What the Kamala Harris pick tells us about Joe Biden

JOE Biden is often described as an ideological moderate. During the 2020 Democratic primary, political analysts routinely used the term to distinguish him from prominent rivals running to his left, especially the self-described socialist Senator Bernie Sanders and the "big structural change" advocate Senator Elizabeth Warren.

But the term is not actually a good fit for Mr Biden. His policy agenda and personal style are certainly closer to the political centre than those of Mr Sanders or Ms Warren - but they are also more liberal than the moderate Democratic tradition represented by the congressional Blue Dog Coalition and senators like Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Mr Biden is best understood not as a member of a particular ideological faction but rather as a prototypical "regular Democrat" who has continually sought to personify the existing mainstream of his party - which explains his choice of Senator Kamala Harris as vice-presidential nominee.