Best VP running mate for Kamala Harris?

[Lincoln Republican]

It was bound to happen, VP speculation.

Who is the best running mate for Kamala Harris?

Please discuss.

[Crumpets]

Beto is pretty much my default answer to "best running mate" for every candidate.

[aaroncd107]

Mark Dayton or Tom Wolf would be good picks... from the Rust Belt, reasonably progressive, can over perform in their home states. They're both getting old, though.

Beto would be great if we really want to gun for the Sun Belt and suburbs. He'd top out appeal to young people too, which is absolutely necessary. I'm not sold that Kamala can't do that on her own, though.

I'd say Sherrod Brown is perfect but I reaalllllllllllly don't want to give up his Senate seat.

Let's just say she has options.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Maybe someone like Tim Ryan or Pete Buttigieg.

[scutosaurus]

As people have already mentioned, O'Rourke would be a strong candidate to invigorate enthusiasm among young, suburban, and Southwestern voters.

If she wants to appeal to moderates, Heath Shuler would be a strong choice. He's young and from a crucial swing state, and could make an appeal to #populists (for lack of a better term) across the country. Dan Boren and Michael Bennet could also be strong candidates to appeal to moderates.

If Harris wants to focus more on winning back the Rust Belt (which Shuler or O'Rourke could potentially help with, but in a more indirect way), I could see former Representative John Boccieri being a great choice, as could Amy Klobuchar or Evan Bayh.

Harris has several different options when picking a running mate, and I think she should look at all of them before making a decision. Right now I'd say that O'Rourke would be her best choice, followed by Shuler.

[Mister Mets]

Some of the people who make sense.

Beto O'Rourke- For the reasons mentioned.

Doug Jones- Another prosecutor who can double-down on various criminal reform issues. He has skill in winning elections in conservative states. He's been in Congress a short amount of time so he doesn't overshadow her, but he's an older white guy so he still seems qualified. He can be a useful campaign surrogate in Virginia, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.

Sherrod Brown- Qualified and from the rust belt. Favorite of the progressives who might distrust a prosecutor, with appeal to centrist voters.

Chris Murphy- Younger white guy with foreign policy experience.

Seth Moulton- Younger war hero.

Ralph Northam- War hero Governor.

[President Johnson]

Steve Bullock: A white male with governing experience, who has no baggage and proved that he can win elections in the heartland. And he is only 54 years old in 2020. (I'd love this ticket in reverse).

Tom Wolf: Popular two-term governor of a key state, maybe the decisive one. Wolf also has a business background, what would bring new assets to the ticket. He'd be some elder statesman vice president. I actually like the idea of Tom Wolf as vice president under a minority/female president. And John Fetterman would be the new governor if Harris/Wolf are elected.

Beto O'Rourke: Excites the base as a strong campaigner. This ticket definitely stands for a new generation of leaders similar to Clinton/Gore in 1992.

Doug Jones: A white male who can appeal to moderates and has a strong record. However, I'd love to see him as AG if he doesn't survive the 2020 senate election.

Amy Klobuchar: She's a strong running mate for any nominee not from the midwest. She's likeable, pragmatic and does well in the mid-west. Sure, a gender-balanced ticket is probably the safest option, but the race shouldn't be about gender.

Phil Murphy: An interesting choice. He is a white male with experience as governor, diplomat and business executive. Being at Goldman Sachs probably haunts him with the Berniebros, but his record as governor is pretty solid.

John Bel Edwards: He is a southerner who would appeal the moderate voters. But he would have to change is position on abortion. At least being pro-choice while disliking abortion such as Tim Kaine.


Bullock and Wolf are my favorites here.

[RaphaelDLG]

A white male governor who is not too conservative

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

I wanna say Sherrod Brown, but now that somebody said Tom Wolf, I think that would be powerful.

[YE]

Tim Walz.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Beto O’Rourke
Amy Klobuchar
Doug Jones

[Lincoln Republican]

A well respected university educated politically experienced political heavyweight moderate middle age white male from the Midwest known for his brilliance and for his expert public speaking and debating skills and for his command of the issues.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I doubt Doug Jones will serve as Veep

[JG]

I wanna say Sherrod Brown, but now that somebody said Tom Wolf, I think that would be powerful.

[Tintrlvr]

O'Rourke is a poor running mate choice, to be honest. It ought to be someone with more experience and less charisma than Harris, a "safe pair of hands". Charismatic, less experienced Pres candidate + experienced, less charismatic VP candidate has been a consistent winning combination in recent years, describing every winning Pres/VP combination from Carter/Mondale onward other than HW/Quayle, which looks like a fluke from a historical perspective. Ideally, her VP nom would also be a governor or former governor as well, since she herself has not been a governor (and gubernatorial experience generally counts considerably more than Senate experience in terms of years).

