"Beshear looks best on paper of the choices being discussed as a potential running mate."
That's the assessment of UK political commentator Stephen Voss.
He's bullish on Beshear for a number of reasons, noting that the pick does the least damage to the Democratic Party — potentially putting Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman into the governor's office and strengthening Democrats' chances of holding on to the top executive branch post in the next election.
Then there's Beshear's battle-tested demeanor in the midst of crises, something Voss notes the country is bound to face even before the election.
"Beshear's calmness and mellowness might be the right fit for crisis-laden times and a good counterbalance to Harris's own personality."UK political analyst Stephen Voss
As for the big mark against Kentucky's contender — not hailing from a coveted swing state — Voss says that variable isn't as important as some pundits might assume.
"Evidence suggests that the vice presidential pick doesn't make much difference in their home state anyhow. So the people trying to strategize for Harris, saying that she ought to pick someone from a more critical state, are not thinking properly about the way in which your running mate really helps the ticket," the analyst adds.
All that said, Voss says there are other signs that don't bode well for Beshear.
One is that the tour Harris is set to begin with her running mate starts in Pennsylvania, which makes sense from an electoral vantage, but would be "an odd choice" to start if Harris were not tapping Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
While Beshear's national profile has risen considerably in recent weeks, new polling from the Associated Press suggests he has a long way to go if he wants to introduce himself to voters outside the commonwealth.
One of the Kentucky Democrat's chief selling points is his record of defying political physics in Kentucky — winning the governor’s race twice in an overwhelmingly Trump-friendly state. Due to the pandemic and a number of unprecedented events and natural disasters throughout Beshear's first term, Kentuckians were given an unusually intimate introduction to the governor via fireside chat-like press briefings and in-person appearances, which helped him win a second term and continue to poll as the most popular Democratic governor in the country.
A new AP survey, however, suggests around 7 in 10 Americans don’t know enough about Beshear to register an opinion – and those who do are split, with 17% having a positive impression and 15% a negative one.
Voss says he doesn’t see that as a major hurdle.
"Beshear doesn't have as much name recognition as some of the options, but at the same time, anyone Harris picks as a running mate is going to get lots of attention," he notes. "Name recognition will be the easiest thing for Harris's running mate to build up."
Voss adds that Beshear’s success campaigning in the VP slot would likely hinge on how well the Harris campaign allows him to play to his strengths, the chemistry between the two candidates, and other factors being considered behind-the-scenes as the Harris team vets the contenders.
