by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
With the massive impact that the pandemic is having across the land and around the globe, it is hard to focus on the fact that this is also an election year - and that in just over six months Americans will be going to the polls to choose a President. At this point it looks as though the presidential candidates of both major political parties will be elderly white men, and any youth or diversity that makes its way onto the ticket will have to enter at the vice-presidential level.
Trump has said that he intends to run again with Mike Pence, something that would not only save money on signage but should also serve to keep the rabid right-wing of the GOP happy with an all white-male ticket. Trump, of course, is known for his volatility, and he could change his mind on a running mate during a quick trip to the john.
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has announced that he intends to choose a female as his running mate, a wise political move that immediately opens the party to the half of the population being ignored by the Republicans.
Vice-Presidential candidates have a history of being chosen to add balance to the ticket - to complement the presidential candidate by adding qualities that he lacks (youth, a particular knowledge or background, etc), or to help carry particular demographics (gender, race, religion, etc), or to help carry a certain state or region of the country (the Rust Belt, Bible Belt, Sun Belt, etc).
Trump enters the race with a political advantage in the hard South and in a few midwestern states as well as some of the large, basically empty states of the American West. Biden should have smooth sailing along the Left Coast as well as in Illinois, New York and most of New England. The rest of the country will tell the tale.
Mike Pence, from Indiana - a state Trump ought to win regardless of who his running mate is, and one with a relatively small electoral footprint - adds nothing to the GOP ticket except for confirming the party's starchy old conservative preference for white males as national leaders. But the Democrats, on the other hand, have an opportunity to really expand the map with their choice of a running mate for Biden.
There are several outstanding possibilities currently being bandied about in the press. Some of the ladies being talked about had their hats in the ring for the presidential nomination and have already proven their chops at campaigning, and some others have made positive names for themselves in the political arena without running for President - yet.
Elizabeth Warren, the junior senator from Massachusetts has publicly stated that if Biden were to tap her for the spot, she would accept. Warren is a whip-smart policy wonk who has a long history of being a thorn-in-the side of Wall Street. She would add a strong dose of gutsy intellect to a Biden ticket, and her presence would help to get the progressive wing of the party on board with his candidacy - but from a geographic perspective Warren would add little because Biden should carry Massachusetts regardless of with whom he chooses to run.
Kamala Harris, the junior senator from California, has also made herself a prominent voice in the Senate. Harris, a black woman, has a natural charm and sense of humor that comes across well in her statements and dealings with the public. But, again from a geographic perspective, Biden will win California regardless of who is on his ticket.
Amy Klobuchar, the senior senator from Minnesota, has a formidable record in the Senate and was an adequate campaigner in the primary phase of the Democratic campaign - and she does represent a state that will not be a sure thing for Biden or Trump, so her presence on the ticket could help add her state to the Biden column in November.
A fourth possibility from the Senate, and one that has received minimal press speculation, is Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. The former military fighter pilot who lost her legs in combat, has also become a powerful voice in the Senate. Duckworth did not enter the presidential primary free-for-all and may have no interest in national politics at this time, but she would bring intellect, energy, and youth to the ticket - and she would personify veterans and their issues onto the ballot.
There has been some concern in the press of late as to the dangers of running a Democratic senator for Vice-President because this year the party with be focused on establishing a majority in the Senate - and it would be unwise to risk a seat. Massachusetts law says that a Senate vacancy from their state would be filled by a special election, so Warren's seat would be at risk if she were to be promoted into the vice-presidency. (Though Massachusetts generally leans Democratic, the state currently has a moderate Republican governor.) The other three states, however - California, Minnesota, and Illinois - would initially fill a vacancy with an appointment by their governors - and all three governors of those states are currently Democrats.
And there are some other highly qualified and capable Democratic females beyond the confines of the Senate.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan has been drawing Republican fire for the past few weeks over her formidable advocacy for her state during the pandemic crisis. Donald Trump became so enraged at her demands for assistance from the federal government - and the good press that was bringing her - that he ordered Mike Pence not to return her telephone calls. Governor Whitmer is smart, articulate, and stands tall and forceful for the citizens of her state.
Stacy Abrams is a former state legislator from Georgia who was cheated out of becoming the state's first black female governor by a conniving secretary of state who controlled voting eligibility and the process of voting in the state to his benefit. She is an assertive campaigner who would be an asset to the ticket, and she has stated that if Biden gives the nod to her, she will accept.
And there are others, but those six certainly give Joe Biden and his staff a comfortable place from which to begin their search. Joe Biden will turn seventy-eight just a couple of weeks after the election this November, and that advanced age makes the selection of a running mate even more of a critical issue than it would be under normal circumstances.
Any of those six - Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Tammy Duckworth, Gretchen Whitmer, and Stacy Abrams - have right stuff to run the United States of America - and run it well!
