# Assuming Biden gets the Democratic nomination, who would be the VP nominee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 28, 2019, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173 "2019-04-28T14:29:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/101 "2019-05-01T21:30:43Z")
Booker is certainly young and culturally progressive, though he’s not going to do much for the folks who think Biden is too cozy with Wall Street. I think he would be a decent choice; I was just pushing back against the idea that Biden “needs” a black running mate specifically. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/102 "2019-05-01T21:45:58Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > The white Obama-Trump voters of the industrial midwest voted for a black man, twice. White midwesterners won’t \*only \*vote for a white person. And while it’s possible sexism may keep a lot of blue-collars (and others) from voting for a woman for president, I don’t think it would be as big of a deal to have a woman as the running mate, especially with someone like Biden at the top of the ticket. YMMV. I hope you guys are right. I guess they can always grab her by her coat tails. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/103 "2019-05-01T21:52:21Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > I don’t know much about Booker but like many people saw him during the Kavanaugh hearings. > > I was not impressed with his ‘Spartacus moment’ comment. Is that type of trope really so close to his consciousness? It suggests a superficiality or an impetuousness that makes me take him less credibly. Sure, he’s a smart guy but was that type of performance typical for him? All Booker would need to do is spend a few days on the campaign trail delivering stump speeches and that stupid “Spartacus” moment would fade away. It’s the most memorable thing about Booker at the moment because it’s the most recent noteworthy thing he did. All that would change if he started, you know, doing more things. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/104 "2019-05-01T22:58:31Z")
After seeing clips from today’s Barr hearing, I felt the need to rush over and put Mazie Hirono’s name in this thread. She da bomb. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/105 "2019-05-01T23:29:36Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > After seeing clips from today’s Barr hearing, I felt the need to rush over and put Mazie Hirono’s name in this thread. She da bomb. She’s also Japanese. As in, born in Japan to Japanese parents. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/106 "2019-05-01T23:45:40Z")
Reality checking this thread - the VP choice matters very little nationally in and of itself. It can matter as part of a messaging _package_ … Biden choosing a progressive but stating things antithetical to progressive positions would be of no impact, while coupled with saying some things supportive of progressive goals would play well, for example. Avoiding the messaging of two old white guys is important. And again it can help maybe two or three points in a VP’s home state, which might matter if that home state is a tipping point electorally. But a Latinx (and I have heard it said a fair amount) candidate isn’t going to bring out big Latinx turnout that wouldn’t already be there, nor would a Black one for Black voters, not by any significant amounts. Biden won’t get Obama level Black turnout on the basis of a Black running mate. Maybe a hair more than Clinton. My WAG is there is more of danger of a bad running mate selection hurting you than an upside from the exact right one. So to _avoid_ - another old white guy, someone who insults progressives, someone exceptionally divisive, and someone who speaks of gimmick and desperation. What else? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/107 "2019-05-02T00:57:48Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > She’s also Japanese. As in, born in Japan to Japanese parents. Ah. Well, I guess that explains why I never hear anyone talking about her in this context. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/108 "2019-05-02T07:51:17Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > She’s also Japanese. As in, born in Japan to Japanese parents. Senator Hirono’s mother was born on American soil, specifically the territory of … uh-oh … Hawaii. She was an American citizen by birth. That mother moved to Japan in her teens, married, had kids, returned to Hawaii in 1955 with her kids. Her daughter Mazie Hirono became a naturalized citizen in 1959. IANAL. If Mazie Hirono qualified for “natural-born” status, did she forfeit that with the naturalization process? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/109 "2019-05-02T09:29:23Z")
Something to think about with a Biden/Buttigieg ticket is that it could maybe win Indiana. Not just because Mayor Pete is from there but also because Biden would likely do ok there on his own (but not win). The two together could have a chance although IMO Buttigieg with any other candidate would likely lose there. Indiana has more EVs than Wisconsin (11 to 10) so that’s nifty. OTOH I don’t think fighting to win Indiana should be any crucial part of the Dems strategy. Come to think of it, maybe Joe and Pete could win BOTH Indiana and Wisconsin which would make up for a loss in either Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Ohio. My electoral math is horrible… would winning IN, WI, and ONE of MI, PA, or OH about lock it up for a Dem (if the rest of it went “as expected”)? Would that recipe need Florida too? Damn. Forgot about Pence. Oh well… yeah Indiana’s a pretty red state but there’s a decent number of suburb-dwellers around Indianapolis who wouldn’t be impossible to pry away from Trump/Pence. Don’t forget that Obama won Indiana in 2008 (but not 2012). ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/110 "2019-05-02T09:45:33Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Maybe a hijack but… > > I get WHY people do this “Latinx” thing, to be gender inclusive, but it doesn’t scan well at all, either visually in text, or in the internal monolog of the reader. I’ve never heard anyone say the word out loud - probably for this very reason. Surely there is a better word that means the same thing, right? I’m not blaming YOU, you weren’t the one who invented it…I just wish something better would supplant it. My thought is that “Latini” might been a better choice but maybe I’m not thinking it through all the way. One thing about “Latinx” to me is that I scan it as “Latin ecks” not “la-TEEN-ecks” as I think it’s supposed to be pronounced. I manage to pronounce it the latter way but it takes me a moment to think about it. Hijack finished! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/111 "2019-05-02T10:00:28Z")
