Constitution is extremely limited.
John Adams, the first vice president in American history, complained bitterly about his fate in a letter to his wife Abigail in 1793: “My country has, in its great wisdom, designed for me the most insignificant post ever imagined by Man.”