Currently Being Vetted by Joe Biden

It is clear due to current events, Biden must choose a black VP.

Wasn’t Keisha Lance Bottoms on Drag Race?

April Ryan is a hack

Keisha

BREAKING: Water is wet. Tune in at 11 for video!

Americans ain’t voting for a Keisha.

Val Demings is the best option. She is a black woman and a former police chief so she can speak authoritatively on policing in black communities. Also she is from Florida so we might stand a better chance of winning Florida

From the Washington Post:

So when Biden picks his running mate, he should simply try to minimize risk. Biden should stay away from big-name progressives such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), future superstars such as Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) or Georgian Stacey Abrams and swing-state saviors such as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) or Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). Those candidates might net Biden some votes, but choosing them would also pose real risks to Biden’s campaign and to his agenda. The safest choice, and the one most able to bolster important parts of Biden’s message, is Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

[Italic]Who[/italic] at the WaPo, R7?

I would have said Duckworth was the best choice prior to all of this. At this point, I think Harris or Demings would be better.

All he's got to do is pick anyone but Abrams and he'll be fine.

She's a lovely woman and all, but Joe is 78 and having a few years as a Georgia state senator is not going to make anyone feel that choice is anything other than pandering. (Her financial problems are not going to help with the "ready to run the country" bit.)

Everyone else on OP's list is experienced enough and will be perfectly palatable to the electorate who really just want to get rid of Trump.

He has my vote, so it doesn't matter to me who he picks. That said, I would like to see him promote some of the women mentioned in R7's post to cabinet positions so that they can gain experience and exposure. I'd like to see who can make it, and it'd be refreshing to see Dems think ahead to succession and retention of the Presidency.

Joe Biden is old and could die in office. World experience matters. Susan Rice could step into the role of President, Val Demmings, not at all. She would torpedoe the ticket.

Val Demings is a black woman, former chief of police, an extremely productive congresswoman, from an important district in Florida. On paper she seems like the obvious choice for the moment.

It really is a shame he pledged to pick a woman. Too late to walk that back now. But all of these women are flawed in some way.

R14 All candidates are flawed. So are you saying Biden is screwed no matter who he chooses? Was Mondale flawed? Agnew certainly was. Was Ford? Bush 41? Gore? Cheney? Ok, yes he was flawed. Biden when Obama chose him? Is Pence flawed? Again, don't answer cause we all know he is.

Forgetting what Biden said about choosing a woman as VP, who would you choose? Doesn't matter race, gender... who would you choose as Biden's VP pick? Pete? Newsom? Cuomo? Who out there is the absolute best choice for VP that Biden can make?

Yeah, R14, that was a staggeringly stupid thing to say.

I think we can cross Senator Swingline's name off the list.

R12, as opposed to the experience DJT , Pence and their handlers brought with them? Their party didn't seem to have a problem with it.

You know Joe will be bringing experienced and educated handlers, diplomats and hard working people with him to the White House, not ass kissers. Any one who gets the VP pick will be safe.

I understand your concern, but the alternative is a lot better than what we have now. I think most independents and democrats will vote for Joe rather than have another four years of Trump.

I'm hoping Susan Rice.

Oprah Winfrey.

I thought Keisha Lance Bottoms was married to that twink British diver half her age.

Harris is the one. She’s got the moxy and the energy we need.

Tammy Duckworth.

I agree Duckworth would be the safest bet (agree with the analysis in this opinion piece), if it must be a woman (which it now must be), but the media and black and brown people do NOT want to see a half-Asian/half-white VP candidate.

She's a war hero, moderate, and married to a white vet. That might appeal to moderates in the Midwest, but generally the media are demanding a black woman (last month Abrams, this month Demings in particular).

It doesn't matter that Biden is promising a black woman Supreme Court pick. The media and African-Americans want their favorites to fill all the top posts, and both of those groups are essentially in charge.

That said, Demings is 63, so the media might swing back to Abrams soon.

Quiche-eating Rancid Bottoms are those from WeHo?

Voting Biden no matter what, but I hope it’s not Abrams. I think she has a bright future in politics, but she just isn’t experienced enough for the job. I’d rather see Harris or Rice first, then Demings.

Do any of them have young children? Just wondering, because I've noticed that in some candidate, and a source of smiles.

I do think there's substance to the concern about Biden's age... the pick does have to be up to the job. I think that gives an edge to Rice, Warren and Harris, in that order. I see the bottom as Abrams (worst pick on an experience basis), Whitmer, Klobuchar (because of her prosecutorial track record) and Bottoms (again, experience.) Demings firmly in the middle. I think she could do the job but she'd be a tougher sell on experience.

"Keisha Lance Bottoms"

Wasn't she on Cosby?

DL needs a new cause:

Bottoms for Bottoms 2020!

[quote] think that gives an edge to Rice, Warren and Harris, in that order.

Warren is like six years younger than Biden. I love her, and she doesn't seem as old as she is, but if your criterion is them in relation to Biden's age, that should put her out.

I think Harris is hurt, unfairly, because she doesn't have kids.

[quote] It really is a shame he pledged to pick a woman. Too late to walk that back now. But all of these women are flawed in some way.

Yes, unlike all of those literally perfect men who are available.

Warren claimed status as a person of color in education and employment applications.

Harris was a prosecutor who's on video laughing about putting parents of truants in jail (cf. prison).

Both are going to be headaches after the initial joy and praise from the media.

Demings was a police chief.

Abrams has little experience.

Klobuchar is done, of course.

Duckworth isn't a preferred ethnicity and there's nothing compensating for that (being particularly progressive, etc.)

Rice seems safe.

Whitmer and Lujan Masto might also be safe, but I don't know enough about them.

Duckworth, a war veteran from the Midwest who sacrificed literal life and limb for this country, would be an incredibly powerful contrast to the draft dodging pussy traitor incumbent.

Biden's top advisors are African-American, aren't they? It'll be an African-American woman. The media will crucify him and both-sides him to death otherwise.

What about Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago? She seems to have gotten the looters and Corona under control. If Mayor Pete of tiny South Bend, Indiana could be a contender for president, surely she could be VP.

R36, she's been mayor since May 2019. Before that she was a lawyer in private practice.

I want to believe Val Demings would help get Florida but DeSantis is so shady I doubt the real results would prevail in the election here. DeSantis is Chris Christie level repulsive to me.

Harris also has a problematic prosecutorial background. And Warren would be a one term President. I don't want two one termers back-to-back.

I can tell you it won't be an older white woman who claimed to be Native American on university and employment applications.

Susan Rice has the smarts and can step into the top spot if Biden collapses and dies on day 2.

Another vote for Sudan Rice. She is really calm under pressure, smart and relatable

DL Fave Sudan Rice!

Glad to see the support for Susan Rice. She was the first person I had in mind even before Biden committed to a woman.

Is the Biden campaign listening?

Again, VP picks rarely if ever help the candidate to swing their home state or their demographic.

They are mostly seen as an indication of the type of cabinet members the presidential candidate would pick.

So Gore, Biden--smart choices as VP; Palin, not so smart.

When did DL develop a favoring for Susan Rice?? I agree she's competent, but she's had several Biden-like gaffes herself in the past. She seems a little messy!

I like Sudan Rice, but Benghazi is her Achilles heel

Benghazi is a Fox Brews talking point. They grilled Hilary for hours and nothing came out of it

Please, Benghazi is nothing compared to Trump withdrawing troops and allowing Turkey to slaughter people.

I did not mean to imply Benghazi was a valid issue, just that is what they will attack her about.

Yeah, Susan rice is a terrible pick. No charisma, inspires no one. She comes off as angry dyke. Plus the Benghazi nonsense will be brought up once again.

I still wish he'd pick Michelle Lujan Grisham. I think Biden should pick a Latina, and her experience as both a member of the House and Governor of New Mexico gives her more relevant experience than just about anyone else.

There is no pure candidate, r51. Everyone will be smeared no matter who it is. The only audience Biden needs to please with his pick are Democrats and center independents.

The main reason to hope for Mayor Bottoms is all the fun DLers will have with her name.

My dream ticket in that regard, r55, would be Al Franken and Jill Stein. I want a FrankenStein bumper sticker.

R14 clearly sees every candidate who isn't a white man as flawed.

Good grief. Whoever it is people have to get behind the ticket and stop picking apart every option.

I vote for Bottoms! DL needs someone with a name we can laugh at

I’ll say, R14!

I’ll say, R14!

I’ll say, R14!

