O-blog-dee-o-blog-da

By Melanie Nathan, August 07, 2024.

Watching the discussion unfold in various venues, I am getting a sense of sentiment and have been able to coalesce them to formulate an evolved opinion on why Tim Walz is Kamala Harris’ best choice for Vice President.

Kamala Harris is my candidate and she made the perfect choice. I am looking at this through my Jewish Woman lens.

If we are to take this from the perspective of Jewish women, opinions run the gamut. However, the running theme is “us Jews”, “Antisemitism”, “Israel.” It would be remiss of us as Jewish Women not to recognize that for most voters these considerations are not foremost, and probably for many, not even a consideration at all.

What I am reading is disappointment and assumptive reasoning such as ‘he was rejected because he is Jewish.’ Now while it may be a consideration point when vetting a candidate such as Josh Shapiro, or similarly for Pete Buttigiege, who is gay, we fail our candidate to not look at it through a broader lens, aimed for the win.

Let’s give credit to the brilliance of Kamala Harris and her amazing campaign team, strategists etc. If we only look at it through one lens, we succumb to our own bias and privilege (in instances) by thinking that it is all about us! We have to be bigger than that and give Candidate Harris credit, and embrace our inner ubuntu. (“I am because we are”)

She made a calculated choice. WHAT WAS SO CLEVER ABOUT HER CHOICE is that out of all the candidates Walz has the most to offer for the win. ( Cryptically: Midwest. swing state sway. military experience, a veteran, strong on reproductive rights, voting rights, with proven record in the state, gun control, a vibrant connection to the social needs of his state, revealing his heart as one which understands and cares,  … and a whole lot more that differentiates Josh or Pete. (Noting they may be perfectly presidential in a future climate where our risks and calculations for the win are different.)

What makes this choice by VP Harris even more brilliant – in my opinion – is it took the eye off the ball by those in the Muslim community who are anti-Israel. They were so invested in cancelling Josh that they didn’t even notice (and still do not notice) that other than not being Jewish, Tim is no different to Josh on the issues of Israel and antisemitism.

I am also realizing that taking Josh Shapiro out of Pennsylvania to campaign nationally could backfire and lose us PA, a much needed state in the electoral college. Now he can focus on the state itself and bring it home for the win.

So all said and done – we are here for the win. And we will!

By Melanie Nathan
commissionermnathan@gmail.com