# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/81 "2020-04-14T04:57:17Z")
I have no idea why people keep pushing Harris. Democrat people of color didn’t vote for her. Women didn’t vote for her. The California machine keeps her going in California, but she isn’t smart. She took actions that badly affected people of color disproportionally as AG, and she has done nothing as Senator. ---
**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:** [April 14, 2020, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/82 "2020-04-14T05:00:21Z")
^ I personally know numerous people of color who did not know that Kamala Harris _was_ a person of color during the time that she was running. ---
**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:** [April 14, 2020, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/83 "2020-04-14T10:44:27Z")
I’m not big on Harris, from a political perspective, because I think she ran a pretty poor primary campaign from a management perspective (bad choices about money and hiring, for example). Because this VP choice has a significant likelihood of being the party nominee at some point in the future, I think it’s very important that they have high quality political skills. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/84 "2020-04-14T15:13:06Z")
> [@Sdowiat](#): > > 1. I don’t know why he had to paint himself into a corner on “Going to pick a Woman” no matter what. He needs to pick who is “Best for the job” and maybe that will be a woman. As it stands, whatever woman he picks, even if she was the best regardless of gender, will always be seen as the best woman he could get that he could deal with. > [@split\_p\_j](#): > > The first point is good, and is basically what I’ve been saying. It’s a huge blunder and it will cost him the election. Who is this mythical ‘Best for the job’ person, and how do you determine them? For 200+ years, people like me (white heterosexual males) were the only ones considered for office, and we ended up with some good, some bad, most meh. Limiting the pool to women doesn’t change that much at all. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/85 "2020-04-14T15:49:28Z")
Besides, it’s Vice President of the United States. Not like they do much unless the President wants them to. Historically (well since the 12th Amendment) it’s just been someone to balance a ticket. Vice President John Nance Garner famously called the job “not worth a bucket of warm piss” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/86 "2020-04-14T15:55:34Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Besides, it’s Vice President of the United States. Not like they do much unless the President wants them to. Historically (well since the 12th Amendment) it’s just been someone to balance a ticket. Historically, we haven’t yet had an octogenarian president, which is presumably why Biden’s VP pick will maybe be a bigger deal than one would usually expect. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/87 "2020-04-14T16:31:43Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Besides, it’s Vice President of the United States. Not like they do much unless the President wants them to. Historically (well since the 12th Amendment) it’s just been someone to balance a ticket. > > Vice President John Nance Garner famously called the job “not worth a bucket of warm piss” The real takeaway to Garner’s quote is that UNDER FDR - who wanted no fucking help - is was worth that. Under someone else? Maybe you can get something done. Under an 80 year old who had an example of a shared presidency to work from? Could be worth a lot. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/88 "2020-04-14T16:36:51Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > The real takeaway to Garner’s quote is that UNDER FDR - who wanted no fucking help - is was worth that. > > Under someone else? Maybe you can get something done. Under an 80 year old who had an example of a shared presidency to work from? Could be worth a lot. Right, so the “best choice for the job” may just be who Biden thinks he can work well with. Saying he’s hamstrung himself by picking a women is silly, because the role of best choice for VP is what the President determines it to be. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/89 "2020-04-14T16:38:13Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Historically, we haven’t yet had an octogenarian president, which is presumably why Biden’s VP pick will maybe be a bigger deal than one would usually expect. It will be a much bigger deal. Who he picks is very important. That doesn’t mean necessarily that his choice will get him more electoral votes. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/90 "2020-04-14T17:28:02Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It will be a much bigger deal. Who he picks is very important. That doesn’t mean necessarily that his choice will get him more electoral votes. Biden needs at a minimum to pick someone who will not cost him votes. That lets out Warren, who is a) divisive and b) old. The Democratic VP candidate obviously will be female, and should be acceptable as a 2024 (or sooner) candidate-in-waiting. Klobuchar would “balance” the ticket in terms of representing a presumed appeal to non-coastal megalopolis voters. It wouldn’t surprise me if a relative unknown was selected, as Presidential candidates don’t seem to like sharing a ticket with VP choices who might outdo them in popularity. ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/91 "2020-04-14T19:33:56Z")
