# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**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 20, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/61 "2016-02-20T19:01:14Z")
For my money: 1. Foreign policy expert 2. Demographic swinger 3. Younger The others are, to me, largely irrelevant. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/62 "2016-02-22T02:53:34Z")
My guess/hope would be that he wouldn’t follow the conventional wisdom of seeking ideological balance. Particularly given his advanced age, he’s going to pick someone who he can trust to continue his approximate policies if needed. I don’t think it’s crucial that he pick a younger person, since it’s hardly mathematically possible for him to be much more popular with young voters than he already is. So we’re looking at demographic and geographic balance as prime considerations. Of those mentioned in this thread, I think Grijalva, Booker or Warren would all be fine choices. I think even better would be Sherrod Brown or Tammy Baldwin, both of whom offer demographic balance and also hail from large Midwestern swing states. None of them are really known as foreign policy mavens, though, and I do think that is an important consideration. ---
**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 22, 2016, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/63 "2016-02-22T03:46:22Z")
FWIW I’ve been a fan of Sherrod Brown for a Hillary VP choice for long time now. ---
**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 22, 2016, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/64 "2016-02-22T05:14:07Z")
He shouldn’t pick a younger person to appeal to young people. He should pick a younger person because, let’s face it, he’s old and might die. It’s literally the primary job of a VP to survive if the President dies. He shouldn’t try specifically to appeal to any particular demographic. It probably doesn’t work, and trying it looks bad. He should pick the most qualified candidate, no matter what demographic that candidate turns out to be from. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/65 "2016-02-22T06:42:37Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > If Sanders was the nominee I don’t believe he could get anyone who wanted a political future on the ticket with him, for the same reason Goldwater and McGovern couldn’t get good VP candidates. No one wants to be associated with a losing ticket. Eh, Paul Ryan seems to be doing OK post-Romney. Palin and Edwards not so much, but they both self-destructed, I don’t think they were particularly hurt by their VP campaigns. I doubt a Dem from a conservative state would want to tie himself to the Sanders ticket, but I don’t think its particularly damaging to be for someone to lose a VP campaign so long as their running mate isn’t super far to the left or right of the positions they’ve already taken. And its guaranteed to up your profile. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2016, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/66 "2016-02-22T07:07:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > He shouldn’t pick a younger person to appeal to young people. He should pick a younger person because, let’s face it, he’s old and might die. It’s literally the primary job of a VP to survive if the President dies. > > He shouldn’t try specifically to appeal to any particular demographic. It probably doesn’t work, and trying it looks bad. He should pick the most qualified candidate, no matter what demographic that candidate turns out to be from. So if he picks an old running mate and then dies, the new President will just pick a new VP and the chain of life will go on. It’s not like there’s a danger the line of succession will break down. I suppose if Sanders is elected _and_ the GOP still control both houses of Congress, they could refuse to confirm a new VP and leave the position open, but I think the chance of that scenario happening is basically zero. There’s no objective way to determine who the “most qualified candidate” is. Just limiting it to current and recent Democratic Governors and Senators yields dozens of candidates who could be described by their supporters as highly qualified. If the candidate himself does feel that one possibility is head and shoulders above all the others, then certainly that should be the choice. But barring that probably unlikely case, there’s no reason not to take electoral considerations into account. ---
**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 22, 2016, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/67 "2016-02-22T12:54:24Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > So if he picks an old running mate and then dies, the new President will just pick a new VP and the chain of life will go on. It’s not like there’s a danger the line of succession will break down. I suppose if Sanders is elected _and_ the GOP still control both houses of Congress, **they could refuse to confirm a new VP and leave the position open, but I think the chance of that scenario happening is basically zero.** > … Bolding mine. If the GOP controls Congress, the next in line after the vacant VP position is the Speaker of the House. A _ta daaa_! Republican. We’ve seen the current Rs are willing to leave Scalia’s position open for a year on the roughly 50/50 chance they’ll get to pick his replacement. Leaving VP open only has real adverse impact on the nation in the 0.01% chance the Presidency opens a second time when Sanders’ VP & now President dies/is incapacitated. I have to bet an R Congress that’s been wrassling with Bernie for a couple years before he died will be at least as radicalized against that Communist Trying to Destroy America as they are today against that Foreign Muslim Trying to Destroy America. Leaving VP open is only a concern if you think the VP has vital duties to accomplish in the meantime. Objectively, an empty VP position has a lot less impact on the functioning of the Executive than an empty Supreme Court position has on the operation of the Judiciary. Bottom line: IMO a radicalized R Congress would certainly drag its feet choosing a VP. If they did choose one, he’d be a Republican. And they’d be wildly popular with their supporters for doing so. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/68 "2016-02-22T13:24:22Z")
> [@2sense](#): > > Why not Hillary Clinton? > [@foolsguinea](#): > > 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. Okay, how about Chelsea? ---