I would love it to be Val Demings. Just the idea that she could help Biden win Florida will have Trump giving Pence the stink eye and starting to wonder "What have you done for me lately?" Especially with his evangelical/christian vote moving towards Biden.

If the sole criterion for President was who would have the best slogan R56, we'd have General Mattis as a candidate. Who wouldn't want a "Mad Dog 2020" pin?

Abrams and Rice don't belong on that list. They are both too off-putting. Not to mention which, Rice has never held elected office and Abrams has only been elected to the GA House of representatives.

Klobuchar doesn't belong either. In addition to her previous record of not prosecuting any cops, she's known to treat her staff like shit. Both issues make her a liability, not an asset.

Bottoms also doesn't belong on this list. Atlanta needs her as mayor. Ditto Whitmer - Michigan needs her as governor.

That leaves Demings, Harris, and Warren. As much as I'd love to see Warren one step away from the White House, she's more needed in the Senate. So is Harris. We just can't risk losing any Democratic-held Senate seats.

That leaves Demings.

Ugh, Mad Dog was a nickname Trump gave to Mattis because he didn't like Chaos, which was his nickname prior to Trump.

The problem with Rice is that she's a foreign policy pick. Biden has foreign policy experience in spades, so she doesn't add much to that.

Plus, given what's happening, this election is shaping up to be largely about domestic issues. That's not Rice.

As usual Democrats can’t make a decision

I think Biden will pick Susan Rice as his Secretary of Stare. Having a black woman representing the US would be a welcome statement to the rest of the world right now, especially after Pompeo. I think we could see a female VP, SOS, AG and a future Supreme Court nominee in a Biden administration. That would be historic.

The only weak link in Biden's campaign right now is energizing young voters. The best one to do that right now is Kamala Harris. She's young, energetic and charismatic.

It's about both, r67. There's a shitton of repair work that needs to be done with our allies. Let Biden focus on getting nthe country back on track and Rice work on foreign affairs. Obama handled it similarly.

I love April Ryan. She's nowhere near a hack.

I just don't think Val Demmings is Presidential at this time. It would be a blunder when considering Joe's advanced age. It may keep people from voting.

Warren would be a massive mistake. The media may love her but America doesn’t. She will be forever tainted by her racist past posing as a Native American woman.

Native Americans are the most oppressed people to walk on US soil. They don’t have loud voices in the media but it would be disrespectful for him to pick her.

R69, as someone from the rest of the world, Susan Rice is just another boring American politician who regurgitates standard establishment positions. Val Demings, on the other hand, is way more interesting.

The US has already had a black female Secretary of State called Rice.

"Ugh, Mad Dog was a nickname Trump gave to Mattis because he didn't like Chaos, which was his nickname prior to Trump."

tRump is too stupid to come up with "Mad Dog" . Mattis has been called that long before tRump was elected. It was used behind Mattis' back by Marines since 2004, and was complimentary.

People on both sides of the aisle like Condaleeza Rice and it would be a signal of healing. I would applaud a bold move Uncle Joe.

Kamala is the most presidential and polished. She's not perfect but could step in and do the job should Joe...well...not make it through the 4 years.

I don't want two 70something year olds on the ticket, so no to Warren for this and other reasons.

Whitmer is...I don't know how to describe it...too stilted or stiff, not a strong presence...and just needs more experience...not now for Gretch.

Klobuchar has a hair trigger temper and is not pleasant to listen to. Not presidential and we need to restore that image.

Abrams, I don't even know why she is of consideration, not enough experience.

Did April Ryan get her photo taken at one of those old mall glamour photo places from the 90s? Pic is atrocious.

R76 Condi Rice is not popular amongst black folks, she’s too “white acting” and a Republican to boot. So that’s a lose-lose for Biden. She is a very impressive woman though.

I wouldn't rule out Condi Rice.

I think the Veep pic matters on two levels. This may be hard for those of you playing Barbies with your most popular and best dressed choice.

First, outside the party, the nominee has to be able to be President. Full stop. They will play up Biden's age like there's no tomorrow which puts the ability of his Veep even more under scrutiny. Some women on the list obviously outstrip others by far.

Second, if it takes a rock star to excite young people after the last two weeks, there is no pick that will satisfy.

I wouldn't be troubled personally by a one term Biden and one term Veep and then President Warren. Gives the young field time to establish for 2024.

[quote]DL Fave Sudan Rice!

Not just a DL Fave! There's nothing I'd like more!

R74 your opinion doesn't count unless you're trying to tell us that you run a country or are a high ranking official in another country.

R75 it was in the book Stable Genius. Mattis actually preferred the name Chaos, which was his call sign, but Trump thought it was stupid and gave him the name Mad Dog at a rally. Mattis doesn't like mad dog and has said so publicly.

There is zero chance of Biden picking a Republican as his running mate. Sorry, Condi fans.

I don't think it's going to any of the senators. I am feeling it's going to be a surprise, someone unexpected. Perhaps not African American but definitely a minority.

^ If anybody would ask, I'd tell them I'm oh, my God super Cali OK. If you follow! ;) I'm sure of it!

Condi Rice? JFC, what an awful fucking idea. Why not just tell the base to stay home instead of vote? And if Joe croaks, you think Condi will start putting Democrats in the admin? No, she will call back her old buddies from the Bush years to run the place.

R69, don't forget Pete. I'm sure he will be part of the Biden administration. He'll be the first openly gay man to do so. So Biden's Presidency will be historic on so many levels.

Bottoms for Bottoms!

Surprise or not, Senator or not - I don't care. The choice needs to be a known commodity who has strong name recognition. An unknown politician with no star power brings zero energy to the ticket - welcome to Tim Kaine 2.0. Ideally, we need to check as many boxes as possible - competence, ability, poise, national presence, age, minority appeal, etc. Kamala Harris for the win. Bonus points for a Senate seat that will be all but guaranteed to stay blue when they win the "election" (rampant GOP cheating will never make this a fair process again any time soon).

Susan Rice is hard to look at, is anti-charismatic, and always reminds me of severely anemic women I have known.

Oh, man, the idiot brigade is still trying to blame Tim Kaine for the fact that Hillary lost? LOL. No one voted for or against her because of Tim Kaine. The people who stayed home or voted for Trump or some third party loon would have done so regardless of who she picked

Of all the people on that list, Val Demings is the weakest. She really isn't an effective speaker. She isn't really intelligent in terms of what you need to deal with the Senate and all the politicians all over this country with competing agendas. She can't mumlti task effectively. She was chief of poli9ce in Jacksonville. Now her husband is.

Stacy Abrams has her own agenda and would shove Joe out of the spotlight in a heart beat. She's too overbearing and strident. Stacey is very intelligent but lacks the breadth of experience she needs. She was a member of the Georigia state legislature, in a district and could not win a statewide election. Yes there was suppression. But she wasn't going to win anyway. The margin was 55,000 votes. It probably would've been 25000.

Sandy Duncan?

She has always kept her eye on the prize.

I hope he picks Kamala Harris, and then Katie Porter wins her senate seat. Talk about a win-win!

I'm struggling to see Kamala as the wonder solution. Her campaign was among the first to flame out - lack of support, lack of money. She's not a fire starter so I'm struggling to see why she's the only and inevitable pick for Veep.

She's in the top four (her, Warren, Rice (S, not C) and Deming, but I don't think she outperforms either Rice or Warren. Deming is more of a long shot, traditional Veep pick.

Not even 100 posts and every possible person is attacked. This is how we lose.

There will never be a candidate that makes everyone happy. You have to compromise somewhere with baggage and experience. I feel that Harris or Demings are the best options right now.

I hope he picks the transgender guy/ girl- April. You know that would be a hoot.

r83 [quote] it was in the book Stable Genius. Mattis actually preferred the name Chaos, which was his call sign, but Trump thought it was stupid and gave him the name Mad Dog at a rally. Mattis doesn't like mad dog and has said so publicly.

Here's an [italic]LA Times[/italic] article from 2004 referring to "Mad Dog" Mattis. Was Trump holding rallies in 2004?

Didn’t they interview Duckworth?

"the idiot brigade is still trying to blame Tim Kaine for the fact that Hillary lost"

R92 - where did someone say that Clinton lost DUE to her choice of Kaine as a running mate?!? She lost due to GOP cheating/corruption/propaganda/Russian meddling/etc. - plain and simple. That said, Kaine did nothing to aid her campaign at all either. Most lay people who do not consume politics 8 hours a day had no idea who he was when she chose him nor were they inspired after hearing him on the campaign trail. VP choices fall into many categories: 1) incompetent/detrimental (Sarah Palin), 2) uninspiring/weak but bring a vital population to the polls (Pence with Evangelicals), 3) add tenure and respect to the ticket (Biden for Obama), etc. For 2020, we need to tick other boxes - but the running mate will ideally bring something great to the table verses being another rice pudding like Tim Kaine was for Hillary. He is a seemingly nice man, but was a poor choice for the role. I don't think that he hurt her, but he certainly did not help her.

