# Who should Bernie Sanders choose for his Vice President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 10, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725 "2015-07-10T02:10:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [February 18, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/41 "2016-02-18T15:36:54Z")
On a more serious note, how about Al Franken? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/42 "2016-02-18T15:38:43Z")
Maria Shriver, since Sargant Shriver is deceased. But, Bernie isn’t getting the nomination anyway so the question is moot ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/43 "2016-02-18T17:35:58Z")
Julian Castro would not be a terrible choice for Bernie (young, handsome, different geographical draw, big delegate state, helps with minorities), but accepting it would be a bad move for Julian. He might also consider someone with strong foreign policy experience to balance his perceived weakness there. Say, what’s John Kerry been up to lately? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/44 "2016-02-18T20:01:56Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Michelle Obama, just to watch Republican heads explode. Actually that’s who Hillary should pick. Clinton/Obama - The second time will be twice as nice! ---
**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:** [February 18, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/45 "2016-02-18T21:28:42Z")
How about a diplomat? Not necessarily well-known in the states, and they wouldn’t really help carry a specific state in the general (not that veeps do that very well anyway) but they could offer Sanders some foreign affairs cred. Like [Richard Jones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Jones_(U.S._diplomat)), currently the ambassador to Lebanon, and a guy who’s served under both Dem and Pub presidents with a lot of experience in Middle East. Or [Eunice Reddick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunice_S._Reddick), currently ambassador to Niger, also serving under presidents of both parties, and with experience in Africa and Asia. Or moving away from diplomats, how about [Congressman Bobby Scott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Scott_(U.S._politician)) (VA-3)? A progressive African-American and Asian/Pacific Islander from a swing state. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/46 "2016-02-18T21:34:43Z")
Based on interviews of her that I’ve heard, I’d go with Karen Weaver. In fact, the way the election is going she may be my write-in protest vote in November. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/47 "2016-02-18T21:42:01Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > Actually that’s who Hillary should pick. > > Clinton/Obama - The second time will be twice as nice! Michelle’s head would explode. She can’t leave the White House soon enough. It was her that started that standing ovation when Obama said at the SOTU that he had no more campaigns to run. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/48 "2016-02-18T22:59:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On a more serious note, how about Al Franken? As noted above, a two-Jew ticket might be too much. Besides, Franken has endorsed Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/49 "2016-02-19T16:40:03Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Julian Castro would not be a terrible choice for Bernie (young, handsome, different geographical draw, big delegate state, helps with minorities), but accepting it would be a bad move for Julian. … I can see the R ads now: > [@R advert](#): > > Bernie Sanders is a total pinko commie. He wants to socialize medicine. He wants to socialize your taxes. He wants to socialize your job and your kids’ educations. And he even picked a Castro for a running mate. > > Think about life in Cuba before you vote! > > Vote R! It’s the right choice for America!! IOW, IMO Castro is not a good idea. Despite his qualifications. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/50 "2016-02-19T16:55:23Z")
A little outside the box: Shaun King. He isn’t an unreasonable choice: I believe he has a history degree; he’s over 35; he’s certainly politically engaged. He has ties to Black Lives Matter. And importantly, the establishment will hate & fear him more than they hate Bernie, which stops an impeachment. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/51 "2016-02-19T17:00:35Z")
> [@2sense](#): > > Why not Hillary Clinton? For the same reason Obama didn’t name HRC for VP. I could say that HRC doesn’t want the job, but it’s also true that she’s dangerous in the job. Hillary is vain, she is ambitious, and she _can be bought._ She’d probably knife him in the back for a million dollars. Heck, to be President, she might knife him in the back for a kind word and a Tic Tac. Just because this isn’t pre-Christian Rome is no reason to take stupid risks. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/52 "2016-02-19T17:07:08Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > I almost want to say Mike O’Malley. I know he’s a newcomer but he really wants it. Do you mean Martin O’Malley of Maryland? I kind of like him. He’s pretty Green (as in environmentalist), and he’d almost be all right; but he’s also Martin “Mass Arrests” O’Malley, and not so well-liked in the party. That might be pushing it. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/53 "2016-02-19T17:13:21Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > I think he should pick Captain America. Sure, he’s a fictional character but you started us down this fantastical rabbit-hole it by positing a Bernie Sanders nomination. OK, but only if it’s Sam, because Steve is even older than Bernie. > [@Skammer](#): > > Say, what’s John Kerry been up to lately? 