The Democratic veepstakes has narrowed to a final four, but all of Joe Biden's options are imperfect. EricLevitz writes
The imperfect isn’t necessarily the enemy of the good enough. Photo: Martina Albertazzi/Bloomberg via Getty Images/© 2019 Bloomberg Finance LP In a kinder, dumber world, well-funded media outlets would be filling a lull in political news right now with wall-to-wall coverage of the Democratic “veepstakes.” But since a historic pandemic is capsizing the global economy, you’ll have to settle for revenue-starved media outlets providing wall-to-floor coverage of Joe Biden’s big decision instead.
1) Is ready to be a good president tomorrow . This should go without saying. U.S. history would look a lot different if Abraham Lincoln had prioritized having a trustworthy understudy over a balanced ticket in 1864. John F. Kennedy’s decision to tap Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1960 might well have yielded both the Great Society and the great atrocity that was America’s extended war in Vietnam. Thus, Biden’s first concern should be finding someone with governing chops and solid values.
4) Would marginally increase Biden’s standing in a key state, or with a key constituency, this year. This one gets pride of place in the media discourse. And it’s a worthwhile consideration. But running mates don’t reliably deliver significant gains with the constituencies they’re intended to. So it’s probably less important than the three criteria listed above .
But there’s much cause for concern about Harris’s ability to win at the top of the ticket in 2024. On paper, Harris looked like a top-tier contender for this year’s Democratic nomination. She entered the race with a strong fundraising base, and a bevy of high-profile endorsements. Her campaign launch immediately propelled her to 15 percent support in the polls, putting her in second place behind Biden.
But precisely because Minnesota has been slouching toward Republicanism, removing a popular incumbent like Klobuchar from the Senate would be hazardous. Minnesota’s Democratic governor Tim Walz would get to appoint Klobuchar’s replacement in 2021. But in 2022, that unelected Democrat would have to face Minnesota voters, and since the party that does not control the White House tends to enjoy superior turnout in midterm elections, Republicans would have an excellent shot of flipping that seat.
But unless Warren is willing to resign from the Senate this summer, her selection will cost Democrats a precious vote in the upper chamber for at least the duration of Biden’s presidential “honeymoon.” Under Massachusetts law, Republican governor Charlie Baker would have the power to appoint Warren’s successor. Massachusetts voters would eventually get to vote on Warren’s replacement in a special election, but Baker could delay that vote by up to 160 days after the senator vacates her seat.
日本 最新ニュース, 日本 見出し
Similar News:他のニュース ソースから収集した、これに似たニュース記事を読むこともできます。
Fox Corp. Names Sal Petruzzi Senior VP of CommuniationsSal Petruzzi, a media-industry communications veteran who previously supervised many areas of business outreach for the Turner division of the former Time Warner, haw been named a senior vice presi…
続きを読む »
Poll: Voters prioritize experienced VP for Biden over gender, race4 out of 5 Democrats say it's important for Joe Biden to pick a running mate with governing experience, according to a new poll. They're far less invested in whether he chooses a woman or a person of color.
続きを読む »
Progressive movement wary of Warren for VPThough Elizabeth Warren has high-profile boosters and polls well as a potential Joe Biden running mate, the fallout from her run-in with Bernie Sanders has dampened enthusiasm within the progressive movement for her as a VP choice
続きを読む »
Elizabeth Warren Says She'd Accept VP Slot. (Stacey Abrams: Me Too)When asked if she join the Joe Biden ticket as his running mate, the Massachusetts governor gave a simple, one-word answer: 'Yes.'
続きを読む »
POLITICO Playbook: Trump’s self-quarantineAnd a new poll says voters prioritize an experienced VP for Joe Biden over gender and race.
続きを読む »