Harris is the most qualified for the job

The argument

Senator Kamala Harris checks all of the boxes for what is needed to fill the role of Vice President, making her the obvious pick as Joe Biden's running mate. Senator Harris is well suited for the job, as a current U.S. Senator and former as Attorney General for California (2011 and 2017). Harris is a "smart, charismatic black women with high name recognition who is not old and is qualified to serve as president from Day One, and while she is not of 'the left,' per se, her politics are muddled enough to not come across as a concerted middle finger to the left." Harris's political and judicial experience sets her up well for the vice presidency, and would make a strong show in the vice-presidential debates against current VP Mike Pence. Harris is the only black woman in the Senate (and only the 2nd in history) and has been very vocal about police violence and racial injustice. Her strong and compelling track record on racial injustice and police violence elevates Biden's campaign platform and widen his reach to more minority voters. As Bloomberg columnist Francis Wilkinson puts it, " The presumptive Democratic nominee needs someone who makes voters comfortable with an old white guy at the top of the ticket."

Premises

Counter-arguments

Those who oppose the idea of Kamal Harris as Biden's VP believe her to be too opportunistic and not loyal enough for the job. She was running for president before dropping out in March, and some worry about her ambition and aspiration for the presidency, believing that she will be too focused on becoming president herself to be an effective VP. Others question her loyalty to Biden after (verbally) attacking him during a presidential debate while she was still running for President. She has shown no remorse or regret for the attack on Biden during this previous debate, calling into question their ability to work as a team if Biden is elected. Another issue with choosing Senator Harris for VP is her record as a 'tough on crime' prosecutor, where she oversaw high incarceration rates and overcrowded prisons. Her record goes against the current push for police reform within the U.S.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] The criteria are framed so as to select the answer, and they leave out what critics of this choice stress: alignment with the nominee's programme and a record that will withstand scrutiny from the party's own base. [Rejecting P2] Qualification is not distinguishing here. Several of the other names carry comparable or longer records in government, law enforcement and national security, so the premise establishes that she is qualified rather than that she is the strongest available. [Rejecting P3] Broadened appeal is contested in both directions. The prosecutorial record cited as a strength on criminal justice is the same record raised against her over incarceration, and a running mate's effect on turnout is generally modest and hard to forecast.