What this election proves about the importance of running mates and vice presidents

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One major lesson from Vice President Kamala Harris’ sudden ascension to be the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is that running mates matter.

Backup quarterbacks need to be ready for big games, and vice presidents need to be ready for the Oval Office, as this election year has proven on both sides of the political aisle.

Former President Donald Trump was nearly killed by a would-be assassin before he officially selected Sen. JD Vance. Harris is set to be Democrats’ consensus nominee only because President Joe Biden stepped aside after questions were raised about his ability to do the job for four more years.

It’s a point not lost on someRepublicans who aresecond-guessing Trump’s selection of Vance and Democrats who are anticipating Harris’ pick any day.

Related article Of 49 US VPs, only 4 accomplished what Harris is attempting

“Veepstakes,” as the informal selection process is frequently called, can feel irrelevant and overwrought as pundits pick apart the attributes and drawbacks of potential vice presidents. Trump compared the process to his old reality show, “The Apprentice,” in which he picked the best person to hire.

CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere reports the Harris campaign plans to hold up Trump’s pick of Vance as evidence that the former president is not good at hiring people and that Vance is unqualified to be president.

Harris’ selection of a running mate – the first major decision of her unexpected campaign – is expected before planned joint appearances next week and in time for Democrats to include the potential veep’s name when delegates officially select the