Take a look at the chart below from the Center for Politics of Hillary Clinton's possible VP choices. Comment on who you think she should pick and why.
| Candidate | Key VP Advantages | Key VP Disadvantages | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Tim Kaine Senator, VA | •Swing-state senator •Has been a No. 2 as VA’s Lt. Gov. •Speaks Spanish fluently, Catholic missionary as young man •Dem governor would appoint his replacement •Widely respected | •Not going to excite Sanders’ voters •Not a powerful stump presence •Low profile in Senate |
 | Julián Castro Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | •Latino pol in an election where that demographic may be more important than ever •Dynamic, youthful; keynoted ’12 DNC | •Short governing resume •Ready for primetime campaign exposure? |
 | Sherrod Brown Senator, OH | •Could ameliorate Clinton’s problems with left regarding trade issues •Populist/left appeal to Sanders backers •Swing-state senator | •Might pull ticket too far left •GOP governor would appoint his replacement |
 | Ken Salazar Ex-Secretary of the Interior | •Latino politician from a swing state (CO) •Lengthy resume as senator, cabinet secretary •Westerner provides geographical diversity | •Too moderate? Could rankle Sanders’ voters •Very low key |
 | Al Franken Senator, MN | •With comedy background, could be Clinton attack dog versus Trump •Dem governor would appoint his replacement •Possibly attractive to Sanders backers | •Might be too loose on the stump •Won’t excite minority voters |
 | Elizabeth Warren Senator, MA | •Progressives love her •Fundraising machine •Double woman ticket could expand gender gap | •Might pull ticket too far left •Could overshadow Clinton •’12 campaign baggage •GOP governor would appoint short-term replacement early in Clinton’s term |
 | Amy Klobuchar Senator, MN | •Popular woman senator from Midwest •Double woman ticket could expand gender gap •Dem governor would appoint her replacement | •Not going to excite Sanders’ voters or minority voters •Not a powerful stump presence |
 | Deval Patrick Ex-Governor, MA | •African-American pol, could help minority turnout •Dynamic on the stump | •Mixed governing record •Now works for Bain Capital |
 | Cory Booker Senator, NJ | •African-American pol, could help minority turnout •Young, dynamic on the stump | •Closeness to Wall Street hurts with Sanders’ voters •Style over substance? •NY/NJ lacks geographic balance •GOP governor would appoint replacement |
 | Mark Warner Senator, VA | •Strong executive record •Swing-state senator •Bipartisan respect in Senate | •Closeness to business sector hurts with Sanders’ voters •Might not have mindset to be a No. 2 •Nearly lost Senate seat in 2014 |
 | Joaquín Castro Congressman, TX | •Latino pol in an election where that demographic may be more important than ever •Young, fresh face | •Less known than twin brother Julián •Ready for primetime campaign exposure? |
 | Tom Perez Secretary of Labor | •Latino pol in an election where that demographic may be more important than ever | •Totally anonymous |
 | John Hickenlooper Governor, CO | •Swing-state governor •Former big-city mayor | •Not going to excite base |
 | Bill Nelson Senator, FL | •Swing-state senator •Almost universally liked •Won’t overshadow Clinton, unlikely to eye future pres run | •Older than Clinton •Not going to excite base •GOP governor would appoint replacement |
 | Evan Bayh Ex-Senator, IN | •Could boost Clinton’s chances in a tough reach state (IN) •Long governing experience as governor and senator •Bipartisan respect in and out of Senate | •Might spark revolt among Sanders’ voters because he’s so moderate |
 | Terry McAuliffe Governor, VA | •Swing-state governor •Totally loyal to the Clintons •Can raise big-time money •If elected, gives VA D Lt. Gov. the top job and a leg up for 2017 election | •Can come on too strong •Reinforces idea that Clintons are over-reliant on cronies •History as political “fixer” doesn’t fit electoral mood |
 | Martin Heinrich Senator, NM | •Westerner •Youthful, well-liked by environmentalists | •Anonymous •GOP governor would appoint replacement •NM should be safe for Clinton |
 | Claire McCaskill Senator, MO | •Could boost Clinton’s chances in a tough "reach" state (MO) •Double woman ticket, has reconciled with Clinton after backing Obama in ’08 | •Could potentially cost Democrats a Senate seat •Not going to pull in Sanders’ voters |