Keisha Bottoms is the most impressive. She gave a fabulous off the cuff speech the night Atlanta seemed to be turning toward violence last Friday. But her name will led to laughter.

Bottoms was elected mayor in 2017. She was on the city council before that. Impossible.

Most likely it’ll be a senator. It’s most commonly a senator.

R106, that hasn’t been true for the last four Republican tickets. Pence, Ryan, Palin, Cheney.

Cross Stacey Abrams off the list (losers bring the stench of defeat with them).

Susan Rice's resume is impressive, but Rice has the charisma of a stale saltine cracker.

I say Kamala or Elizabeth for final two.

He hurt her R103 in that the choice signaled she would pick a bunch of milquetoast cabinet members who would be every bit as uncharismatic and uninspiring as she was.

Hey Joe, it's June 5th- maybe you ought to make a decision soon?

Val Val Val!

I will vote for Joe, but I'm not crazy about any of these ladies you all are promoting. I hope he comes up with someone else.

Recently I've had several discussions with Repubs who don't want to vote for Trump. They're not crazy about Joe, but they will vote for him, if he has a decent running mate (they think he will croak in office). I think they would vote for a woman on the ticket, but she can't be too controversial, which these ladies, for the most, are. Better to get someone who has good experience but hasn't been flaunting herself in front of the media the past two years.

Those damn hussies!!

Flaunting themselves in front of the media!!

Mother would not have approved! She'd be glad I have nothing to do with those vagina'd beasts!!

Choosing Warren would be insane. Impossible.

How about Alfree Woodard?

R5 Just like they were never going to vote for anyone named Barak Hussein Obama.

Lance Bottoms is the part of her name that struck me as more problematic.

Buttigieg/Bottoms would be an amazing ticket someday.

I like Gretchen.

Did they ask American woman if they wanted a female VP? A lot of them want men in charge.

Hope this isn't Biden's fatal flaw.

Michelle Obama.

I want the VP to be Elizabeth Warren. She is the most qualified to be President. We need all elected officials to stay in their positions. Susan Rice is better for sec of defense. Gore sec of state. Warren does need a cabinet to fill, I mean Biden.

Elizabeth Warren got censored from the Republicans (even Mitch McConnell whose ass is in trouble ) for speaking the words of Coretta Scott King, Activist and MLK's wife. All of this is on tape. Remember, She Persisted. With Elizabeth on the ticket, we win. The progressives in the streets protesting already love her. I thought Biden does well with older african-americans. Think this was the ENTIRE REASON for picking him as President.

Imagine, having the two on the ticket that unites the democratic party. Then, everyone is happy and votes. Not only votes, but it passionate about the ticket.

Once again, Elizabeth Warren for Veep is a terrible idea unless the Dems are absolutely positive that they’re going to sweep the Senate. As Warren’s replacement would be hand-picked by the Republican governor of MA, that's a loss of an otherwise safe Dem seat .

If the Dems do sweep the Senate, I'd like to see Biden pick her for, say, Treasury Secretary. Oh, the lovely things she could do…

R83, I was responding to r69's comment about how the rest of the world would view Susan Rice as Secretary of State.

R123, again, I'm not American so may not have the whole picture but I suspect that the activists on the streets are actually a small minority and the majority, while sympathetic to the position that racism needs to be dealt with, are not fully on board with the activists or see their demands as the most burning issue. I'm also not sure why activists would care that Warren is on tape speaking Coretta Scott King's words.

In any case, if MLK were alive today the online mob would probably be trying to cancel him right now.

Elizabeth Warren as VP, and no one else. We need the most qualified person in the executive branch. Biden is no spring chicken. We need all elected officials to stay in their position/their seats. We can fill the cabinet and advisors with people not in elected positions.

The country's not ready for a female VP for President let alone a black one. Biden's pick must not be intimidating and can assume the presidency with authority. I like Demings, but she seems one note on the policing matter, but not skilled internationally. Susan Rice is more of a Cabinet member type. Not VP material. Abrams is not experienced enough. I can't even imagine her as a school principal. Harris is of no value. Biden will win CA. Harris doesn't have any appeal in the South or Midwest. Blacks torpedoed her campaign. Republicans will run on California Liberalism. Trump's most afraid of Whitmer.

If Biden picks a VP choice on social black issues alone, he loses.

Biden has unfortunately boxed himself in with saying he would choose a female as VP. And I think he struck a deal with Clyburn, who saved his ass right before the SC primary; if he hadn't, Biden wouldn't be the presumptive nominee. So the deal was a black VP, which means a black female VP, which again boxes him in.

Personally I think the choice should have been Pete. We need to start passing the baton onto the younger generation, and Pete is a good politician, can speak to all political stripes. The fact that he's gay wouldn't have made such a big deal in the long run.

But Biden can't pick a white guy. Could he get away with picking a white female? Most likely, as I doubt that would severely hurt him with the Clyburn coalition. But at this point he needs to stick to a black female VP. I'm still thinking Demings.

Weird thought that I'm going to share... I dreamt he picked Atlanta Mayor Bottoms... would be freaky if it turned out to be true.

R128, Literally nobody cares if the VP is a woman as long as it’s the right woman. All of the ones being vetted have baggage and you don’t want that.

Bottoms is way unqualified to lead the country out of the abyss. She needs years of political seasoning.

Warren’s actions during the primary were deplorable. No way, Jose.

Hair sniffer with dementia hopes a woman can save him.

R125, yes I know, and you were responding from the perspective of how ordinary citizens around the world view her. In other words: opinions that don't matter.

No, he's going to surprise everyone and choose Oprah!

Just pick Elizabeth Warren. Can we just have the smartest people in the room?

Many men will show up to vote just to vote against Warren becoming VP. Many liberals don’t understand that or can’t accept it. We’ll lose with her. Absolutely.

[R137] Sure jan.

R134, sure, the opinions of people around the world don't matter but your fellow American at r69 seems to think they do and that's what I was responding to.

And we were talking about the position of Secretary of State, whose perception around the world is important. If you have a shithead as Secretary of State who is trying to get foreign governments to support a particular US policy, then if the citizens of those other countries think the SoS is a shithead it's going to be hard for the US to get any support, e.g. Mike Pompeo right now.

Republicans are afraid of Elizabeth Warren. She smart and she knows things, like their record. did you see what she did to Bloomberg? She threw that racist mofo over a cliff.

Don't think of the obvious choice "for the moment". Think 3-4 months down the road after some other catasprophe has struck. Who has the most reach over the long haul?

R138, get out of Manhattan sometime.

Warren qualified but too old, Abraham brilliant but lost very public race, Klobuchar most able to deal with Congress but problematic past, Demings qualifications are sparse, Rice very accomplished particularly with foreign relations and intelligence matters but is controversial with loose lips, Harris sharp and adept and charismatic but a bit lacking in domestic policy knowledge. Harris is probably the best pick.

R139 you're being overly literal. The only rest of the world that matters are heads of state.

[quote]Harris sharp and adept and charismatic but a bit lacking in domestic policy knowledge. Harris is probably the best pick.

I know it's Veep, but Bill Clinton had no foreign policy experience, and I don't recall Gore having much either, at least until after he left office and started his environmental diplomacy. Didn't hurt him.

He backed himself into a corner, yes, it must be a black woman.

I didn’t like Kamala Harris early on but she is the best pick for VP. No doubt about it.

See, Warren went too far attacking BLoomberg. IMO. It's that kind of thing that will screw her up. I am sure Joe has received a lot of "feedback" on Warren as his VP nominee. Bloomberg, as billionaires go, is one of the good ones. He has poured money into Democratic races, he has poured millions into gun safety reforms, I mean he put his money where his mouth is. Bloomberg, Gates Soros, and a few others are not evil people.

Corporations are not inherently evil. They provide jobs after all. Labor unions are not inherently evil. They protect workers. It is UNDUE INFLUENCE and deregulation that create evil. People bitched because not enough Wall streeters went to jail after the financial collapse in 2008-2009. But the reason they didn't is because so much of what was done was not illegal.