With that in mind, plausible VP choices for Harris include, in no particular order:

A couple of experienced Senators:
Sherrod Brown
Amy Klobuchar

A number of Governors/former Governors (one of whom is also a current Senator):
Tom Wolf
Steve Bullock
Ralph Northam
Tony Evers
Mark Dayton
Gretchen Whitmer
Jeanne Shaheen
John Bel Edwards

Doug Jones doesn't really fit the experience narrative but would be a decent choice regardless. Beto O'Rourke would not be a good choice - not enough experience and has the potential to outshine Harris herself, plus would be better used by the Democratic Party as a future Senate or Governor candidate in Texas.

Of these options, I think Brown is by far the most likely, since he is likely to run for President himself and do reasonably well, making him a natural person for her to ally with to close out the nomination, and he is also a strong geographic choice. The notable disadvantage of his candidacy (surrendering a Senate seat if they win) I do not think would be seen to outweigh the advantages.

[Senator-elect Spark]

Bullock. Brown would be sensible to pick because he's from the Rust Belt. Those suggesting Tom Wolf is absolutely preposterous yet I wouldn't mind it.

[Heebie Jeebie]

For my money, Michael Bennet is definitely her best choice.

[Cold War Liberal]

Amy Klobuchar

[Heebie Jeebie]

A little bit more on Bennet.  He's a young, white, male Senator from a Southwest state who's also partly of Jewish descent.  He checks off every demographic box Harris needs for ticket balance.  What's more, he's been in the Senate long enough to establish strong relationships and develop some real policy expertise, but not so long that he has any real baggage.  He's a solid liberal with a reputation for bipartisanship.  Finally, putting him on the ticket would free up his relatively safe Senate seat for a Southwestern Latino to take his place (Crisanta Duran, perhaps?), and the Democratic party is in serious need of more racial diversity in its Senate representation.

[Roll Roons]

For my money, Michael Bennet is definitely her best choice.

I don't think so. He is basically Kaine 2.0 - a generic white male Senator from a state that used to be red/purple, but is now pretty much safe for Democrats. He wouldn't hurt the ticket, but he wouldn't add to it either. Bullock would be better because he is known to have won a significant number of Trump voters in his 2016 reelection.

[Mike Thick]

Sherrod. Nobody else comes close in terms of regional balance, progressive credo, et al

[ViaActiva]

Maybe someone like Tim Ryan or Pete Buttigieg.

I agree with Tintrlvr, I like Buttigieg but there are already questions about whether she has sufficient political experience to be President so I don't think he'd be a good pick in this case. Same with O'Rourke, Moulton, and Doug Jones.

Tom Wolf, Mark Dayton, and Tom Vilsack would be solid picks of Governors. But I think we're missing an obvious option for VP here, which is...

Bernie Sanders - think about it, he has a huge following and appeal within the Democratic Party and plenty of experience in the Senate. Kamala picking Bernie would unite the party behind her campaign and energise the base, perhaps at the cost of alienating some moderates. He could be acceptable as a supportive 'elder statesman' figure for Democrats who aren't just quite comfortable enough to see him as President.

[Heebie Jeebie]

I don't think so. He is basically Kaine 2.0 - a generic white male Senator from a state that used to be red/purple, but is now pretty much safe for Democrats. He wouldn't hurt the ticket, but he wouldn't add to it either. Bullock would be better because he is known to have won a significant number of Trump voters in his 2016 reelection.

Kaine was a good pick!  (Though personally, I was rooting for Perez.)  The veep pick has a barely marginal impact on vote totals at best.  The important thing is to pick someone who won't embarrass  the party (*cough* Palin *cough*) who can also provide good council, act as an effective go-between on Capital Hill, and step up to the presidency in case of an emergency.

And Bullock needs to man up and run for Senate, not nurture these delusional fantasies about being the 2020 nominee or veep pick.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

After some thought, I think the best would definitely be Tom Wolf. She'd be guaranteed to win PA (I'd say by about 6 points), he has WWC appeal, and he'd beat Pence in a debate (not that it matters much)

Followed by Sherrod Brown then Roy Cooper.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

She hasnt won nomination, it needs to be someone from southwest Heinrich or Castro. Brown will risk the Senate and Beto umisnt right for her