 | Tom Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture | •Was relatively popular governor of swing state (IA) •Governing experience at state and federal level | •Not going to excite base •Largely anonymous nationally |
 | Bernie Sanders Senator, VT | •Would thrill millions of his backers and unify party to some degree after fractious campaign •Small-dollar fundraising machine | •Clearly could be at odds with Clinton on the campaign trail and in a future administration •Will pull ticket well to the left •Not going to excite minority voters •Six years older than Clinton |
 | Joe Biden Vice President | •Vast experience •Knows the job! Plus no moving expenses. | •Age (73 by Election Day ’16) •Has been critical of Clinton, would he want the job again? |
Joe Biden seems like the most viable candidate. Of that list, Biden is one of the most experienced candidates for that position: he was a senator at the age of 29 and one for Delaware for 36 years. As a vice president, he's faced some of America's most important domestic and national challenges. He oversaw the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which helped to rebuild the economy. He's also among the candidates with the most foreign policy experience. I also feel that Biden would be a good VP for Hillary because he would serve as a check for Hillary. He has been critical of her despite her support for most of Obama's policies (and Hillary has a record of getting her way with things) so I feel like he would keep her in check etc.
ReplyDeleteGerald Bonsu
Out of all of the prospective candidates for vice president, Joe Biden seems like the best one. The downsides for him being the vice presidential candidate are very slim. The decision probably wont upset anyone because he is generally well liked. I also don't consider him having been critical of Clinton to be a problem because most times in politics, saying something contradictory to what you have said in the past is not a huge problem. Lastly, Joe Biden's record is much better than at least half of the other possible choices for vice president. Joe Biden might please some because he is not as extreme as Hillary Clinton may be.
ReplyDeleteTo me the best choice seems to be Evan Bayh, Personally, I don't think Clinton needs to worry about losing Sander supporters because his supporters will definitely NOT vote for Trump, so either they'll vote for Hillary or not vote. With minority voters, I think most will vote for Hillary over Trump as well, so choosing a VP based on ethnic attraction won't be necessary. I think Evan Bayh will do a good job of attracting more moderate voters to vote for Hillary and also will be an easier way to win votes in a swing state. The fact that he also has bi-partisan respect will surely help when Trump tries to attack him and Clinton. I think out of all the choices he seems to give Hillary the best chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteI think that Hillary Clinton would choose Evan Bayh because any boost to her chances in a tough reach state could make a significant difference in the long run. Moreover, he has a lot of experience as a governor and senator, executive and legislative positions. What I find most important about him as that he has bipartisan respect in and out of the senate which will be so crucial in a largely polarized election and country. It will also be imperative considering the fact that many Republican senators are not too happy about Trump being the presumptive nominee. Furthermore, being so moderate will at least allow him to win over the base and the majority of Democratic voters which are clearly going for Clinton. Clinton is in the lead right now so instead of focusing on who will beat Sanders, its more pragmatic to focus on who will beat Trump and his running mate.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn Wolfgang:
ReplyDeleteI think that Clinton should pick Evan Bayh as her VP. He has been both a governor and a senator. While he might be moderate and Sander's fans might not be extremely happy about it, it is good as he has bipartisan respect inside and outside the Senate which is important as many Republicans are not happy with Trump so this could help appeal to them. While they might not agree with Hilary Clinton, they will have someone that they respect if he becomes her VP. Finally, he can help her with getting the tough reach state of IN.