If y’all get a woman running for VP, could you try and make it one whose 'do doesn’t look like it’s stuck in the late 80s? I know, I know, compared with those whose 'do still lives at the height of the hairspray era that’s actually forward, but damn some of those female senators make me want to look down and make sure I’m not in my school uniform. Then again it might be a malus with midwestern voters. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/112 "2019-05-10T10:56:40Z")
Everybody’s talking about “paths to 270.” Is “50-state strategy” no longer a thing? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/113 "2019-05-10T14:49:01Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Everybody’s talking about “paths to 270.” Is “50-state strategy” no longer a thing? I sure as hell hope so. It was the quest for a glorious landslide that caused the Clinton oafs not to bother with Pennsylvania. > [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > My electoral math is horrible… would winning IN, WI, and ONE of MI, PA, or OH about lock it up for a Dem (if the rest of it went “as expected”)? Would that recipe need Florida too? Trump took Indiana 57% to 38% (5% for Johnson). Forget it. Here’s a version of the electoral college math that may be easy to work with: D’s and Rs are tied 216 to 216 outside 9 swing states. Whoever gets 54 evs from those swing states wins: 216 = The Rs take the obvious Red states plus Florida, Georgia       18 Ohio       15 North Carolina       11 Arizona       4 New Hampshire       2\* Maine       10 Wisconsin       16 Michigan       20 Pennsylvania       10 Minnesota 216 = The Ds take the obvious Blue states plus Colorado, Nevada, Virginia ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/114 "2019-05-10T15:45:11Z")
Although we can’t forget that Obama won Indiana in '08. It’s not impossible. Main thing though is to recognize that in any presidential election that the D has won a state like IN the D did not need to win it. The “50 state strategy” is important. It builds for the future. It is key for the rest of the ticket, maybe not Senate but from Congressional races to dog catcher getting the vote out even for a D top of the ticket that loses the state (but by less) helps tip some of those other races. Making more states competitive can give more potential paths to 270 and if you are very well funded it forces the other side to spend resources on defense. But that investment (in time and monies) cannot come at the cost of risking getting the 270 to win. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/115 "2019-05-10T20:40:59Z")
Not bothering with Pennsylvania is the exact opposite of a 50-state strategy. The 50-state strategy was what Obama did, not Clinton. And remember how Obama fared with it. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/116 "2019-05-11T07:12:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Not bothering with Pennsylvania is the exact opposite of a 50-state strategy. The 50-state strategy was what Obama did, not Clinton. And remember how Obama fared with it. No. Assuming there are a fixed amount of resources for the campaign, seeking 50 states is the opposite of spending effort where most needed, i.e. in Pennsylvania, etc. (This isn’t just hindsight. Nate Silver’s graphs and charts showed very plainly that Pennsylvania was the decisive “tipping” state but Hillary’s team “knew better.”) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/117 "2019-05-11T12:43:46Z")
But your opponent has finite resources, too, and money spent in “unimportant” states might force them to spend there, too. And of course, nothing says that you need to invest in all 50 states equally. The 50-state strategy also pays dividends in the states you would have been focusing on, anyway. A farmer in Ohio might say something like “Democrats don’t care about farmers”, but if the Democrat is making visits to Kansas and Nebraska, that might turn that Ohio farmer around. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/118 "2019-05-11T19:27:11Z")
And when you opponent has as much or more resources as you have and doesn’t respond to your spending in a state that they will for sure win, but instead spends more in states that you must win to win the election? ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/119 "2019-05-13T01:49:17Z")
I’d have to think that while Biden may choose another of the Presidential candidates as his running mate, he probably wouldn’t want to choose someone who did really badly in the primaries. Of course things can change, but right now it’s looking like Castro, Beto, Klobuchar, Gillibrand, and Booker will all be in the low single digits in Iowa and New Hampshire and will then drop out, if they don’t drop out before the voting actually starts. I can’t realistically see any of them as the choice. Kamala Harris looks like the obvious choice to me. Younger, female, minority, fairly dynamic as a speaker, and western balances old as dirt, male, white, dull as a post, and East Coast. Stacy Abrams might have looked like a good choice a few months back, but I think she’s shot herself in the foot by refusing to officially concede the governor’s race and veering into conspiracy theory territory. It won’t be Buttigieg because there’s no way the Dems are going to put two white men on the ticket. I’ve thought from the start that Buttigieg is basically running for a cabinet secretary position in Biden’s administration. Given that his resume including the military, the corporate world, and a stint as mayor, there would be a lot of possibilities: Commerce, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, Veteran’s Affairs. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173/120 "2019-05-13T02:03:30Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Stacy Abrams might have looked like a good choice a few months back, but I think she’s shot herself in the foot by refusing to officially concede the governor’s race and veering into **conspiracy theory territory.** …you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that the Georgia elections were full of [shenanigans](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/10/georgia-election-recount-stacey-abrams-brian-kemp). Refusing to concede was the correct thing to do. Nothing “conspiracy theory” about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-biden-gets-the-democratic-nomination-who-would-be-the-vp-nominee/833173.md?page=7)