Citizen Journalist
With the massive impact that the pandemic is having across the land and around the globe, it is hard to focus on the fact that this is also an election year - and that in just over six months Americans will be going to the polls to choose a President. At this point it looks as though the presidential candidates of both major political parties will be elderly white men, and any youth or diversity that makes its way onto the ticket will have to enter at the vice-presidential level.
Trump has said that he intends to run again with Mike Pence, something that would not only save money on signage but should also serve to keep the rabid right-wing of the GOP happy with an all white-male ticket. Trump, of course, is known for his volatility, and he could change his mind on a running mate during a quick trip to the john.
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has announced that he intends to choose a female as his running mate, a wise political move that immediately opens the party to the half of the population being ignored by the Republicans.
Vice-Presidential candidates have a history of being chosen to add balance to the ticket - to complement the presidential candidate by adding qualities that he lacks (youth, a particular knowledge or background, etc), or to help carry particular demographics (gender, race, religion, etc), or to help carry a certain state or region of the country (the Rust Belt, Bible Belt, Sun Belt, etc).
Trump enters the race with a political advantage in the hard South and in a few midwestern states as well as some of the large, basically empty states of the American West. Biden should have smooth sailing along the Left Coast as well as in Illinois, New York and most of New England. The rest of the country will tell the tale.
Mike Pence, from Indiana - a state Trump ought to win regardless of who his running mate is, and one with a relatively small electoral footprint - adds nothing to the GOP ticket except for confirming the party's starchy old conservative preference for white males as national leaders. But the Democrats, on the other hand, have an opportunity to really expand the map with their choice of a running mate for Biden.
There are several outstanding possibilities currently being bandied about in the press. Some of the ladies being talked about had their hats in the ring for the presidential nomination and have already proven their chops at campaigning, and some others have made positive names for themselves in the political arena without running for President - yet.
Elizabeth Warren, the junior senator from Massachusetts has publicly stated that if Biden were to tap her for the spot, she would accept. Warren is a whip-smart policy wonk who has a long history of being a thorn-in-the side of Wall Street. She would add a strong dose of gutsy intellect to a Biden ticket, and her presence would help to get the progressive wing of the party on board with his candidacy - but from a geographic perspective Warren would add little because Biden should carry Massachusetts regardless of with whom he chooses to run.
Kamala Harris, the junior senator from California, has also made herself a prominent voice in the Senate. Harris, a black woman, has a natural charm and sense of humor that comes across well in her statements and dealings with the public. But, again from a geographic perspective, Biden will win California regardless of who is on his ticket.
Amy Klobuchar, the senior senator from Minnesota, has a formidable record in the Senate and was an adequate campaigner in the primary phase of the Democratic campaign - and she does represent a state that will not be a sure thing for Biden or Trump, so her presence on the ticket could help add her state to the Biden column in November.
A fourth possibility from the Senate, and one that has received minimal press speculation, is Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. The former military fighter pilot who lost her legs in combat, has also become a powerful voice in the Senate. Duckworth did not enter the presidential primary free-for-all and may have no interest in national politics at this time, but she would bring intellect, energy, and youth to the ticket - and she would personify veterans and their issues onto the ballot.
There has been some concern in the press of late as to the dangers of running a Democratic senator for Vice-President because this year the party with be focused on establishing a majority in the Senate - and it would be unwise to risk a seat. Massachusetts law says that a Senate vacancy from their state would be filled by a special election, so Warren's seat would be at risk if she were to be promoted into the vice-presidency. (Though Massachusetts generally leans Democratic, the state currently has a moderate Republican governor.) The other three states, however - California, Minnesota, and Illinois - would initially fill a vacancy with an appointment by their governors - and all three governors of those states are currently Democrats.
And there are some other highly qualified and capable Democratic females beyond the confines of the Senate.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan has been drawing Republican fire for the past few weeks over her formidable advocacy for her state during the pandemic crisis. Donald Trump became so enraged at her demands for assistance from the federal government - and the good press that was bringing her - that he ordered Mike Pence not to return her telephone calls. Governor Whitmer is smart, articulate, and stands tall and forceful for the citizens of her state.
Stacy Abrams is a former state legislator from Georgia who was cheated out of becoming the state's first black female governor by a conniving secretary of state who controlled voting eligibility and the process of voting in the state to his benefit. She is an assertive campaigner who would be an asset to the ticket, and she has stated that if Biden gives the nod to her, she will accept.
And there are others, but those six certainly give Joe Biden and his staff a comfortable place from which to begin their search. Joe Biden will turn seventy-eight just a couple of weeks after the election this November, and that advanced age makes the selection of a running mate even more of a critical issue than it would be under normal circumstances.
Any of those six - Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Tammy Duckworth, Gretchen Whitmer, and Stacy Abrams - have right stuff to run the United States of America - and run it well!
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