I feel that Joe Biden would be a great if not the best option, assuming he would want to take the job another four to eight years, as he has great experience in the office and with the democratic party. However, I feel there could possibly be two other options that seem to have potential. I feel that Al Franken would be a good option as he could possibly give Trump a run for his money with his comedic background and strong passion on the stump (hoping that he is not a loose cannon, though). Franken may also earn Bernie supporter's points. I also feel that Evan Bayh would be a viable option, as he has a lot of experience, is thoroughly respected in the Senate, and could help Clinton in Indiana, a hard to reach state. It just depends on what type of an election Clinton is looking for: a VP with a very successful background, a VP with sass, or a VP of Senatorial; respect.
ReplyDeleteI think that Bernie Sander would be the best choice for Hillary. Clinton's achilles heel has and will be the young voters and although stealing votes from Trump shouldn't be too hard, the young vote is a major key. The best person to help her do this would be Sanders. He is beloved by every college campus in the nation and could guarantee the young vote. Plus Hillary isn't trusted by anybody in the nation after the emails so having Sanders who has been in the Senate for the longest time and is a very trusting politician would be a big help. To top it off the black vote has also eluded Clinton which is another thing Sanders could change with his immense work during the civil rights movement. Sanders acts sort of like a blanket on Hillary's voting record and can cover her weak areas and most of all if Bernie can choose Clinton why shouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteSince Hillary is already female and that alone makes her unfavorable to some voters, I think it would be in her best interest to choose a male VP. That said, choosing a racial minority may win or lose her the election. The Democrats may be willing to vote in a minority, but that may aliante many possible conservative voters. I also believe she should choose a candidate with his name out there so that voters feel that they are voting for someone important and with a history/experience. That being said, most of the possible candidates that are known nationally appear to be unfavorable because they are either too moderate or too liberal. That led me to consider Daval Patrick and Tim Kaine who appear to have some major pros. Tim Kaine has the respect and experience needed and speaks Spanish fleuntly which might gain some minority votes. His problem is that he may be too lowkey. Daval Patrick is African American which may garner minority votes or loose them considering we just had an African American president with mixed popularity. Also, Patrick joined Bain Capital which is criticised widely. It is really up in the air at this point who would make a good running mate for Hillary.
ReplyDeleteHaving a female candidate for president from one of the two major parties is enough of a political statement all ready; having two women on the same ticket would be pushing the electoral envelope. Although Warren may appear the attractive choice to unite the party and its far-left wings, Clinton and Warren have a tenuous relationship at best and will not make a powerful efficient team. Finally, Clinton must have a male VP to attract more conservative voters and those deeply concerned with the damage to American prestige abroad by electing two females to the highest office in the nation; many moderate Americans will be troubled by the aesthetics of having two women as America's top executives, a fear Trump's campaign will heavily exploit.
ReplyDeleteHilary's best choice to win the election is Sherrod Brown. First, the race of the candidate is completely irrelevant. Trump will not carry Hispanics because of his earlier comments and general anger of his supporters toward Mexicans. Trump will also not carry black voters, 93% of whom voted for Mr. Obama in 2012, who have been the most reliant supporters of Clinton in the primary season and see her as the successor to President Obama's disappointing presidency. Thus, qualifications of race for the Vice Presidency are entirely irrelevant to Clinton's running mate selection process. The most important question here is what states can Trump win that Romney could not 2012? Since Clinton is a more corrupt and less charismatic version of Obama with much lower favorability ratings, the most important states for her to win will be in the Rust Belt where Trump's liberal, autarkist, trade policies and pseudo-macho personality will serve him well. Thus, Senator Sherrod Brown is a smart, pragmatic choice for Hilary to win. For Hilary to win, she must win Ohio; Brown will help her do that and much more. Brown will reinforce Clinton's image as a centre-left Democrat after a brutal, dangerously ideological primary. Brown is also critical of trade and has a record of attacking free trade with China. This will bode Ms. Clinton well in the general election as suspicion of free trade is one of Mr. Trump's core competencies and strongest arguments for his presidency. Finally, Senator Brown is experienced, allowing Clinton to further emphasize the Democratic ticket as of one of experience and reason, detached from the hyper-emotionality and rancor of the GOP ticket.