If you want to blame someone for the "evils" of our capitalist system, blame the Republicans in Congress. Because from 2010, when we handed them a victory in the Mid terms, they have fucked up everything they could. Elizabeth says a lot of things that are not smart. I know I'm probably not in the majority on this, but her take down of Bloomberg was mean, and I didn't applaud her for it. She was wantonly agressive and very destructive. I don't want another leader who's willing to burn down the house to save it.

Kamala Harris is the worst pick for VP, no doubt about it. Her record and prosecution of black folks will destroy them both.

R148, her take down of Bloomberg is the only reason she's under consideration now as a VP. That's what a VPs' main role is during a campaign, being a pit bull for the main ticket.

R150, Elizabeth or any of the others can easily go on the attack during a campaign. B ut I still stand by my opinion of the Bloomberg takedown.

Also want to say that whether you like it or agree with it or not, the Democrats need some deep pocket supporters like BLoomberg and a few others. You can't bring a knife to a gun fight. The Republicans are swimming in money. We can barely make it week to week. I swear if I hear one more friend complain because the Democrats aren't running enough ads, I'm gonna scream. It takes money to run ads. Moeny we don't usually have. And a lot of the groups who support Trump get paid. So you think those Evangelical pastors and other leaders in that movement don't get aid? Shit. They are getting a lot of cash for their efforts to stick with Trump. So a re a lot of the "protesters" and other groups in Trump's "army" of insurgents. There's is a ton of money out here. Just not Democratic PArty supporters.

Bloomberg was more of a threat to Biden than Sanders or any other candidate. Warren's takeout of Bloomberg helped Biden as much as Clyburn's endorsement.

The Republicans are doing everything they can to shore up their lagging support. And it is going to work because they will spread a lot of money around. THey will "hire" campaign staff they don't need, in every state and with unemployment being high, those jobs will get filled twenty times over. And at the grassroots level there are free events with food and drink and air conditioed buses.

President Val Demmings is too far of a reach for me. I can't even think about that right now.

R155, I’m at work on my phone, and your post made me say “Mary!” aloud.

You do realize we actually need people QUALIFIED to run the country?

We are in a fucking mess, mainly due to the Republicans. This is why we have to go with Elizabeth Warren. She can run the country. I am iffy about Biden. In my book, anyone is better than Trump.

Must restate the older white former Republican woman who on multiple occasions lied about her ethnicity on multiple university and job applications will never be chosen as VP.

I like Warren and her platform, but she is so white and so tainted by the "Pocahontas" business.

Can't we all agree that an Aunt PityPat wig on Michael Bloomberg is the answer for America. He was my first choice way back when.

Oh, yeah, Billionaire Mayor Stop-n-Frisk is definitely the candidate for this moment.

I like Val Demmings, but she's not VP material, at least not yet. Plus, she has an angry wig.

Remember when April and Don lemon got into it on CNN because Don was explaining to her she wouldn’t be eligible for reparation check because she’s Haitian and not African.

April was pissed and not at all understanding what ADOS stood for.

lol

Where is Beyoncé, Oprah and Lizzo?

[R162] Do racists cops do a complete genealogy before they harass, stalk, beat and kill a person? Think not. This does not make any sense. Also, WRONG THREAD.

It's kind of funny how none of these women are good enough for some of you to be “VP material,” when a psychotic narcissistic corrupt toddler with zero political experience claims the title of president, and could steal it again if Biden picks someone who isn’t perfect in every way.

Republican cannot govern. They are the fucking nazi scum and putin whores.

The Democratic party has to be able to run the country. Actually, get us out of this mess. Therefore, we need people who are actually very qualified for the position. WE are in a fucking crisis. This is why it should be Elizabeth Warren. She is the most qualified.

R164 how does it not make sense? ADOS stands for AFRICAN descendants of SLAVERY. April stated she was Haitian that’s when Lemon told her ADOS does not include Haitian descendants and April proceeded to embarrass herself on national TV.

You sound as stupid as April.

People on this site think VP selection is way more important than it actually is. In general, it doesn’t matter much to voters. The last time it mattered was probably in 1960.

It probably matters more this time than in other elections due to Biden’s age, but the idea that he needs to pick VP to help him carry the VP’s home state or region is ridiculous.

The VP pick matters this time. We are in a fucking crisis.

I’m just wished I had been sluttier in my youth. I squandered my 20s looking for love.

Oops wrong thread.

That doesn't disqualify you from being a VP, R171.

Oprah

Beg, bitches!!

R152 All I want to say is you are wrong.

They take those donations they become sell outs and will never win. You don't bring corruption to a gunfight.

R175, I'm not wrong. How ever the funding is set up we need it. I'm not suggesting Bloomberg or anyone else put a few million in Biden's bank account. But there are an unlimited number of ways "committees" and other groups can support the Democrats without "corrupting" them. There a re limits to how much an individual candidate can raise in the primaries.

I'm with Pete Buttigeig. Elizabeth attacked him for taking money from some Wall Streeters (Wine tasting in a cave) and it was a phony argument. If we want to win we can't be so pure we end up with nothing but our principles. Here's a good example. Right now there's the Lincoln Project. They don't seem to have deep pockets and they do solicit donations, but they're out here running these ads against Trump. This helps us.

We need more of that. It's what the Republicans do. Their money enables them to set up unlimited "Lincoln Projects" and they also have the ability to go into states and flood them with dark money, because it's legal not to disclose where the money comes from.

I don’t want a VP in a wheelchair. Go ahead & slam me. Donald Trump has done irreparable harm to the United States’ standing in the world. He has been aided & abetted by republican politicians working on behalf of foreign governments. We’re in bad shape. We have failing infrastructure. We have failing everything and a population that’s been propagandize for over 30 years on radio, tv & the Internet that taxes are bad.

If Joe croaks it, the president will be in a wheelchair...another symbol of weakness. Old men & amputees. An amputee from a war un-won. Another of America’s foolish invasions into countries we occupy so we can force the inhabitants to give us their resources. We’ve poured trillions into Iraq & Afghanistan & what do we have to show for it? Traumatized veterans & more enemies. We betrayed the Kurds. We sold out to Turkey. We sold out to Saudi Arabia, Israel & UAE. And every day we’ll see a reminder of what we’ve done to this country & to the world with our failed insistence on squandering the wealth of this country on perpetual war.

We need a young, healthy, strong VP. Not someone in a wheelchair. Not a woman who is so obese she is out of breath when she takes the stage (Abrams). We also can’t have a woman who’s son will automatically be promoted to be her critic on Fox News day & night (Rice). Nobody wants to see the president’s own offspring making bank off criticizing her on 24/7 cable news.

It should be Demings.

R177, you certainly have very unusual values. Unusually disgusting. Who damaged you so much?

I’m fine, R178. I send my love

No to Abrams. A fat woman with tax problems is a sign of deep emotional and mental issues.

Kamala Harris is a safe, likeable choice who has already been vetted, and most importantly she‘s stylish and looks great on camera.

Whitmer would get the rightwingers' panties in a wad, and that would be satisfying, but Duckworth would draw military support and has gov't experience.

lol, r174. I adore MO. Hell, I think she'd be a superb President, not just Vice.

But, her Superstardom is almost too much.

And the funny thing is, I don't think Biden would mind one bit being overshadowed by MO. He's seen enough, lived enough and has experienced enough attention in his life not to mind, and would most likely want to just keep his nose to the grindstone on fixing Trump's fuck-ups.

But, I think what would recommend her; her popularity and smarts, would generate just as much backlash.

I forgot to add, I believe Michelle Obama when she declares she has absolutely no desire to enter into elective office.

Michael Steele who was on Bill Maher show last night said he believes they are down to two picks. Michigan governor Gretchen Wittmer and Florida congresswoman Val Demings but they still like Amy Klobuchar despite her past history as a pro-cop prosecutor. I think Biden picks Wittmer who is very popular in Michigan.

DC Mayor Miriam Bowser who so deftly handled Orange It this week.

Picking Val Demings really seems like pandering. She wasn’t on many people’s radar until the past two weeks.

[quote]Michael Steele who was on Bill Maher show last night said he believes they are down to two picks.

REPUBLICAN Michael Steele?? Okay, sure Jan. Who cares what he believes...

I'm as partisan a Democrat as their is, r188, but Steele is very tuned into, and has lots of sources, among higher-ups in both the Democratic and Repug parties.

I don't dismiss what he says out-of-hand.

If Biden's heart is with Klobuchar, he's going to have to sit down with both Clyburn and Obama to get their blessing and to have them commit to supporting her and recommending her to black Dem voters.

That sounds like too heavy a lift.

