Tipsheet

Here's the Real Reason Why Josh Shapiro's Veepstakes Position Is in Peril

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  August 01, 2024 6:30 PM

There was a lot of buzz about Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro being Kamala Harris’ running mate. It made the most sense given the 2024 roadmap the Democrats must run to keep the White House. Shapiro also has working-class appeal, where one-third of self-identified Trump supports support of the job he’s doing. He was canceling fundraisers before Harris announced who her running mate would be. Well, there’s a new twist: Shapiro’s canceled fundraisers could be that he might be involved in a sex case cover-up. There is one curveball, which is that this story comes from The Daily Beast—tread carefully. But the real reason many don’t want Shapiro is buried in the story [emphasis mine]:

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is likely no longer the betting favorite to be No. 2 on the Democratic ticket. His involvement in a sexual harassment coverup has come to a head, with a national women’s rights organization urging Vice President Kamala Harris to think twice. 

In a headline blaring: “Gov. Shapiro’s Failures Enabled Sexual Harassment,” the National Women’s Defense League said in a statement that the Harris vetting team should “consider the handling of past complaints of sexual harassment inside the Pennsylvania Governor’s office.” 

Shapiro, 51, is the chief executive of a crucial battleground state rich with electoral votes, where Harris is set to campaign with her yet-to-be-named running mate on Tuesday. Speculation had mounted that brd on the location of Tuesday’s rally, in Philadelphia, that it may just be Shapiro. 

[…] 

Shapiro has come under fire for his administration’s move last year to pay nearly $300,000 to settle a sexual harassment claim against one of his longtime aides.The deal involved a non-disclosure agreement. 

[…] 

Shapiro faced ethics questions, too. He’s been seen sitting courtside with a donor at a 76ers game and caught flack for accepting pricey tickets to numerous other sporting events, potentially violating his state’s gift ban. 

And progressives sympathetic to Palestinian causes don’t want him on the ticket either as Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza rages on. Shapiro is a vocal supporter of Israel’s right to defend itself, while critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has criticized anti-Israel protests, pushing to forcibly end the encampment at the University of Pennsylvania. 

And that’s the key here: he’s Jewish and supports Israel. That’s the core of this piece. The progressive Left would rather lose an election to Trump than allow their nominee to pick a running mate who can win. Still, it wouldn’t shock me if Shapiro is Harris’ running mate, with some noting that she’s likely already picked him. With less than 16 weeks until Election Day, there’s no time to haggle or bargain with the unhinged and vocal pro-Hamas element within the Democratic Party over this topic. Harris needs someone to help her win and connect with voters who would otherwise tune her out. Shapiro is the best choice.

A sex case cover-up? We would have learned more eons ago about that and whether it was damaging. Shapiro is Jewish, which is the real reason the base doesn’t like him, which is why we’re seeing these last-minute attempts to stop what appears to be inevitable.