🙂 Secretary of State, and not exactly winning the love of the nations. ☹ > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I can see the R ads now: > [QUOTE=R advert] > > Bernie Sanders is a total pinko commie. He wants to socialize medicine. He wants to socialize your taxes. He wants to socialize your job and your kids’ educations. And he even picked a Castro for a running mate. > > Think about life in Cuba before you vote! > > Vote R! It’s the right choice for America!! IOW, IMO Castro is not a good idea. Despite his qualifications. [/QUOTE] Considering that the GOP nominee may well be Ted Cruz, whose father literally fought for Fidel Castro, that would be a weird ad. But Ted Cruz is pretty weird. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/54 "2016-02-19T18:04:28Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > … > Considering that the GOP nominee may well be Ted Cruz, whose father literally fought for Fidel Castro, that would be a weird ad. But Ted Cruz is pretty weird. Redirection is the key to magic. And magic is the key to a Cruz Presidency. One of the keys anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/55 "2016-02-19T18:28:14Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > A little outside the box: Shaun King. He isn’t an unreasonable choice: I believe he has a history degree; he’s over 35; he’s certainly politically engaged. He has ties to Black Lives Matter. And importantly, the establishment will hate & fear him more than they hate Bernie, which stops an impeachment. Odd as it sounds, black people hate him. I mean [really](Check out @merstew’s Tweet: [x.com](https://twitter.com/merstew/status/700115421593268229?s=09)), [really](Check out @theirliesmatter’s Tweet: [x.com](https://twitter.com/theirliesmatter/status/699029934975512576?s=09)) hate him. Watch for him to tend on Twitter sometime and see [the vitriol](Check out @JoePrich’s Tweet: [x.com](https://twitter.com/JoePrich/status/700173843134959616?s=09)) they spew at him. Apparently there was a falling out between him and DeRay McKesson, coupled with your typical online bullying (accusations that he’s [not really black](Check out @DandiLioness’s Tweet: [x.com](https://twitter.com/DandiLioness/status/694994431611682816?s=09)), false allegations he stole money from Black Lives Matter campaigns, making fun of his assault in high school, etc.). He’d be way too polarizing. My vote is for Nina Turner. She’s currently one of Bernie’s top surrogates, she’s young, she’s a former state senator from Cleveland, Ohio (a critical swing state), a former Hillary supporter (which could help other Hillary supporters feel OK with making the transition), an Ohio Democratic Party bigwig and an African American woman. It doesn’t get much better than that on hitting on all the right buttons. [Nina Turner changes her mind on Hillary Clinton, endorses Bernie Sanders for president](http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/11/nina_turner_changes_her_mind_o.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/56 "2016-02-19T19:37:54Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > If I were President Bernie and Trump were my Veep, I would hire a food taster for my food taster. If Sanders were President and Trump were the Veep, I would volunteer to \*\*be \*\*the food taster. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/57 "2016-02-19T20:14:54Z")
Shayna, you messed up every one of your links, and when I fixed they led to some of the mildest “vitriol” I’ve ever seen. Don’t know if you’re wrong but those were pretty light examples. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/58 "2016-02-19T20:50:31Z")
Huh? [I fixed your links] > [@Shayna](#): > > Odd as it sounds, black people hate him. I mean [really](https://twitter.com/merstew/status/700115421593268229), [really](https://twitter.com/theirliesmatter/status/699029934975512576) hate him. Watch for him to tend on Twitter sometime and see [the vitriol](https://twitter.com/JoePrich/status/700173843134959616) they spew at him. Apparently there was a falling out between him and DeRay McKesson, coupled with your typical online bullying (accusations that he’s [not really black](https://twitter.com/DandiLioness/status/694994431611682816), false allegations he stole money from Black Lives Matter campaigns, making fun of his assault in high school, etc.). He’d be way too polarizing. I don’t know who any of those people are. “Black Lies Matter” & “Joe Prich” are obviously white racists, though. I know Shaun King from his extensive commentary on the Mike Brown shooting. I’m not clear what difference his proportion of European genes makes to that. Maybe he is too confrontational and controversial, though. I agree with you that Nina Turner might be OK. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/59 "2016-02-20T04:29:38Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > [I fixed your links] Thanks. Sorry about that; not sure what happened. > [@foolsguinea](#): > > I know Shaun King from his extensive commentary on the Mike Brown shooting. I’m not clear what difference his proportion of European genes makes to that. Maybe he is too confrontational and controversial, though. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s fantastic. He’s just not as well liked as one might assume. > [@foolsguinea](#): > > I agree with you that Nina Turner might be OK. 🙂 ---
**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:** [February 20, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/60 "2016-02-20T17:38:03Z")
Rather than names, can I ask for some opinions on what he, if nominated, should be most hoping to achieve with a nominee? Foreign policy chops to balance out his weakness there? (Putatively that was part of the Biden calculus for Obama.) Someone of similar policy ambitions, younger, able to step in if he has a stroke or sumptim? (Disarming the concern over his age.) Appealing to a particular voting demographic? Hoping to swing a particular close swing state? Grooming a next Presidential contender bench? Mind you one candidate can check several boxes, but what boxes are most important to check? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725.md?page=4)