I like Klobuchar. I think she'd make an excellent choice and I don't give a rat's ass about her alleged meanness, or her prosecutorial history as long as she has sincerely seen the light and atones for it.

But that's just me.

If Klobuchar is not the VP pick, she should become Senate Majority Leader.

I also don't think Steele is still a Republican. I think he followed Nicolle Wallace and Ana Navarro toward the exit.

I was channel surfing last night & came across Real Time. I wondered if Bill Maher was going to be less of an asshole because of the riots. I had stopped watching him for his assholery on blaming poor people for have bad immune systems & screaming about “cancel” culture after he spent 30 years calling out & canceling people via New Rules.

Nope.

I can’t even remember what he was yamming about but it was some insignificant thing where he tried to turn the conversation to one of his pet peeves. I surfed on

My veteran father, now 79, had one of the very first fundraisers for Tammy D., and he is a staunch supporter of hers. Life long Democrat. He isn't given to fannish behavior, but he is all in for her, and I agree.

My dead WASP mother is rolling in her grave over Tammy in her formal dining room, however.

Elizabeth Warren's policies are in line with Black LIVES Matter and The King Center. I think they are advisors to her. It is most likely going to be her. Harris has some problems as a DA. Elizabeth Warren is polling the highest for VP pick.

Two 70+ whites on one ticket isn't going to cut it.

Elizabeth Warren is the best choice, but I'm not holding my breath she will be chosen.

I like Demings for what she is. A member of the House from Florida. A former Police chief from Jacksonville. Period. She doesn't have the range for the job of President. The learning curve is too steep. I sincerely hope people like Pete Buttigeig, Susan Rice, (fuck her son) and Amy Kobuchar are part of the newer leadership in the party along with Stacey Abrams and Keisha Lance Bottoms. But it's going to be Kamala Harris. And it should be.

We need to be aware of the strategy of the Republicans. Today Trump and $5 couldn't get you a cup of coffee. But we have about 5 months and that's a lifetime in politics. Don't underestimate Trump's ability to come back from this. Romney and Bush were never going to vote for him. If you see McConnell running for the exit let me know. Right now Trumop thinks he can use the Nixon playbook. He thinks it's 1968. All these demonstrations. He is counting on a backlash. A conservative, racist white backlash. He insists there are way more racists out here than he is seeing.

He uses 1968 terms like "Law & Order" President and he talks about the "silent majority." He thinks by channeling Nixon's successful 1968 campaign he can win. But as someone said on Twitter, if Trump is looking to 1968, then it is Hubert Humphrey he is positioned to be. Because these protests are happening in every single town and city in America. Not just the big cities. And they are integrated.

Joe Biden has a Pandemic and 41 million people unemployed and that is helping him along with the fact that the majority of the American people are blaming Trump for the racism they're seeing. They want peace and may hate demonstrations, but they hate Trump more because they blame him for those demonstrations. In 1968 the demonstrators were against Humphrey. Today they are against Trump.

Just remember, nothing has change with one of Trump and the Republican Party's basic strategies. They are going to pitch Biden and the Democrats as "radicals" too far to the Left. If Biden chooses Elizabeth Warren, then the Republicans have the perfect scenario for running the table with that strategy. If Biden choses Kamala, even if she is very progressive she is not as well defined as Elizabeth so she can be a bit more flexible. If Biden chooses Kamala, her replacement will probably be Adam Schiff as U.S. Senator. Feinstein is over. There are lots of good people including Porter who can take her lace, but I think if Kamala moves up to VP, Schiff gets her seat. And the Dems getting back the Senate will put Adam in a great position.

Schiff should be Speaker. That's much more powerful than Junior Senator from California.

I like Warren but not as a candidate.

To be fair though, she does have Native American DNA. Not a lot, but she has it.

[quote]I sincerely hope people like Pete Buttigeig, Susan Rice, (fuck her son) and Amy Kobuchar are part of the newer leadership in the party along with Stacey Abrams and Keisha Lance Bottoms. But it's going to be Kamala Harris. And it should be.

Agree with this 100%. These younger people need to be given prime roles in the Administration and prepped for future national leadership positions. But right now, Kamala Harris is the most prepared and best fit for the Vice-Presidency.

I think Klobuchar will probably be given Attorney General, but if not, she should become Senate Majority Leader (assuming Dems take Senate) because she would be far more effective than Schumer.

Biden said he will use his administration to promote the FUTURE stars of the Democratic party. That's a brilliant idea, as it sets up the party for gains in the coming decades. Warren is not the future. Her ideas may be, but she herself is too old.

Warren is also too opinionated and too liberal to be VP. If Biden took a moderate stance on some issue, I highly doubt she would silently go along with it. I don't want 4 years of stories about how they clash and don't get along. He and Harris are more aligned politically.

Put Warren as Treasury Secretary.

Elizabeth is POC.

The whole reforming the police thing helps to boost Val Demings and Kamala for obvious reasons.

R204 = Trumper

R201 I think Val Demmings would be a better choice for Attorney General. Check out her performance in the impeachment hearings.

Val Demings would be more useful in a Cabinet position working on improving police/minority/community relations.

She's not an attorney, though.

Demings is a non starter. It's either Kamala, or Whitmer.

I want Schiff to stay where he is. He is indispensible as chair of the Intel committee. Not as Speaker. I believe the Speaker ought to be either Hakeem Jeffries.

It’s going to be Kamala as VP, and Klobuchar as Attorney General.

[quote]The whole reforming the police thing helps to boost Val Demings and Kamala for obvious reasons.

It does the opposite.

Vice President Val Demings, Former Chief of the Orlando Police Department? That's going to ruffle some feathers.

All they'd need is one death or one serious police incident that happened under her watch and she's going to hurt him.

Joe is a good nominee but he's not a great one. He is not going to excite younger people to vote and yes you do need every vote.

His best chance is not to pick anyone previously affiliated with law enforcement. There's no reason to even stoke that fire.

Whether people realize this or not here none of the anti-cop sentiment is going to go away anytime soon.

If nothing else, Harris has proved herself to be the best candidate for Vice President of Putting Meghan McCain in Her Place.

The media have switched from Abrams to demanding Demings.

We should hear in early August. Long way to go.

NEW: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is being vetted as Joe Biden's VP pick, two sources familiar with the internal discussions tell us.

In the wake of nationwide protests, the campaign is making race a top consideration in its search.

Kamala is a star. She can bring excitement and charisma to the Biden campaign.

I want Elizabeth Warren, really as President. Biden does not have the best political policies, record or instincts. He worries me. So I feel we need her on the ticket. This will energize all the progressives, including the African-American Progressives. It will unite the Democratic Party behind the ticket.

For all other elected officials, I think they need to stay where they were elected. We want a sweep. There are qualified people who are not in elected office for all the cabinet and advisors.

Warren went up against Bloomberg, calling him out as a serious racist. She is ahead of all of this. She is on the right side of history all the time, at the start.

She is too old, unless you want to be sitting here in 2024 watching her go up against a Republican that’s thirty years younger and pretty (Nikki Haley), and getting wiped out because if two women are running, men are going to vote for the young pretty woman. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it works. It will become a beauty contest and she will lose.

LOL, I love April D. Ryan's twitter profile picture. Like a fierce 1950s starlet.

LOL, I love April D. Ryan's twitter profile picture. Like a fierce 1950s starlet.

[quote]She is too old, unless you want to be sitting here in 2024 watching her go up against a Republican that’s thirty years younger and pretty (Nikki Haley), and getting wiped out because if two women are running, men are going to vote for the young pretty woman.

Who says the VP should run after this? Maybe by then someone will step forward who is better than any of these candidates?

Biden, Quayle, Cheyney, Gore, Mondale and Rockefeller didn't immediately run and win after they finished their terms as VP.

George Bush Sr. was the last one to pull it off.

R223, The traditional view of both parties (until Trump, and it’s since become true with Trump as well), is that the President is the head of the party. The former President traditionally endorses his VP, which boots him to the top of the list. Then the VP has to convince people to pick him, but he gets a big boost from the President’s endorsement. Obama was an exception to that rule, he’s kept his powder dry two elections in a row, for too long if you ask me. Bill Clinton would have happily campaigned for Al Gore from day one, if Gore had allowed it.

The former President is still the head of the party until a new President of his party is elected, and that generally means his VP is next in line. You’ve heard the expression, “it’s my turn,” in reference to Hillary, but Hillary’s situation is not really what that expression traditionally refers to. It usually refers to VPs who run right after their P gets his two terms, or it can be the person who did very well in the Presidential primary in the last election, but wasn’t quite on top yet. Hillary in 2008 was not that person. In 2016 she should have sat down. Her time had passed. Obama probably ran in 2008 to be the “next in line” in 2012, but surprise, he won instead.

