A big reason for Biden’s strength among Black voters was that he stood behind Obama for all those years, so they stood behind Biden when he chose to run.

Could Hakeem Jeffries tap into that appeal? He's more charismatic than Harris, and has a decent amount of political cred as Minority Leader in the House. He has managed to keep the House Democrats pretty well in line. Not an easy job, by any means. He has stood out as a solid leader, in sharp contrast to the GOP house leadership.

It may be that things will be just as bad picking Harris...

Probably. She's got that nervous laugh that many find offputting. And she doesn't have the bulldog image that will be needed to go on the offense against Trump. While I suspect that she has been a good VP, she doesn't strike me as quite ready for the big chair. Another 4 years in the second chair (or some time away working in a different role - Congress, perhaps?), a good vocal coach, and a better speechwriter could make a big difference in her image. Every time I see her, she lacks something that Pelosi and Hillary Clinton and Feinstein had. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's absence is notable.

--Peter