**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:** [February 24, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/69 "2016-02-24T19:13:13Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > If Sanders were President and Trump were the Veep, I would volunteer to \*\*be \*\*the food taster. > > Regards, > Shodan WTF dude?!?!?! Now I have coffee burns in my sinus cavity!:mad: ---
**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:** [February 24, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/70 "2016-02-24T19:57:36Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Bolding mine. > > If the GOP controls Congress, the next in line after the vacant VP position is the Speaker of the House. A _ta daaa_! Republican. > > We’ve seen the current Rs are willing to leave Scalia’s position open for a year on the roughly 50/50 chance they’ll get to pick his replacement. Leaving VP open only has real adverse impact on the nation in the 0.01% chance the Presidency opens a second time when Sanders’ VP & now President dies/is incapacitated. > > I have to bet an R Congress that’s been wrassling with Bernie for a couple years before he died will be at least as radicalized against that Communist Trying to Destroy America as they are today against that Foreign Muslim Trying to Destroy America. > > Leaving VP open is only a concern if you think the VP has vital duties to accomplish in the meantime. Objectively, an empty VP position has a lot less impact on the functioning of the Executive than an empty Supreme Court position has on the operation of the Judiciary. > > Bottom line: IMO a radicalized R Congress would certainly drag its feet choosing a VP. If they did choose one, he’d be a Republican. And they’d be wildly popular with their supporters for doing so. Yes, but my point is that there’s essentially no chance of Bernie being elected AND the GOP continuing to control both houses of Congress. This is a very favorable Senate election cycle for Democrats, and it’s entirely plausible that the Democrats could regain the Senate even while losing the Presidency. The opposite scenario is so unlikely as to be negligible. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/71 "2016-03-05T19:07:17Z")
The Vice Presidential replacement is chosen by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress, it’s not just a Senate confirmation. ---
**Author:** ![Devianz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Devianz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Devianz)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/72 "2016-03-07T14:39:52Z")
Tulsi Gabbard [Truth Dig article with video](http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_rep_tulsi_gabbard_who_risked_her_20160306) [Tulsi Gabbard’s Page](https://www.votetulsi.com/) ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/73 "2016-03-07T16:57:51Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I’d prefer he choose a female and that she be a bit younger than he is. > > But I’m open to other suggestions. > > Would Senator Kirsten Gillibrand be someone to look at? I don’t know a lot about her, but the little I’ve seen of her, she appears quite smart and very tactful. > > Any other ideas? How about Wasserman-Schultz? I like the irony of that choice. ---
**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:** [March 7, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/74 "2016-03-07T18:40:31Z")
Uhhh, I’m going to say no on Debbie W-S. ---
**Author:** ![escaped](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@escaped](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/escaped)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/75 "2016-03-07T20:15:07Z")
A pity Frank Zappa aint alive Sanders could pick him. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/76 "2016-03-07T20:48:38Z")
At this point, I think Snuffalupagus would be a valid choice. “I will introduce my VP pick and, let me be clear, he really is here if you can’t see him.” 😃 ---
**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:** [March 7, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/77 "2016-03-07T21:25:14Z")
Well, Martin O’Malley doesn’t seem to be doing anything… ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/78 "2016-03-08T02:45:32Z")
Tulsi Gabbard, Tammy Baldwin, or Kirsten Gillibrand. All congressmembers and Senators. He should pick a governor, like Gov. Mark Dayton of Minnesota. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725/79 "2016-03-08T15:26:27Z")
> [@Devianz](#): > > Tulsi Gabbard > > [Truth Dig article with video](http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_rep_tulsi_gabbard_who_risked_her_20160306) > > [Tulsi Gabbard’s Page](https://www.votetulsi.com/) I would be doing a happy dance if: a) Bernie got the nomination b) Tulsi Gabbard was tagged as VP She seems to be a good candidate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-bernie-sanders-choose-for-his-vice-president/724725.md?page=3)