It's an idea now making the rounds. There has been a lot of speculation about who the choice will be.
A new name we're hearing for the first time is Minnesota Senator Al Franken. I love it. I mean I have always been a yuge fan of his since before he was even a politician for real. He used to be a political satirist who made fun of politicians and then he became the real thing.
The idea has some real appeal in the year of Trump. I buy this argument in Politico that says that if Trump is her opponent, Franken could enable her to do what she does best and stay on a higher plane and Franken could be an attack dog.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/2016-elections-al-franken-vice-president-213756
DailyNewsBin:
"Here’s the thing about Al Franken: despite his roots as a Saturday Night Live comedian, he’s turned out to be an excellent senator. He’s a smart politician who is as progressive as they come on the issues, but he’s savvy enough to know how politics works, and he’s pragmatic enough to know how to get things done. In the responsible sense of “Would he make a good President if something happened to Hillary Clinton,” the answer is a resounding yes. But there are also three very different strategic reasons why he’d make sense."
"One is that Franken is widely viewed around the nation as being a bona fide progressive. If Hillary were to put him on the ticket, it would erase the perception among some democratic voters that she’s not progressive enough or liberal enough. It would give the ticket instant credibility with far-left voters. There are other excellent progressives Hillary could pick as her running mate, but it’s unlikely Elizabeth Warren would want to leave her powerful role in the senate, while someone like Sherrod Brown lacks the national profile to move the needle much."
"Second is that Al Franken, despite being a serious and cerebral politician, is also a charismatic entertainer. At a time when the 2016 race is full of reality show stars and cult figures, Franken would give the Hillary Clinton ticket the kind of entertainment value that she herself can’t provide. This on its own is absolutely not a reason to pick someone for a running mate. But because Franken is highly qualified for the job to begin with, his longtime broadly beloved mainstream national profile would come as a strategic bonus.
"Third, at a time when the democratic party is fighting tooth and nail to regain a majority in the senate so republican obstructionism can finally be put to bed, Hillary Clinton has to be careful about not plucking anyone who might get replaced by a republican. But with Al Franken being from Minnesota, where the democratic governor would be likely to replace him with another democrat in the short term and the voters would be likely to do the same in the long term, that’s not a concern."
http://www.dailynewsbin.com/opinion/yeah-al-franken-could-totally-work-as-hillary-clintons-running-mate/24275/
Since Franken has gotten into politics he's been careful to keep it serious a lot of the time to ensure his constituents he doesn't think his job is a joke. As Politico says, after Trump, none of Franken's' antics would seem inappropriate on the campaign trail.
A new name we're hearing for the first time is Minnesota Senator Al Franken. I love it. I mean I have always been a yuge fan of his since before he was even a politician for real. He used to be a political satirist who made fun of politicians and then he became the real thing.
The idea has some real appeal in the year of Trump. I buy this argument in Politico that says that if Trump is her opponent, Franken could enable her to do what she does best and stay on a higher plane and Franken could be an attack dog.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/2016-elections-al-franken-vice-president-213756
DailyNewsBin:
"Here’s the thing about Al Franken: despite his roots as a Saturday Night Live comedian, he’s turned out to be an excellent senator. He’s a smart politician who is as progressive as they come on the issues, but he’s savvy enough to know how politics works, and he’s pragmatic enough to know how to get things done. In the responsible sense of “Would he make a good President if something happened to Hillary Clinton,” the answer is a resounding yes. But there are also three very different strategic reasons why he’d make sense."
"One is that Franken is widely viewed around the nation as being a bona fide progressive. If Hillary were to put him on the ticket, it would erase the perception among some democratic voters that she’s not progressive enough or liberal enough. It would give the ticket instant credibility with far-left voters. There are other excellent progressives Hillary could pick as her running mate, but it’s unlikely Elizabeth Warren would want to leave her powerful role in the senate, while someone like Sherrod Brown lacks the national profile to move the needle much."
"Second is that Al Franken, despite being a serious and cerebral politician, is also a charismatic entertainer. At a time when the 2016 race is full of reality show stars and cult figures, Franken would give the Hillary Clinton ticket the kind of entertainment value that she herself can’t provide. This on its own is absolutely not a reason to pick someone for a running mate. But because Franken is highly qualified for the job to begin with, his longtime broadly beloved mainstream national profile would come as a strategic bonus.
"Third, at a time when the democratic party is fighting tooth and nail to regain a majority in the senate so republican obstructionism can finally be put to bed, Hillary Clinton has to be careful about not plucking anyone who might get replaced by a republican. But with Al Franken being from Minnesota, where the democratic governor would be likely to replace him with another democrat in the short term and the voters would be likely to do the same in the long term, that’s not a concern."
http://www.dailynewsbin.com/opinion/yeah-al-franken-could-totally-work-as-hillary-clintons-running-mate/24275/
Since Franken has gotten into politics he's been careful to keep it serious a lot of the time to ensure his constituents he doesn't think his job is a joke. As Politico says, after Trump, none of Franken's' antics would seem inappropriate on the campaign trail.
I'm not sure about the progressive question. I mean think he is a prog, but I'm not sure of the Elizabeth Warren wing, etc.
You can argue that HRC needs someone who either:
1. Is a clear progressive in the minds of the Warren wing.
2. Someone who balances the ticket in terms of diversity.
It seems to me that number 2 is more important as: Hillary's base is not the Warren wing who went for Bernie Sanders. Her base are women, blacks and Latinos.
My guess is that a second woman on the ticket would be seen as overkill this time. Corey Booker and Julian Castro have been discussed a lot.
My guess would probably be Castro over Booker. Not that I don't like Booker a lot but in the year of Trump it seems most appropriate for her to have a Latino to round out her ticket.
As for Warren, she would never do it which makes her smart. Give her credit for knowing what her role is and what it isn't. She's great at flagging her cause in terms of bank oversight and financial reform but she's not a President and she apparently knows this.
Sherrod Brown would be very good. I actually might disagree with DailyNewsBin in that I think in progressive circles he has the name recognition. Certainly in union circles.
But, it's pretty simple: he's a white male. Again, she has to remember her base is number 2 not 1 first and foremost. While Hillary is making history as the first female President, as she is white herself she needs a person of color.
Despite what you hear in the press, she doesn't need to win the vote of angry white males as she is going to get virtually everyone else.
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