Who will it be? I actually like the answer of my friend Mary O'Madden on Twitter. She says she trusts Hillary and will support any choice she makes.
That's my answer too. Still, speculation is fun if nothing else.
Last night Elizabeth Warren had a very strong anti Trump speech and later gave Hillary a really strong, girl power endorsement on Rachel Maddow.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-donald-trump_us_575a0b38e4b0ced23ca7a3b4
I've been a skeptic of the idea of a Warren VP for a number of reasons.
1. It sort of rankled me that she was the one female Democratic Senator who refused to endorse Hillary. This seemed an unkind rebuke to me. Why give the VP to someone who wasn't even willing to endorse?
2. By the way, when is Al Sharpton going to endorse Hillary or is he ever going to do so?
3. Then again, what both Obama and Warren showed yesterday is that sometimes holding off an endorsement is the smart thing to do.
Both Obama's and Warren's endorsement packed a lot more punch yesterday than if they'd endorsed her during the primary. If they had, then things with Bernie may well not have wound down yesterday so seamlessly.
4. The more important reason I've been skeptical of Warren for VP is that quite honestly she may be too independent. Yes it's good to think for yourself. But in a VP you need someone loyal. Not just personally-which Warren showed last night-but loyal to the President's policies.
I'm still skeptical that Warren can do that. Can she represent not her own views in public but Hillary's views?
What about when TPP goes into effect? I'm not going to kid you, I don't buy for one moment that Hillary has really repudiated TPP. Her criticism during the primary was pretty contingent and conditional.
Honestly, this obsession with being anti trade deals is a Democratic primary ritual-remember how strongly anti trade both Hillary and Obama were in 2008?
What will probably happen is Obama passes it in the lame duck and Hillary doesn't stop it.
But as we are just starting to unify the party maybe I shouldn't talk about this. LOL
But what does Warren do in that case? Or if Hillary has a financial bill that doesn't go far enough? Or if Hillary agrees to something that Warren thinks is flat out wrong-like TPP or the Keystone?
The Keystone is dead, it's' just an example.
Does Warren defend the Administration? Last night the Nation's Katrina vanden Heuval praised Warren's work in the Senate, how she is 'the cop on the beat' that sometimes critcizes even the Democratic Administration.
If she becomes VP she can't do that anymore. She has to be the team player like Biden has been. Is she up to that?
I remain skeptical although I was very impressed and grateful for her endorsement last night. The way she talked about how while so many love to attack Hillary Clinton, no one denies she knows how to throw a punch.
I love Warren's bellicosity and I can almost imagine this ultimate girl power ticket. But my concern about Warren's ability to be the good foot soldier remains.
Who are the other choices? I would argue that Al Franken could be the best choice.
http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/03/al-franken-for-hils-vice-president.html
Let me put it this way: assuming her VP doesn't have to be a person of color, Franken is the best choice in my view.
As I discussed in my above link, Franken checks an awful lot of boxes.
1. He was on Lawrence O'Donnell last night and after watching him I feel this even more strongly.
I loved how he endorsed Hillary back in December of 2014. He was asked if he needs to see who else is running against her. His answer was, 'No.'
Loyalty is for me one of the most cardinal virtues of politics and no one is more loyal to Hillary than Franken.
2. He's not just loyal though. I think Tim Kaine-who is also a formidable choice-would be impeccably loyal too. But I'm not sure Kaine would be the attack dog Hillary has said she wants.
Franken has that ability in spades as he's so funny. Not only was his 2014 endorsement-the first-really great, it was just really funny. 'If this is what you call an endorsement, then I endorse her'
3. He is not too young-but not too old either. You can imagine him being ready on day one if needed to be President-as Hilary has said that's another criteria of her's.
4. Franken is from a Democratic state.
OK. if her VP does have to be a POC, then there's Julian Castro and Thomas Perez.
Both don't necessarily have enough experience or in Perez's case, much experience as an elected official.
Castro, evidently doesn't speak Spanish that well; though most Hispanics in America have English as a first language.
Tim Kaine the white male does know Spanish well.
While diversity is an important factor, it seems to me that Franken has just about every other attribute you would want.
So Franken seems to me very strong-but I haven't heard much that suggests Hillary has been looking at him. Warren could be a great bruiser.
I like Tim Kaine, Julian Castro, and Julian Castro a lot.
But if an attack dog is really important to Hil, she should go with Franken or Warren.
If loyalty and having a team player is as important to her as I suspect it is, she should go with Franken.