People don’t understand this because the last few years have been such an aberration. It wasn’t Trump’s turn, he had no previous experience. Mike Pence is unelectable on his own. It won’t be his turn, even if he does run. It will be somebody that’s electable that wins the primary.

That’s very rare. Most Presidents don’t pick unelectable VPs in modern times. The party used to pick the VPs. JFK was forced to take LBJ. Now it’s on the candidate, but since Sarah Palin, the party may put a word in if the VP candidate has issues. Trump blew all that out the window. He and his little cabal, who knew nothing about how to do it or why, picked somebody that couldn’t follow Trump’s act. Pence is the result.

The VP candidate of 2020 will be the Presidential candidate of 2024. They won’t take no for an answer. These people all have huge egos and no lack of qualifications or likability will stop them.

R224 One of Gore's mistakes is that he didn't allow Clinton to campaign for him, nor embrace the Clinton years (pretty successful 8 years looking back). That may have made a difference, but I remember him losing NH and TN (his own state!!) in 2000, and when you don't win your own state, you're in trouble. Naturally Frump's election through out that playbook.

I agree with your assessment that the VP candidate for the Dems in 2020 will be the Presidential candidate in 2024, and considering where the GOP is right now, and the damage they have done to their party, it could be a repeat of the 12 Reagan/Bush years but with Biden/VP in the White House.

I know her state isn't in play but I still think it will be Kamala Harris as his running mate. When I look at her, Demings, Bottom and Abrams, she stands out and I can see her as President in 2024. Wouldn't it be interesting if the 2024 race had Harris v Haley? Though is the GOP ready to nominate a woman as President, let alone one who is not white?

R224, Thank you so much for your post! It was really insightful. It was kind of you to write all that up. I appreciate it.

I'm one of those people that doesn't think Biden should have run at all this time around. He knows he can't do two terms which would normally be what everyone expected him to do. I think a lot of things are out of the window at least for now. We'll see how it all plays out.

R225, I've always said the only person I hate it Amy Klobuchar. As for Kamala, I have problems with her but I would vote for any ticket she's a part of. I just worry that if the idea is to choose her to run in 2024 by starting her off as VP now -- that's still going to be a pretty tough uphill battle.

OPRAH!

I always vote for the best looking candidate so Kamala.

No to Keisha. I hate people with two last names or hyphenated last names. And why keep the name Bottoms when she could have just gone with Lance?

Her name reminds me of the Bottom brothers from Something Rotten to "This Bottom's Going to Be on Top."

Biden Bottoms would make a hell of a campaign poster

R223, I agree Biden shouldn’t have run. His time has passed too.

I think the reason he probably did is Bernie Sanders. Bernie is about the same age, which put that age on the table. It never was before, that age was automatically a disqualifier. No one that old has ever run before.

Without Bernie and Joe, several other really electable younger people with little name recognition were running and they would have gotten more attention. But Bernie and Joe sucked all the air out of the room, and there was no room for them.

Biden has made several veiled references that he thought he had to run. My guess is black leaders and others approached him and said, we’ll back you, but we won’t back some of these other white guys because we’re sick of white guys. I think he’s such a known name, people were afraid to go shopping around and take a risk on an unknown when they had to take out Trump. They wanted to play it safe.

Biden made a speech that was videotaped and played at the George Floyd service today. It was well done. He will be a unifier, but I agree, too old.

Biden will only serve one term, if he's elected. That's why his choice for VP is super-important, as they would naturally be the front runner for 2024.

It's Biden's time, and by that I mean he is the one person who can unify the country after four years of divisiveness and corruption and hate spawned by someone who is absolutely unqualified to be President, let alone hold the title of POTUS. It's Biden's "Uncle Joe" that will help heal the wounds. Or at least start to heal. I know there is a lot of damage that has been done and is currently being done, and the majority of Biden's term will be spent trying to heal both domestically and abroad.

Will he say stupid things? Yes he will. But rest assured he won't make fun of people, he won't tweet conspiracy theories and try to rally his base with unsubstantiated bullshit, he won't spend 99% of his days watching MSNBC or reading the Washington Post, nor will be call anything a hoax or use the military to clear a park so he can have a photo op. His kids won't be part of the administration, we'll actually get to see FLOTUS more than just a few times a year, and we will finally, FINALLY, be proud of our President once again.

I think Liz is the best choice. No, she isn't black... but black voters approve of her anyway, as does nearly everyone in the Democratic Party.

Keep in mind that she's NOT risking her Senate seat to RUN. She doesn't actually have to resign until moments before she takes her oath on inauguration day. If Biden loses, she's still going to be a US Senator. I can guarantee that the Democrats won't risk losing the Presidency AND her Senate seat by allowing her to resign before Biden and Warren are ABSOLUTELY assured of victory.

Will Massachusetts' Republican governor appoint a Republican to replace her? Probably... but even if he does, he MUST call for an interim election within 150 days. If the Democrats sweep the elections, the Governor is going to be feeling pretty vulnerable, and will almost certainly appoint someone who's nominally a Republican, but practically a Democrat in reality. I mean, Jesus, this is Massachusetts we're talking about, not Texas or Utah.

More importantly, that appointed Republican Senator is going to feel really, REALLY vulnerable. And he or she will probably want to hold on to his or her new Senate seat, which means he or she will probably bend over backwards to be on good behavior insofar as Massachusetts VOTERS are concerned, even if it means alienating Republican Party leadership. And the Republican Party's leaders will cut them plenty of slack, because at the end of the day, they'd rather see a nominal Republican who generally agrees with them representing Massachusetts in the Senate than a literal Democrat who wants to see the Republican agenda in the Senate mowed down.

At the end of the day, I think Elizabeth Warren ultimately has the potential to become the Democratic Party's next FDR.

IMHO, the ideal case would probably be for her to serve alongside Biden for four years (quite probably assuming more and more day to day duties over time, especially if Biden's health begins to deteriorate), then have Biden gracefully decide to not seek re-election, and instead pass along the torch to Liz so she can serve two full terms as President in her own right... devoting his full attention to running the country, so SHE can devote her full attention to winning the election.

R233, Warren will be 71 on June 22.

75 in 2024.

79 in 2028.

83 in 2029 when her second term would end.

This after Biden will be incapable of running for a second term due to age. Maybe even die in office due to age. People will be very conscious of age being an issue due to Biden, and Trump before him.

This is totally untenable. The party won’t run someone of that age. Voters won’t vote for someone of that age, after our immediate crisis is over. They’ll want someone with some youth and energy for the rebuild.

Anyone who isn’t aware of the cognitive decline at these ages must be very young with no grandparents nearby. Biden is getting attacked over it endlessly, and Warren would be no different.

The Democrats can’t keep running eighty year olds every year. This year is an exception because of Trump. When he’s gone, the exception is over. The Republicans could just run any vibrant young person and win. All the Biden progress would be undone instantly.

Sorry, her second term would end in 2032. ^^

Why do so many DLers write essay-length posts about certain candidates.

r236, because some of us don't think about everything in terms of black and white soundbites. Real life is complicated, messy, and has lots of information that needs to be digested in order to make an informed decision.

[quote]Though is the GOP ready to nominate a woman as President, let alone one who is not white?

The GOP ticket in 2024 is going to be Diamond / Silk.

Elizabeth Warren should be president. I hope she is VP.

Old age issue:

This is the whole problem with Joe Biden. Why is the DNC running a man that is already out of it? This helps the Republicans in 2024. Bloomberg set us all up to lose in 2024. I fucking hate that Racists fucker.

This is why it is a good thing that Elizabeth Warren is VP. If joe biden resigns, she becomes the President. Then, she runs in 2024.

R283, Black folks DO NOT like Elizbaerh's fake ass. Give it a rest.

83 isn't young, but Warren also has the benefit of something that used to be generally referred to as "wisdom" -- her ideology isn't something she read about in a book, thought it sounded cool, and latched onto... it's something that's evolved throughout her life, and basically flipped about 150 degrees as she's had the opportunity to see things she once thought were great ideas fail miserably, or at least have unanticipated consequences she didn't expect.

Actually, African-Americans like all the last three candidates: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. They all remain popular and well respected. Elizabeth Warren is ranked first, in polling about the VP position. This is true among African-American too.

Elizabeth Warren everyone wants as VP.

The black vote stays home if he picks Amy Klobuchar.

