# Biden's choice for vice presidential candidate **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 10, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505 "2020-04-10T15:04:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/241 "2020-06-22T21:01:50Z")
She (Rice) was on Bill Maher last Friday, and was very impressive. Smart enough and progressive enough, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/242 "2020-06-22T21:10:12Z")
I’ll second “Becoming” - highly recommended. I don’t see the Obamas ever wanting for money… On reading both Becoming and Dreams of my Father - it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he were to step up out of a sense of duty. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/243 "2020-06-22T22:11:01Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > She (Rice) was on Bill Maher last Friday, and was very impressive. Smart enough and progressive enough, IMO. Take a look at her history. She might be the smartest women in Washington. Sadly, these days I’m not sure whether that’s an advantage or disadvantage. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/244 "2020-06-22T22:27:46Z")
It has to be a Black woman. Has to be. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/245 "2020-06-22T22:58:56Z")
The VP candidate is normally more of an “attack dog” going after the other ticket. Of course Trump does plenty of attacks too. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/246 "2020-06-23T15:58:12Z")
[CBS](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-running-mate-karen-bass-vetting/) is reporting that Karen Bass is being vetted by Biden. Bass is a five-term representative from Los Angeles. She was the speaker of the California House and now is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. In private life she had been a physician’s assistant. She has no national name recognition, but those other factors bode well for a VP. She’d be able to deal with Congress from the beginning unlike, say, Lance Bottoms. A medical background fits the time. And she’s in change of the police reform bill. Whether this leak means anything is, according to my magic eight ball, cloudy. Still, it gives us someone new to recklessly speculate about. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/247 "2020-06-23T18:42:27Z")
Here’s more on Congresswoman Bass: [Karen Bass - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Bass) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/248 "2020-06-23T19:00:11Z")
2 good things on Bass , she’s not a lawyer or career politician. I would still say she’s a longshot ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/249 "2020-06-23T20:45:44Z")
I’d also point out Bass will be 67 years old on Election Day. I’d imagine Biden would want a younger running mate. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/250 "2020-06-23T20:52:10Z")
they are probably leaking names of people they really have no intention of picking. Just PR moves. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/251 "2020-06-23T23:39:11Z")
I like Bass a lot. We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/252 "2020-06-24T00:21:26Z")
My thinking is rice or dennings. If Biden wants a partner Vice President he needs a Spock to his McCoy. Rice or dennings. Harris is a Kirk type, my pick for a.g… If he wants to go with electoral pick, that would be someone from the Midwest or southwest. Biden appears to be leaning partner which would work out better with his age, and possibility of one term. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/253 "2020-06-24T01:17:32Z")
Interesting article from Perry Bacon Jr. at FiveThirtyEight about Biden’s VP picks. [https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-debate-over-bidens-vp-pick-is-full-of-half-truths-and-misleading-arguments/](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-debate-over-bidens-vp-pick-is-full-of-half-truths-and-misleading-arguments/) Bacon says: > Almost every case for or against a particular vice presidential candidate comes with an electoral argument. But most of these electoral claims are highly contestable, at best. Worth a read. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/254 "2020-06-24T15:38:38Z")
Rice never held office so there are not votes on bills that people can use to attack her. Not sure that means a lot but it might ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/255 "2020-06-24T15:39:47Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Rice never held office so there are not votes on bills that people can use to attack her. Not sure that means a lot but it might. But Benghazi! ETA: she’s actually my first choice, I don’t think Benghazi will get much traction anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/256 "2020-06-24T16:57:30Z")
But Benghazi! indeed. Trump just called Obama a traitor and the Senate wants an investigation into the transition. They cannot let go. (Probably because the contrast in look is too great with the current toxic Waste House.) The question is not whether Benghazi! will be heard every day if Rice is chosen (it will) but whether people will simply roll their eyes and move on. My guess is that Trump’s base will care but those ten percent who have shifted into disapproval are looking at what Trump did and not what happened under Obama a zillion years ago. Not that guesses are worth much these days. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/257 "2020-06-24T20:45:46Z")
Kate Porter is amazing. I’m sorry her name hasn’t come up more. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qHEH3TnRmrQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Congresswoman Katie Porter secures free coronavirus testing for all Americans") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHEH3TnRmrQ) ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/258 "2020-06-24T21:03:45Z")
[Good argument for Rice here](https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/steve-chapman/ct-column-biden-running-mate-susan-rice-chapman-20200624-ddrfdtile5gtha4w3isqyk7vjq-story.html). “Rice would not need an education in dealing with Iran, North Korea, Russia, China, Israel or our NATO allies. She’s not only better equipped in foreign and defense affairs than the other vice presidential prospects; she’s better equipped than any president since Richard Nixon.” ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/259 "2020-06-24T21:57:33Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I’d prefer Tammy Duckworth if we’re going military. Is she eligible? Born in Thailand… (No, I’m not going to dig through 250 posts to see if this has been covered already.) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/260 "2020-06-24T22:00:37Z")
Looks good to me. Is she a Democrat? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505.md?page=14)