I like the two Latino candidates but not sure that either can be an attack dog. It's hard to see either as ready to President on day one either.
That's my answer too. Still, speculation is fun if nothing else.
Last night Elizabeth Warren had a very strong anti Trump speech and later gave Hillary a really strong, girl power endorsement on Rachel Maddow.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-donald-trump_us_575a0b38e4b0ced23ca7a3b4
I've been a skeptic of the idea of a Warren VP for a number of reasons.
1. It sort of rankled me that she was the one female Democratic Senator who refused to endorse Hillary. This seemed an unkind rebuke to me. Why give the VP to someone who wasn't even willing to endorse?
2. By the way, when is Al Sharpton going to endorse Hillary or is he ever going to do so?
3. Then again, what both Obama and Warren showed yesterday is that sometimes holding off an endorsement is the smart thing to do.
Both Obama's and Warren's endorsement packed a lot more punch yesterday than if they'd endorsed her during the primary. If they had, then things with Bernie may well not have wound down yesterday so seamlessly.
4. The more important reason I've been skeptical of Warren for VP is that quite honestly she may be too independent. Yes it's good to think for yourself. But in a VP you need someone loyal. Not just personally-which Warren showed last night-but loyal to the President's policies.
I'm still skeptical that Warren can do that. Can she represent not her own views in public but Hillary's views?
What about when TPP goes into effect? I'm not going to kid you, I don't buy for one moment that Hillary has really repudiated TPP. Her criticism during the primary was pretty contingent and conditional.
Honestly, this obsession with being anti trade deals is a Democratic primary ritual-remember how strongly anti trade both Hillary and Obama were in 2008?
What will probably happen is Obama passes it in the lame duck and Hillary doesn't stop it.
But as we are just starting to unify the party maybe I shouldn't talk about this. LOL
But what does Warren do in that case? Or if Hillary has a financial bill that doesn't go far enough? Or if Hillary agrees to something that Warren thinks is flat out wrong-like TPP or the Keystone?
The Keystone is dead, it's' just an example.
Does Warren defend the Administration? Last night the Nation's Katrina vanden Heuval praised Warren's work in the Senate, how she is 'the cop on the beat' that sometimes critcizes even the Democratic Administration.
If she becomes VP she can't do that anymore. She has to be the team player like Biden has been. Is she up to that?
I remain skeptical although I was very impressed and grateful for her endorsement last night. The way she talked about how while so many love to attack Hillary Clinton, no one denies she knows how to throw a punch.
I love Warren's bellicosity and I can almost imagine this ultimate girl power ticket. But my concern about Warren's ability to be the good foot soldier remains.
Who are the other choices? I would argue that Al Franken could be the best choice.
http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/03/al-franken-for-hils-vice-president.html
Let me put it this way: assuming her VP doesn't have to be a person of color, Franken is the best choice in my view.
As I discussed in my above link, Franken checks an awful lot of boxes.
1. He was on Lawrence O'Donnell last night and after watching him I feel this even more strongly.
I loved how he endorsed Hillary back in December of 2014. He was asked if he needs to see who else is running against her. His answer was, 'No.'
Loyalty is for me one of the most cardinal virtues of politics and no one is more loyal to Hillary than Franken.
2. He's not just loyal though. I think Tim Kaine-who is also a formidable choice-would be impeccably loyal too. But I'm not sure Kaine would be the attack dog Hillary has said she wants.
Franken has that ability in spades as he's so funny. Not only was his 2014 endorsement-the first-really great, it was just really funny. 'If this is what you call an endorsement, then I endorse her'
3. He is not too young-but not too old either. You can imagine him being ready on day one if needed to be President-as Hilary has said that's another criteria of her's.
4. Franken is from a Democratic state.
OK. if her VP does have to be a POC, then there's Julian Castro and Thomas Perez.
Both don't necessarily have enough experience or in Perez's case, much experience as an elected official.
Castro, evidently doesn't speak Spanish that well; though most Hispanics in America have English as a first language.
Tim Kaine the white male does know Spanish well.
While diversity is an important factor, it seems to me that Franken has just about every other attribute you would want.
So Franken seems to me very strong-but I haven't heard much that suggests Hillary has been looking at him. Warren could be a great bruiser.
I like Tim Kaine, Julian Castro, and Julian Castro a lot.
But if an attack dog is really important to Hil, she should go with Franken or Warren.
If loyalty and having a team player is as important to her as I suspect it is, she should go with Franken.
I like the two Latino candidates but not sure that either can be an attack dog. It's hard to see either as ready to President on day one either.
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