Vice President Biden, Senator Harris and The Black Vote

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher
The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

Vice President Biden did the right thing both for himself and for the country in selecting Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Although she was not this paper’s first choice, the choice was not one based on a question of qualifications. She has always been qualified. For some it was a matter of timing. But then this was the same issue with President Obama when he decided to run for the Presidency as a young U.S. Senator from Illinois. It looks like history’s greatness has an opportunity to repeat itself.

Senator Harris represents the fulfillment of the dream deferred by Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm 50 years ago when she boldly declared her candidacy for no less than the Presidency itself. She never made it to the official selection of the Democratic Party for either office.

The selection of Senator Harris as running mate will now test the sincerity of those of us who know that America cannot afford one day longer of Donald Trump in the White House than the November 3, 2020 election allows.

We must not assume that Biden and Harris will automatically defeat Trump. We must work to make that defeat a reality with every fiber of our being. We must vote.

We must make sure that those who have been protesting the pandemics of racism, bigotry, and police brutality while suffering death at the hands of Covid-19 must register and must vote in spite of all the efforts of Donald Trump, the Russians, and Republican efforts to suppress the elections. We must vote early to overcome the efforts to delay or destroy the U.S. Postal Service. We must encourage the vote and the face mask and understand that for Donald Trump, the more of us that die by November, the fewer the votes against him.

When elected, we hope President Joe Biden will exercise another decision of wisdom and appoint Susan Rice as Secretary of State. No one is better qualified nor better prepared. Let’s restore the greatness of democracy. Let’s work to make this election a victory as if the Voting Rights Act had just been passed. in addressing these issues. And, we believe that an experienced Vice President like Susan Rice, with her knowledge of International Relations as a Rhodes Scholar, her experience as United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013, and as the 24th United States National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2017 makes her more than qualified to handle the international stage and its players, including Putin. She doesn’t have to learn the G7. She knows China and North Korea. But most of all, she has worked with the Vice President and they know each other.

These qualifications do not take away from the abilities of all the other potential candidates for the No. 2 job. But one thing is certain. It is still possible for Donald Trump to win a second term without the Black vote and without a Black woman in that No. 2 slot. There are many Blacks that will not vote, despite the concerns about Donald Trump. We believe that Susan Rice is capable of assuming the Office of the Presidency, if necessary, and she is not seeking the office. There will certainly be a number of key cabinet positions and no one is more prepared to fill them than Joe Biden.

At the end of the day, this is our opinion. We welcome yours.