Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Running Mate Roulette

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

With the Republican National Convention set to begin just four weeks from next Monday, and the Democrats convening the following week, it amazes me that neither presumptive candidate has yet to name a running mate. 

Hillary at least appears to be vetting candidates,  I read a piece on the internet this morning which listed several people that she is reportedly considering.  Her front-runners, at least according to that source, are former San Antonio mayor and current Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Julian Castro, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, former Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, and a few stodgy old white guys including Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia and Sherrod Brown of Ohio.

I personally favor Castro, Warren, or Booker for the position, but would also enjoy seeing it go to Senator Al Franken of Minnesota.   Al would add a bit of intelligent fun to the ticket - and he would go a long way toward humanizing Hillary.

Good choices abound for Hillary, but that doesn't appear to be the case with the Republican's albatross, Donald Trump.  Trump is having trouble getting his fellow Republicans to endorse him, much less agree to serve on the same ticket with him.  So far there have been no hints from the candidate, and he is not releasing any definitive word in how he will go about selecting a running mate.  Will he have his staff vet and do background checks?  Or might he instead opt to just throw the whole process open to some national call-in-and-vote reality show?  Will it be a deliberative process, or another Trump exercise in shooting-from-the-lip and anointing whatever smutz  leaps into Trump's malignant brain at the time he opens his mouth to make the announcement?

Two names are due out.  One will go on to become (at least) a Vice President of the United States, and the other will achieve footnote status in the annals of American history - and both will serve as grist for countless 2016 political news stories - everything from tales of dedicated public service to salacious family gossip.

It's time, Hillary and Donald.  Name those veeps and then scoot over so there will be room for them to roll around in the muck with you.  Americans expect nothing less than the full show.  Bring it on!

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