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Biden picking Kamala Harris despite her caustic attacks at debates proves he can't hold grudges: Expert

'The related political talent is that he keeps his eye on the big picture, which so often depends on relationships, and lets petty slights go by'
PUBLISHED AUG 21, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Before Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden announced his vice presidential pick to be Kamala Harris, making her the first Black and Indian-American woman on a major party presidential ticket, the two of them went at each other's throats during the Democratic debates in the bid to win primary vote. 

Most of the attacks came from Harris as she spared no opportunities to pick at all the policies and amendments supported or rejected by Biden during his time in the Senate that she did not agree with. From clashing over healthcare plans on the debate stage to criticizing the former vice president's opposition to federally mandated busing, which produced Harris' famous "that little girl was me" remark, she was not an easy contender to go up against. It even led Biden to whisper, "Go easy on me, kid," as he shook Harris' hand with a smile before one of the debates.

So what really made Biden forgive and forget all the times he had been attacked by Harris on the national stage and decide on picking her as the running mate? Former Barack Obama campaign adviser Spencer Critchley, who is also the author of the book 'Patriots of Two Nations: Why Trump Was Inevitable and How We Can Reunite,' and has worked with Biden in the past, told MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) that Biden was "not good at holding grudges" and it is something that he has mentioned himself.

"I think there are a couple of reasons, which are related to each other: Biden's natural temperament and one of his key talents as a politician. By temperament, Biden just seems to love people, and can't help it. You can't help but notice this when you watch him with people: his face lights up with each new person and he seems genuinely delighted at the chance to meet them. Because of this kind of warmth, everyone I know who's worked with him loves him, including me. And an aspect of this is that he's 'not good at holding grudges,' as he's said. So I think it would just be hard for him to stay mad at Kamala Harris, or at almost anyone," Critchley said. 

(Getty Images)

He added that Biden never lost his vision of what he wanted for his nation and he knew that Harris was the perfect fit for that. So choosing her was a no-brainer. "The related political talent is that he keeps his eye on the big picture, which so often depends on relationships, and lets petty slights go by. I'm sure he understood that Kamala's challenge to him was political, not personal, and when it came time to choose the best running mate for his ticket, it wouldn't have carried much weight with him," he said.

He also elaborated on what made Harris the ideal choice for the VP ticket. "Kamala Harris a perfect choice for Biden. First, because she's so qualified, and second, because she's All American, in the best sense of our founding vision," he said. "This is often missed as we celebrate how remarkable it is that she is who she is. Her identity is the essence of the American identity, as designed at the founding: you're an American because you're loyal to the Constitution and the values it represents, and your destiny is yours. So the success of a talented, hard-working woman who is the child of immigrants from India and Jamaica — who as a child attended both a Hindu temple and a Baptist church — is exactly what America looks like when its founding vision is coming true."

According to Critchley, "Kamala combines both aspects of an effective candidate: substance and charisma. She has a very substantive background as a San Francisco DA, California attorney general, and senator, having shown her skills to the national audience in Congressional hearings and in the primaries. Meanwhile, she has a strong nonverbal presence as well, projecting the sense of strength combined with caring that so often determines how voters decide."

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