Assuming Biden gets the nomination (and I admit that is no small assumption), who would his VP nominee be? Or maybe it’s better to ask who should the nominee be?
One school of thought might be to have the person appeal to voters in key swing states or regions. Amy Klobuchar comes to mind.
Another could be, ‘we need someone to appeal to the young, to our more progressive friends and partners’, so maybe Kamala Harris? But not Cory Booker since the VP nominee must a woman if Biden (or any other man) is the presidential candidate. Bernie would not do for this and several other reasons (see below).
Nominating Elizabeth Warren (in my opinion a fine person and leader) would serve only to satisfy the already convinced but inflame and solidify the Republican* opposition. So, politically speaking she must be avoided despite all the good she might bring. We live in the real world where slavish adherence to a principle can lead you to become a slave not just to the principle but to others’ practice.
(*Republican, Trumpist, a rose by another name).
Stacey Abrams would be interesting but, again, like Warren, would be a net negative politically (IMO).
I guess at the end of the day, it will be a replay of what’s happening with the Presidential candidate: go for the future with someone young and ‘left’? Or go for the real world win?
If the nominee is Biden, Sanders, or Warren, they absolutely need a young VP, given that the VP’s primary job is to literally not die, and those three are all old enough that death or other serious health issues are a significant chance.
The other main thing you want in a VP is a fighter: Someone who will take the gloves off, while you yourself remain statesmanlike.
I don’t necessarily think that the VP needs to balance the President demographically, other than age. It’s critically important that both of them need to be able to relate to people of all demographics, but you don’t need to be a member of a demographic yourself to do so. Take, for instance, O’Rourke vs. Cruz: The Irish O’Rourke was able to relate to Hispanics, while the Hispanic Cruz wasn’t.
Personally, I’d still like to see Tammy Duckworth as a VP candidate. She’s young, tough, energetic, a veteran, and doesn’t pull punches.
IIRC, Booker has promised to pick a female V.P. if he’s the nominee, but I don’t think this need apply to Biden.
How about Biden-Booker? (Would this be too geographically close, Delaware and New Jersey?) We’ll know more when we’ve seen some debates, but if Booker is stronger than Harris it would be silly to give the nod to Harris just because she’s female, IMHO.
Fortunately, Biden has several weeks left before he needs to make that decision. Do pick a youngish charismatic person who appeals to the progressive base, not a bland Tim Kaine-type.
As of today, Buttigieg. Biden doesn’t need someone with Capital Hill experience since he has plenty. Also, Buttogieg is young and enthusiastic enough to go to those more remote areas where the VP candidate often goes. Also, a statewide office in blood red Indiana isn’t likely so he finds his pathway blocked unless he gets a cabinet slot.
Perhaps Beto if he recovers. His star seems to be fading fast and I’m not sure if Beto wants another Senate race where he will probably lose.
Kirsten Gillibrand may be moderate enough to run with Biden. She was a Blue Dog Democrat during her time in the House. I can easily see her working well with Biden.
She’s a strong advocate for women and that would help Biden in that demographic.
Tammy won’t like Biden either. High school athlete and played one year in college on the Blue Hens freshman football team. He still got a health deferment.
I don’t think Biden’s campaign will say much about Trump ducking the draft.
I was starting to root for a Booker-Buttigieg ticket, but then Booker boxed himself in by committing to a woman running mate. Nothing wrong with having a woman as a running mate, and I’ve been saying there needs to be a woman on the ticket for months. But the more I’ve watched Pete, I like him as a #2. Cory and Pete would’ve been formidable, imo.
I don’t think Pete would be a good pairing with Biden, though. I think a ticket with two white guys would be very deflating to a lot of Dem voters.
For Biden, a candidate with more inside-Washington experience than anyone else, I think he has a lot of room to look outside the box for his running mate. He doesn’t necessarily have to look to the current crop of candidates to run with.
I like Tammy Duckworth too. I like her for pretty much any and all of the current front-runners. (Incidentally, Duckworth currently occupies Obama’s old Senate seat, which doesn’t mean anything, but would make for an interesting bit of trivia should the two team up.)
I’d also like to see a sun-belter or Latina paired up with Biden. I think he’ll already do well with white industrial midwesterners and African Americans, but I’d like to see someone that will really, really inspire Latinos to turn up.
Maybe Hilda Solis? (Former rep from CA, Obama’s Labor Secretary, currently Los Angeles County Supervisor)
Maybe Rep. Nanette Barragan?
Maybe former Asst. AG and resistance hero Sally Yates? (Ran the day-to-day operations of the DoJ while she was asst. AG, and was fired by Trump for refusing to enforce the Muslim ban)
Or maybe he could go the route of a young AA like Stacy Abrams or Anthony Foxx.
Biden/Booker would be my choice for now. Donna Brazile said around the time she was chairperson of the DNC that she nearly threw her weight behind a Biden/Booker ticket. I’m loving Buttigieg, but two white men?
I’d like to see Julian Castro. About time a Latino got on a ticket, he’s a very likeable guy and a good speaker. He’s more charismatic than Pence (of course, so is a steaming pile of dog shit) and would do well in the traditional but useless vice-presidential debate. He’s young and I think would be attractive to progressives. Plus, Biden has one twice on national tickets running with someone whose last name is or resembles that of one of the US’ adversaries, why stop a good thing?
I’m all for Biden/Buttigieg. Biden (wish he was just a few years younger) with his 40+ years at politics will need some young, progressive blood along side of him. Pete is all civil rights, gun control, environmental, etc. The young vote will love it.
One thing about the age difference though, would Buttigieg be able to do a good job as president if something unfortunate happens to Joe? I think he can, mainly because he would be the guy to mend fences with our on-the-fence allies.
I’d settle for Warren, though. Liz is… well, she’s a political cannon. Civil rights, environmental, education, much like Buttigieg, and I think young voting women will jump on that ticket. It may also mend some mistrust for Biden among women. And I wouldn’t mind Warren taking over for Biden if needed.
Buttigieg is amazing: Rhodes Scholar (so is Booker), veteran (like Duckworth), speaks about 8 languages (like nobody else that I know of), regular churchgoer (Episcopalian), non-pussy-grabber. He is riveting to listen to.
Do pick a youngish charismatic person who appeals to the progressive base, not a bland Tim Kaine-type.