- Adriel
Hillary Clinton has a big challenge coming up this Summer and the rest of the campaign season. She has to battle Trump, and his relentless attacks, as well as try to unify the party because of the younger generation flocking to Bernie Sanders, all while trying to win a nomination, and then the election.
ReplyDeleteI think Hillary Clinton's best choice for winning would have to be Bernie Sanders, although I severely doubt this would happen for two reasons; the two of the them have had some deep ideological differences, as well as Bernie Sanders integrity, I'm not sure that he would sell himself as a VP. I think Clinton would be smart to go with Sherrod Brown, as Ohio is the swing state among most polls where Hillary Clinton is trailing the most, and snatching Ohio from a republican is a severe blow to their morale as no Republican has ever won the Presidency without winning Ohio.
I believe that Sanders is the best pick for Clintons VP. By choosing Sanders, she can quickly secure most of the young voters who backed him for so long. This dramatically changes the playing field for Trump, as he will now have to some how pull over moderate voters who went with Sanders or Clinton.
ReplyDeleteWhile Sanders and Clinton aren't the most likely duo, it would be the most effective at beating Trump. Many of his followers would be very unlikely to jump ship if he was to become her VP pick. This would also help Clinton secure steady donations from the typical middle class, and make her a more attractive pick. Sander supporters are known to be very passionate, and have a record for quickly raising money through grassroots promotion. If Clinton wants to beat Trump, she'll need Sanders.
Evan Bayh seems to be a good choice as Clinton's VP because of his experience in the senate and as the governor of Indiana. I don't think that Clinton needs to worry about Sanders' supporters; she should focus on picking up the undecided and moderate voters (and even the moderate republicans who don't want to support Trump). Bayh, as a moderate democrat, would help bring in those voters.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to Bayh, Clinton should consider Tim Kaine from Virginia. As a governor and now a senator from one of the main swing states, and as the chairman of the DNC in 2009-2011, he would be an important selection for the Clinton campaign to satisfy base voters. However, he may not help much with reaching out to the swing voters. Also, it may be wise to seriously consider Vice President Biden as a running mate, although he will most likely turn that opportunity down. Why would he want to do the same position for another 4-8 years, especially when he turned down the chance to run for President?
I think the best option for Clinton would be Evan Bayh. He is from a swing state which would help Hillary possibly win that state in the general election. He also has a lot of experience as being a governor and senator. And finally the most important thing is hat he has mutual bipartisan respect. This will be the greatest factor that could help Hillary win because it will attract the republican voters that do not want to vote for trump. Having a more moderate candidate for VP would draw more people to her campaign. With having a more moderate candidate for VP it will attract more voters who are against Trump, giving her the lead to win the general election.
ReplyDeleteHillary Clinton has a few leaks in her ticket ship that need to be plugged before the campaign. Al Franken could be her missing puzzle piece. The mid-west is one of the areas of the country that is particularly vulnerable to Trump. There are a high percentage of white working class voters. If Hillary's goal was to win the mid-west (an area in which she is already weak in...as seen in the primaries) that would narrow the field down to two candidates: Sherod Brown, and Al Franken; however, with the GOP in a fractured state the Democratic party stands a good chance at retaking the senate; however Sherod Brown holds a senate seat in the state of Republican Governor John Kasich; this would allow Kasich to appoint a senator should Brown be chosen as Clinton's Veep. The Democrats need every seat possible if they are to reclaim the senate. Also Al Franken has, in the senate, led the fight for Net Neutrality and refinancing student loan debt. These are two issues that would energize young voters-one of Clinton's weaknesses.
