Biden VP news megathread (pg 286 - been selected, announcement could be today)

[YE]

Title is misleading but I'm just going to set up a Biden VP speculation thread because I've been intending to for a while.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Title is misleading but I'm just going to set up a Biden VP speculation thread because I've been intending to for a while.

Just to get ahead of this, please don't merge polls into it.  The Veepstakes will change week by week so there's justification for regular new polls outside the megathread.

Also, merging polls into megathreads is messy anyway.  See: the endorsements megathread.

[free my dawg]

To the two idiots who responded to me: it's an extreme hypothetical to illustrate why you shouldn't shut the door.

No, I don't think Biden would swing 25% of Republicans by picking Colin Powell for VP.  But you knew that.

[Rookie Yinzer]

https://twitter.com/ezraklein/status/1211791480693542913

I think he's just virtue signaling and folks need to calm down.

I strongly believe his VP choice will be a solid woman who can run a vigorous primary for POTUS on her own in four years.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

https://twitter.com/ezraklein/status/1211791480693542913

Trump has made me and most of the country very leary of "figurative" statements.

If you had any reading comprehension skills whatsoever you'd see that Biden did not even figuratively say he was considering a Republican running mate.

The OP of this (especially with the list of names) was so blatantly dishonest it should've been outright deleted, not merged into this thread. This thread in general was an absolute embarrassment.

[President Johnson]

Well, Joe Biden/Charlie Baker would be a great ticket, but won't happen, what he basically said. He won't pick a Republican for vice president, though some moderate Republicans might end up in cabinet posts or ambassadorships (what would be a good thing). I think Kamala Harris is most likely to become Joe Biden's running mate if he gets the nomination.

With that being said, I'm still rooting for Biden/Barragan or Biden/Whitmer.

[John Dule]

https://twitter.com/ezraklein/status/1211791480693542913

Trump has made me and most of the country very leary of "figurative" statements.

If you had any reading comprehension skills whatsoever you'd see that Biden did not even figuratively say he was considering a Republican running mate.

The OP of this (especially with the list of names) was so blatantly dishonest it should've been outright deleted, not merged into this thread. This thread in general was an absolute embarrassment.

Only someone who considers 'Republican' a dirty word could possibly have this much of a violent reaction to this speculation.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

https://twitter.com/ezraklein/status/1211791480693542913

Trump has made me and most of the country very leary of "figurative" statements.

If you had any reading comprehension skills whatsoever you'd see that Biden did not even figuratively say he was considering a Republican running mate.

The OP of this (especially with the list of names) was so blatantly dishonest it should've been outright deleted, not merged into this thread. This thread in general was an absolute embarrassment.

Only someone who considers 'Republican' a dirty word could possibly have this much of a violent reaction to this speculation.

Yes, exactly.

[Mr. Morden]

Please try to focus this thread on actual news about the Biden veepstakes, not just wild speculation or your own thoughts about who he should pick.  (The news can include both news about who Biden is considering/how his process will work, as well as what the potential veep candidates are saying about whether they would be interested in the job, etc.)

To begin, Biden says he has a shortlist of "more than six women", and the vetting process will begin "in a matter of weeks":

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/22/biden-running-mates-143124

Joe Biden has a shortlist of more than six women to be his running mate and will start the vetting process “in a matter of weeks,” he said Sunday during a call with donors.
.
.
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“Background checks matter. They have to be prepared,” Biden said, adding that he wants to ensure that “there’s not going to be any snafu” with his selection.

“The most important thing, and I've actually talked to Barack about this — the most important thing is that there has to be someone who, the day after they’re picked, is prepared to be president of the United States of America if something happened,” said Biden, who is 77.

Biden said he needs “someone who is comfortable with where I am” on policy. He doesn’t want someone with “a restricted view of the United States and its required influence in the world” and wants to make sure his pick is not “at odds, in any fundamental way, with my attitude toward healthcare or education.”

[Mr. Morden]

More:

https://twitter.com/AlxThomp/status/1241864733780840449

[Rookie Yinzer]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

[YE]

I had an old thread on this that got buried. I’ll revive in the coming days.

[Bidenworth2020]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

no Whitmer?

[Rookie Yinzer]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

no Whitmer?

I don’t think she wants it.

https://twitter.com/chrislongview/status/1239559194849751040?s=20

[Mr. Morden]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

no Whitmer?

I don’t think she wants it.

https://twitter.com/chrislongview/status/1239559194849751040?s=20

That seems more like a prediction than a denial.  I wouldn't rule out anyone based on their public statements unless and until they refuse to be vetted.

[Bidenworth2020]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

no Whitmer?

I don’t think she wants it.

https://twitter.com/chrislongview/status/1239559194849751040?s=20

Ah, ok then. A potential dark horse pick for Biden could be Mayor Lance Bottoms, who has been at the forefront of confronting the virus and would give the ticket credibility on that front.

[Pericles]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

no Whitmer?