I think Black Lives Matter and the King Center were advisors to Elizabeth Warren, during her campaign. They have the same policies recommendations. Elizabeth Warren was pro black lives matter from the start, before George Floyd's brutal murder.

Can we just have a smart person in the White House for once?

Question: Do you think Trump will agree to debating Joe Biden? Joe ain't the sharpest of debaters but I think he could wipe the floor with Trump and his record.

That's a hard NO ^^^^

R245 I'm torn. I would say yes because he can spin it to be like one of his rallies, where he brings out his greatest hits (Sleepy Joe, only I can fix it, etc.). And based on his atrocious record, he'll go down the road of alternate facts and claim his record is the best, what virus, etc.

I would also say no because he's afraid of Joe Biden. Remember what he tried to do with Ukraine that got him impeached... he didn't want Biden as the Democratic candidate because he fears him, and knows Biden can beat him.

It wouldn't surprise me one way or the other, but if he does agree to the debates, I would say it would only be one, not three.

I agree with R231 in many ways. Biden and Sanders absolutely sucked all of the air out of the room during the primaries (which abruptly came to an early end due to the pandemic, but Biden was already the clear winner). Both men are very popular within their own lanes and both had name recognition beyond belief. They have years of both experience and exposure that can't be matched by a younger candidate. I think that age actually played in their favor this election cycle - Trump's reign of terror has been so disastrous and damaging - voters are not willing to gamble on a female candidate (three amazing Senators with great resumes to boot) for President. The stakes are too high this time around. A gay male was no safer an option (arguably worse) and while I believe that Pete's resume is feather light anyway to run for such an office, he is a fascinating political personality in many ways. So in essence, Kamala, Liz, Pete, Amy, etc. never had a chance. It was all 100% fair - just bad timing.

The top three are: Elizabeth Warren Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. Bloomberg spent a half billion to defeat Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, in our DNC primary. It really should have been Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders at the Dem Convention. Just pick Elizabeth Warren and unite the ticket against Trump.

The Warren fan is talking about something that will never happen.

The media are lying to you, Warren fan: no chance.

r204 is a racist.

Shun him gals!

[quote]Actually, African-Americans like all the last three candidates: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.

Bernie Sanders’ support among African-Americans was near-zero at all times during his campaign.

R250, there's a lot of Warren fans but you knew that.

R252, You know this is a lie. It's not even a believable one.

One reason why Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are a fantastic team is the fact that they complement each other perfectly, without really stepping on each other. Joe is a warm, emotional, extroverted guy who'll hold your hand & reassure you everything is going to eventually be OK. Liz is the extremely smart problem-solver who knows how to make it happen. Joe will go to cabinet meetings, but REALLY want to meet with people and listen to their problems. Liz will eagerly RUN to cabinet meetings, because she can't WAIT to tell everyone her ideas.

Hypothetical press conference where journalist asks a question like, "Mr(s). (Vice-)President, is ___ true?"

Trump: response off the top of his head, delivered forcefully and with conviction. It might be correct, it might be complete bullshit, but he'll fight to the last breath defending it.

Biden: Life is complicated, but let me tell you about _(American)_ who had this problem... (tells heartwarming story).

Journalist: ok, but is it true, or is it not?

Biden: I'm going to refer that question to my fact-finding department (nods to Liz).

Warren: I'll have an answer for you in another 5 minutes (she was busily researching the question while Joe was talking about (whomever). 5 minutes elapse while the journalists sit quietly, Liz smiles, then spends 18 minutes explaining her answer, citing sources, identifying uncertainties & unknowns, and the journalists' eyes glaze over. Their respective organizations fact-check Liz, and largely conclude that her assessment was factually accurate, even if it ultimately boils down to, "my answer is, there is no certain answer. Here are the facts, analyze the data, and come to your own conclusion." Fox news makes something sensational up that takes 3 words of her answer completely out of context, and Trump's former base rages on for weeks on social media about deep-state media conspiracies. Saturday Night Live makes fun of Fox News and its viewers, and life goes on.

This is, IMHO, why Liz beats Val as VP. Val is a former police chief. Police, almost by definition, are forced to view the world in very black and white terms... if they were analytical, they'd have been CSIs, detectives, or FBI agents instead. After 4 years of having pretty much everything Trump says that gets fact-checked end up being mostly bullshit, Biden NEEDS someone with an academic mindset to avoid getting torn apart the same way. Liz KNOWS how to be grilled, and how to answer in ways that provide information while nevertheless clearly delineating the boundaries of her knowledge and confidence. She'll tell a reporter point blank, "I don't have the answer to that right now. I can have one for you by tomorrow & we can continue taking additional questions now, or I can stop everything and make you all sit here for 43 minutes while I try to find the answer right now. Which would you prefer?"

No working-class Midwestern straight white man wants someone who harps on about structural racism in relation to every economic issue.

Guess who.

Look. Why don't we use a point system. Serious. List all the things that a re important and assign points to them. Then evaluate each possible candidate and tally up the points. First let's set the criteria:

So let's start a list: Race, Geography, Education, Experience, Elective offices held, age, strongest asset(s) Biggest liabilities, chemistry, personality, effective speaker

What else would go on the list?

Stacey Abrams was on The View today and yikes was she a non-charismatic sourpuss. Kamala for the win.

People are not going to vote for an overweight woman.

Abrams being obese does not help her, but what she really needs is a resume. Just because Dump rigged/cheated/stole his way into office in the 2016 election, does not mean that we should all aspire to incompetence in our leaders going forward. Stacey is certainly not incompetent by any means - but she doesn't come even close to Harris, Warren, Klobuchar, etc. in terms of experience in high public office. Kamala Harris is force to reckoned with and checks the most boxes - even if you were both blind and deaf and actually had no clue her sex, the color of her skin, her orator skills, her photogenic appeal, etc. Once one takes into account that she has her resume in addition to these further attributes - it seems a slam dunk to chose her as running mate.

The media are being really annoying, insisting on a black woman as VP. The next Supreme Court justice, should he be nominated by Biden, will be a black woman.

Just let him decide. Jesus.

Despite his backing himself into a corner, I still think Mayor Pete would be a good candidate, and he should announce now, so the two of them can start campaigning before the convention in August (if it even takes place).

But Biden, in the end, will choose Kamala Harris.

I wholeheartedly agree with you R260 - the next Supreme nominated by Biden will be an African-American woman.

Joe has a very deep bench to choose from when it comes to VP or Cabinet or the Courts. I'm wondering if there is some mechanism that would allow all McConnell's judges to be placed under review and winnow out those who weren't qualified.

Kamala is cheerful. She gives you a feeling of hope. That's important. It got Clinton and Reagan elected. Stacey was so glum and gloomy on The View. It just made me feel depressed.

The list has been winnowed to six: Warren, Harris, Demings, Bottoms, Susan Rice, and Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Four Black woman (with Harris also being Tamil), a Latina, and a grandmotherly white woman.

[quote] Kamala Harris is force to reckoned with and checks the most boxes - even if you were both blind and deaf and actually had no clue her sex, the color of her skin, her orator skills, her photogenic appeal, etc. Once one takes into account that she has her resume in addition to these further attributes - it seems a slam dunk to chose her as running mate.

Thank you! A white man with Harris's resume who be a shoo-in Presidential candidate for either party.

I attended an event for Kamala with about 100 other people and Kamala comes across exceptionally smart, and she is warm. Friendly. She projects joy and positivity. I know that seems corny but it's true. I Fell in love with her. I was so disappointed when she dropped out. She was pushed aside by Bernie and Elizabeth. Kamala is more progressive than Joe but not as far out as Bernie. She had no money so she had to quit.

Kamala FTW.

HTF did Susan Rice end up on this list? Biden needs to pick someone who's proven she can win elections and thus has a constituency already. That's something Rice has not only never done, I can't see her ever doing it. She is utterly devoid of charm and personality. Can't see her winning over any voters who weren't already planning to vote for Biden.

I like Susan Rice. She's strong and assertive and if you have seen her on C Span you'd have to conclude she is brilliant. I hope Joe brings her in to the administration. But she is a total policy wonk and her wheelhouse is foreign policy. She'd be an awesome Secretary of State. Not a VP.

There are really only four choices: Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Elizabeth Warren, Amy (who is damaged goods) and Kamala. And Kamala checks all the boxes. IMO I would be looking at Whitmer and Harris.

Elizabeth Warren is progressive, so the black lives matter activists already love her. The concept that Black Lives Matter activists would chose a Ben Carlson over Elizabeth Warren is ridiculous. Who does Nina Turner want? Who does AOC want? Both are well respective elected politicians and women of color, they want Elizabeth Warren.

