Fmr. Biden Campaign Adviser on Kamala Harris: ‘This Really Feels Like Obama 2008’

COATES: “She’s now the presumptive nominee. You‘re smiling already. How would one accomplish this in what it‘s been just about 24, 36 hours?”
Johnson: “I mean, the only way an accomplished black woman who is overly qualified to do this. I am smiling because one, yes, Democrats are extremely excited right now. But this moment, we were talking about this in the green room, honestly, the calls that I‘ve been getting beyond the beltway, this really feels like Obama 2008, where my dad was running around saying, ‘Fired up and ready to vote.’ The coalitions that are already swelling. We all have talked about the black woman. Well, the black men have just been texting me. They had 36,000 people in the call, raised $1.1 million in 3 hours. Latinos are organizing and the AAPI groups are organizing self-organizing. The excitement is here. And when she talks about unity, it is bringing these factions together. I think there‘s so many factions of our party, progressive, moderates, who are like, ‘Look, we‘re going to disagree after we get her in office because we know who we have to beat, but we also know the platform that we can run on and folks are confident with her at the helm.’”
COATES: “Speaking of unity, I mean, she‘s going to have to bring someone onto her ticket as the presumptive nominee. We were talking about the Trump veep stakes for a long time. We now know who‘s on that ticket. Chuck, who is going to be her partner?”
ROCHA: “You know, I saw you all talking about this earlier, and there‘s a reason why you see all these governors and all these folks that are already elected in these swing states, because it‘s important. What I find ironic is that in the Democratic movement, the white men are having their moment again.”
Johnson: “They are. (Laughs)”
ROCHA: “Right? So don‘t be surprised. And I think what y’all have said tonight is really important about Roy Cooper, because of North Carolina, because of Shapiro in Pennsylvania. The rule with VPs, and we all know this, is ‘Do no harm.’ She does not want to be outshined, she wants to find someone who’s safe, so somebody who‘s had an election or two elections, has been fully briefed. We have run campaigns. The first thing you do is a big oppo research book on whoever that is, and that means they‘ve been through all that oppo research so they‘re safe. So I think any of those picks would be a real good asset to add to a very talented black woman who I think can be president.”