I’m a bit surprised CNN left Hillary off of their list. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/92 "2020-04-14T19:41:46Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It wouldn’t surprise me if a relative unknown was selected, as Presidential candidates don’t seem to like sharing a ticket with VP choices who might outdo them in popularity. It’s not unheard of though. Bill Clinton picked Al Gore, who definitely was better known than Clinton when the primaries started. Reagan picked Bush, who was pretty well known. Granted both Clinton and Reagan could give a speech between than the VP candidates, but if things went south on them, their VPs could easily have ended up more popular. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/93 "2020-04-14T21:22:19Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I was hiring for an IT position once, and got 20 candidates (they were people whose qualifications passed a filter before getting to me). Of those 20, 2 were women. And they were not remotely qualified; I needed someone I could put to work right away diagnosing and fixing issues, and they basically had help desk experience, where they took calls and passed them on to technicians. Potentially trainable but I needed someone that could start right away, not a trainee. > > So I knew I was only hiring a man. Not by deliberate choice. I was very disappointed that I wasn’t able to give serious consideration to a woman candidate. Diversity matters to me. But I wasn’t going to consider someone with no real experience just because of her gender. > > So if Joe is going through a similar situation, where all of his potential running mates happen to be women, I find that plausible. Sometimes that’s what happens. As a lawyer, I’ve had things happen except with the best candidates being women. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/94 "2020-04-14T21:23:44Z")
> [@chefguy](#): > > we kicked this around the other night. The vp candidate needs to bring the fire and brimstone to the campaign. That leaves out kamala harris. While she’s smart and capable, the debates showed her to be too much like a hipster. Also, her attack on biden as being senile won’t be forgotten by him. iswydt ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/95 "2020-04-15T03:04:27Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > iswydt What did he do there besides leaving a straight line just hanging there? JUST HANGING THERE, for pete’s sake! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/96 "2020-04-15T04:11:37Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > What did he do there besides leaving a straight line just hanging there? JUST HANGING THERE, for pete’s sake! :smack: “Won’t be forgotten by him” because he’s not senile after all. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/97 "2020-04-15T12:12:54Z")
> [@sps49sd](#): > > I’m a bit surprised CNN left Hillary off of their list. They also skipped Eleanor Roosevelt. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/98 "2020-04-16T00:57:08Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Keep 'em coming, everybody. There are no stupid suggestions. Biden gets an email from Gabbard hoping for a nice, quiet, little dinner somewhere to “intimately probe into matters on a much, much deeper level than we ever have, ever before, Joe” as Biden goes doy-yoy-yoy-yoy-ying. Eric Trump would also be an incredibly stupid suggestion. > [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > She would be Tim Kaine in a dress with a hot dish recipe, imo. _raaawrr_ > [@Superdude](#): > > I’d prefer Tammy Duckworth if we’re going military. She’d evicerate Pence in the debates, and she’d be able to go toe to toe against anything Trump said about the military. She lost her legs in a helicopter crash while serving in the military. While not my pick, would definitely bust out the popcorn over that. Not mentioned in this thread (maybe the other VP one?): Katie ‘No Bullshit’ Porter. Not only my pick, but I’d also have not even the _slightest_ qualm seeing her snatch the presidency for '24 _AND_ '28. Mark my words - her ascendancy, over the next few years, _will_ be meteoric, effectively kicking Washington in the fucking balls. She supports all the main democrat policy points, but also has more fire and brimstone _than the entire D. party combined_, which is, yeah, kinda needed right now. Her “lack of experience” is an absolute and complete nothingburger - if anyone actually thinks she’d be floundering in her own incompetence in high office, think again. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/99 "2020-04-16T01:10:49Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > democrat - ic :o fuck these continuing time-outs royally. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505/100 "2020-04-16T03:38:30Z")
This evening, Rachel Maddow asked Elizabeth Warren, who was being interviewed for another reason, if she would be Biden’s VP if he asked her, and she replied with one word. That word was “Yes.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bidens-choice-for-vice-presidential-candidate/851505.md?page=6)