Elizabeth Warren

[quote] I attended an event for Kamala with about 100 other people and Kamala comes across exceptionally smart, and she is warm. Friendly. She projects joy and positivity.

Harris is very smart, brave and dedicated, the rest is an act. She is conforming to societal norms and struggles to be likeable in the way that is demanded of her gender. She has the feminine loveliness, high-strung temperament and vindictive nature of a woman coupled with the arrogance, entitlement, ego, pugnacity and wardrobe of a man.

She will be a very effective President.

r271 I loved me some Hillary but i think people caught the same whiff off her, that she was using the laugh to try to come off likable when people could tell that's not who she really was.

We need people who are real experts in economics and science in the White House. We are in a fucking serious mess, a pandemic and economic depression. Elizabeth Warren is this person.

Joe Biden is the one that is not qualified. He needs someone on the ticket who is. Also, he is old and could die in office. And he acts as if he has dementia, cognitive decline. Republicans are the ones who spent a half billions dollars to back Joe Biden and defeat the progressives (Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders) in the Democratic Primary. We should not listen to them again.

Moreover, older African-Americans just freaked out because there were two billionaire scum in the race. They like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren too. Younger Africa-Americans and Activists supported the Progressives. All Progressives, All Activists and ALL African-American Democrats will back Elizabeth Warren.

Stacey Abrams did even make it to the finals after all that hype? I guess her swimsuit scores were too low.

The primary debacle in GA didn’t burnish Stacey Abrams’ resume one bit. So much for her fixing voting problems. Her refusal to run for senate & her failure to make a difference with the voting problems make it look as if she’s been sitting around waiting to be tapped for Vice President.

"Who does AOC want? Both are well respective elected politicians and women of color, they want Elizabeth Warren."

I like AOC a lot for who she is (particularly considering her age), but she is hardly well-respected (I assume that was the word that you were looking for with "respective") as a politician at this point.

Stop with that bullshit R273. No POTUS ...or Vice POTUS is an "expert" but Joe is smart enough to ask the right questions and MOST IMPORTANT... Joe will hire the best people. Right now he has the support and advice of a lot of people from the Obama days and beyond. He will hire a competent ethical staff. That is the main thing I'm personally looking forward to. When we look at the losers and the incompetence and the corruption Trump surrounds himself with it will be a blessing to see Biden walk thru the door. Because he brings with him Competence. And he's an honorable man. Joe has nothing to prove. If the Repukes think they can get away with the same old tactics, smears, lies, distortions, etc. they will fail. They offer nothing and their record is terrible. All we need to do is SHOW THE FUCK UP! There's no point in listening to the political bullshit. I'm turning it off. Is there really anything more we need to know about any Republican? Or Biden and whoever he chooses? Nope. My focus is on getting out the vote and supporting efforts to insure free fair elections. That's where our energy has to be.

I think we need to read about Stacey Abrams - she's a proponent of the people not the corporations. That's one thing I learned.

R278, That’s why she accepted 5 million dollars from Bloomberg and all but endorsed him afterwards.

She’s sketchy. And can be bought like the rest of ‘em (except Bernie).

A brief observation on Stacey. Stacey Abrams can travel around for the next few years getting famous and being a very articulate Advocate. Sort of like Jesse Jackson used to be only much better. Or she can run for a statewide office. But IMO she has an overbearing personality and her personal style will not work with Biden. It's too much muchness.

As for Joe and his VP: I want Biden to win. I want to see rainbow spotlights shining on the White House again! I want to be able to sleep at night. I want competence, and decency, and kindness. I want us to get respect. I want all Democrats to run every Republican in America who holds a public office out of town.

We have to do legislative redistricting in 2021. We need Democrats at every level. State Legislature, Governors, Secretaries of state, liberal judges, and of course the Senate.

Joe Biden will choose whoever suits him. I have confidence who ever it is will be fine. I'm focusing in the rest of the Democratic Agenda for 2020. Voter Turnout and electing Democrats.

I highly recommend Marc Maron's WTF podcast with her yesterday. I was dubious about a woman named Stacy, I am not going to lie. She's the real deal:

I don't want to hear shit about experience. It isn't like one of the Real Housewives is being considered, the most similar to the current White House resident.

I do think Lisa Rinna would be a good choice, even if she's white, and that would bring Harry Hamlin into Mother Pence's role.

"That’s why she accepted 5 million dollars from Bloomberg and all but endorsed him afterwards.

She’s sketchy. And can be bought like the rest of ‘em (except Bernie)."

Well, Bernie has his amoral wife bankrupting and looting colleges, so he is good to go.

Not to mention all those mysterious donations he got in 2016.

Stop with the mudslinging and casting doubt. We're running against Trump Don't even think about hanging any allegations of corruption or mafeasance against any Democrat. Not any. This is exactly the bullshit the Republicans want to plant to discredit and cast doubt, to lie to smear to divide. Nothing out here is as bad as the Republicans or Trump. Nothing. You want to get rid of AG Barr, Mitch McConnell, and all the people who want to dismantle our rights, our healthcare our environment,etc.? Stop shitting on yourselves.

Which is unfortunate, R1. Elizabeth Warren is clearly the best choice. She's been working on all these issues throughout her campaign and is capable of carrying out serious plans. She worked closely with Jared Bernstein, Biden's staffer, throughout the CFPB creation and launch. She understands these issues and knows how to get things done. She knows the senate well and would work closely with those officials as well.

And April Ryan is no hack. She's an experienced white house reporter who has had to put up with way more than her share of shit.

[quote] Elizabeth Warren is clearly the best choice.

Were it that clear as you claim, she would have won the nomination, and certainly would not have come in 3rd in her home state at the very least.

Is Val Demings the candidate who's a former cop? Wouldn't that be a really unwise choice in the current climate, given the brutalities the police force have been unleashing?

Glad Abrams is out. Demings and Bottoms aren’t qualified but they’re the currently preferred ethnicity.

I think the Atlanta PD might have ended Bottoms' chances last night.

What are the chances all these names are just a head fake for a dark horse no ones talking about?

How about Suzette Charles?

Bottoms is out if Atlanta becomes chaotic again due to the most recent police shooting.

who is that ugly lady in the picture who's leering at me? god, how awful to have to scroll past that.

It is becoming chaotic right now r293.

The paywall stopped me. What did the NYT say?

Atlanta is protesting, but it is also burning shit down. The Wendy's where a drunk man was shot because he was sleeping in his car, someone called the cops, and he got scared scuffled with the cops stole a taser and ran away, so they shot him in the back. Chased him and gunned him down. As if they were in Iraq.

Elizabeth Warren is the benchmark against whom everyone else will be judged. If Biden picks someone else & can't flawlessly justify it on any grounds besides, "well, she's black, and Liz isn't", it WILL hurt him on election day.

If Biden picks a black woman just for the sake of picking a black woman, it will cost him many more votes than it could conceivably gain for him. If he tries TOO hard to justify it, he'll lose black votes. If he doesn't try at all to justify it, he'll lose black votes AND white votes.

Liz is the only one who wouldn't disappoint many Democrats. Everyone else is an excuse & forced justification.

Both Klobuchar & Whitman are a step down from the others. They aren't black, and they aren't Elizabeth Warren. They're mere politicians, not technocratic experts at anything.

Susan Rice literally brings nothing to the table besides being black & lacking Y chromosomes.

Kamala & Val both have merit, but as others have pointed out, Joe is going to inherit a country on the brink of (or IN) depression. He NEEDS someone who fundamentally understands economics, not a former prosecutor or former cop. Kamala & Val would certainly TRY to "do the right thing", but Liz is more likely to know what the right thing actually IS.

Kamala can be Biden's Attorney General. Val can run the Justice Department.

R296, the police are not in the business of waiting for those who have stolen their weapons to return them. I’m not defending the shooting, but the cop was definitely justified in shooting according to police training. The drunk man stole the taser and used it (ineffectively) on the officer. He could have taken the stunned officer’s gun. You might not like that (I don’t), but that is how police work.

R296, has your love for Elizabeth Warren clouded your knowledge of the vice presidency? A VP is there to help win the election. succeed the President, and break ties in the Senate. If Warren’s leadership is truly needed,, Biden has many options to give her power. The VP may (Cheney, Biden) or may not (Quayle) have any real power. Interestingly, it is the only WH staff that cannot be fired by the President.

Stacey takes padding her resume way too far. She claims to be an executive director of this and that company. Though, the company is dubious and has an employee of one, her shady ass. She really is approaching a con artist, at this point.