I don’t think she wants it.

https://twitter.com/chrislongview/status/1239559194849751040?s=20

Ah, ok then. A potential dark horse pick for Biden could be Mayor Lance Bottoms, who has been at the forefront of confronting the virus and would give the ticket credibility on that front.

The surname alone is a big downside.

[Bidenworth2020]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

no Whitmer?

I don’t think she wants it.

https://twitter.com/chrislongview/status/1239559194849751040?s=20

Ah, ok then. A potential dark horse pick for Biden could be Mayor Lance Bottoms, who has been at the forefront of confronting the virus and would give the ticket credibility on that front.

The surname alone is a big downside.

Biden/Lance Bottoms is fine?

[Pericles]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

no Whitmer?

I don’t think she wants it.

https://twitter.com/chrislongview/status/1239559194849751040?s=20

Ah, ok then. A potential dark horse pick for Biden could be Mayor Lance Bottoms, who has been at the forefront of confronting the virus and would give the ticket credibility on that front.

The surname alone is a big downside.

Biden/Lance Bottoms is fine?

Oh the surname is Lance Bottoms, yeah Biden/Bottoms would be bad. Still I think the 'Bottoms' part would get a lot of attention and jokes. Actually looking her up it seems she's only been a Mayor since 2018, so in that respect even less experienced than Buttigieg (who Biden mocked for his inexperience-though tbf Atlanta is bigger than South Bend). I don't think she clearly passes the 'Ready on Day One' test.

[Ogre Mage]

This is worth noting as the consensus of party insiders often has an effect on who makes the short list --

In discussions with The New York Times since Biden’s big primary victories on Tuesday, 60 Democratic National Committee members and congressional and party leaders most frequently proposed three former rivals of Biden as his running mate — Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.   

https://www.chicagotribune.com/election-2020/ct-nw-nyt-biden-running-mate-female-rivals-20200320-otpazgkawzehzcstujobx3v2eu-story.html

[Rookie Yinzer]

Keisha Lance Bottoms is not qualified to be President. She is not on the short list. Lol.

[Pericles]

Honestly I've been thinking about it and Klobuchar seems like the most logical pick. She doubles down on Biden's pitch of stability and moderation. Based on Biden's set criteria, she also has been tested in a presidential campaign-which he wants-and he kind of owes her after she dropped out and endorsed him (Kamala Harris attacked him and was too cowardly to endorse him before Super Tuesday). Biden would definitely be 'simpatico' with Klobuchar.

Klobuchar isn't a minority but people like Abrams and Duckworth don't have the same national profile and in Abrams' case are too inexperienced. Harris comes across as inauthentic and unlikable, while Klobuchar does have an authentic Midwestern charm so seems better than Tim Kaine who did nothing for the ticket. If anything Harris seems like the Kaine analogue-a weak pick that is hyped up by the establishment while having little to no appeal to actual voters. Klobuchar on the other hand does help a bit in the Midwest and particularly in Minnesota.

Klobuchar isn't favored by the left, but the left would be unenthusiastic about most of Biden's choices and even Biden/Warren (which is unlikely and probably unwise) probably wouldn't satisfy the Bernie or bust people. So maybe Biden is better off reinforcing his strengths, and Klobuchar could be like the Al Gore pick in 1992.

My main worry with Klobuchar is that her Senate seat would flip if she becomes Vice President. So Duckworth seems like a slightly positive pick that would have less risk of flipping a Senate seat (of course her seat isn't impossible for Republicans to win but obviously Minnesota is less Democratic than Illinois). However, for the actual best running mate for Biden, based also on the criteria he's set, that might be Klobuchar.

[SevenEleven]

Warren is out. Not that a 70 year old woman who would have a GOP replacement would be particularly appealing in the first place. We also forget that she constantly butted heads with the Obama administration. It’s not going to be her.

I think the 6 are all Senators/Governors: Amy/Kamala/Duckworth/Baldwin/CCM/Lujan Grisham

no Whitmer?

I don’t think she wants it.

https://twitter.com/chrislongview/status/1239559194849751040?s=20

Ah, ok then. A potential dark horse pick for Biden could be Mayor Lance Bottoms, who has been at the forefront of confronting the virus and would give the ticket credibility on that front.

The surname alone is a big downside.

Biden/Lance Bottoms is fine?

Oh the surname is Lance Bottoms, yeah Biden/Bottoms would be bad. Still I think the 'Bottoms' part would get a lot of attention and jokes. Actually looking her up it seems she's only been a Mayor since 2018, so in that respect even less experienced than Buttigieg (who Biden mocked for his inexperience-though tbf Atlanta is bigger than South Bend). I don't think she clearly passes the 'Ready on Day One' test.

Biden also called out Obama's experience, none of that really matters.

I'd be more wary of her first name, electorally speaking.

[Tender Branson]

Abrams would be a solid pick.

I like her and it should definitely be a younger Black or Hispanic woman.

If it's not her, then probably Kamala (The Cop).

[Intell]

Pick Abrams or Baldwin.