ReplyDeleteI don't think either of the Castro's would be a good pick. Clinton already has a massive lead with latinos, and it doesn't look like she's going to have a hard time keeping that lead. Her problem is with likability; people just don't like her. I think Al Franken would fill this gap perfectly. As a former comedian he could definitely breathe some life into Hillary's events, and such a charismatic presence on the ticket could help bring in some disenfranchised Sanders voters. I don't think bringing a hard liberal like Warren would do much good either since I don't feel like the missing Sanders vote is really that big of a deal. This could chance if the convention is the disaster, but for now I feel Al Franken or even Tim Kaine would be the best pick.
ReplyDeleteZac Wood
Joaquin Castro seems like the best choice to me. With her old age, a fresh face would be excellent for her, in order to appeal more to young voters. Although already fairly popular with Latinos, she needs more support from the US' largest minority if she wants to win. By having Castro on her side, she will undoubtedly have much more support than she has now. Allowing Castro to have some camera time would also let Latinos know that their people are being actively represented in government. With the Latino vote, Clinton gains an enormous advantage over her Republican opponent.
ReplyDeleteI believe Clinton should have Terry McAuliffe be her Vice President. He already has a relationship with the Clinton family and as stated above will be loyal. I like the idea of a swing state Vice President, but I think Colorado will lean democrat, and Ohio will go republican because of the Republican Party holding its convention in the state. McAuliffe will probably help in Virginia, and might lock up the state.
ReplyDeleteThere is no need to offer a minority the position, as democrats might want, because Clinton, as a woman nominee, is enough shakeup for progressive voters. Clinton should now be focused on bringing her campaign to a moderate stance to attract moderate voters. -Kohl
I think Hillary Clinton should choose Ken Salazar as her VP. Salazar is from Colorado which is a swing state so as Salazar as her VP, so could lock in Colorado's votes. Not only that, Salazar is Latino, so she would most likely see an increase in minority votes because Trump has offended minorities so many times so he might not do so well with them, but I've also underestimated his power many times before. Salazar also has a lot of experience in politics and I think he could really help Clinton out. On the disadvantages side, it said that Salazar might be too moderate. However, moderation isn't necessarily bad in this case. He could pull in the moderate votes. It wouldn't "rankle" the Sanders supporters because whoever Clinton chooses has to be better than Trump and his VP to them. Lastly, Salazar might be lowkey, but that isn't such a bad thing either. He doesn't have the power to upset people like Trump has. That's why I think Hillary should choose Ken Salazar as her VP.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Sanders is probably the best choice for VP. He helps clinton get the other half of the democratic party the more left half and might be able to pull some trump supporters. He also gives Clinton the young vote which she is desperately lacking. Overall the Sanders VP pick is probably give Clinton the best situation for her to win the general election.
ReplyDelete-Rishabh Mistry
I don't know much about Al Franken but from the chart he seems to be a pretty good choice for Clinton's VP. Clinton doesn't need another Washington insider with tons of experience and doesn't need to excite minority more because Trump will just continue to alienate them. She needs to get Sander's supporters who voted for him because they want to shake up the government and Franken is a good match for that. He won't take the ticket too far left but will excite some moderates and overall balances out the ticket well.
ReplyDeleteClinton should choose Martin Heinrich as her VP candidate. One of the reasons Clinton should choose Heinrich is simply because he is a male. Sadly, one female president is already "shocking" to some, but by having a male as a VP candidate less people will be put-off. Even if democrats tend to be progressive, there is still an older generation of democrats that could not fathom having females as president and vice-president. In addition, Heinrich will represent a part of the country Hillary. This would be a huge advantage for securing Western votes. Lastly, an advantage is that Heinrich is popular with environmentalists. A lot of environmentalists shame Hillary on her environmental track record (supporting oil company lobbyists, supporting Key-Stone Pipeline, etc), therefore, having Heinrich as her VP will appeal to a percentage of the green democrats.
ReplyDelete*part of the country Hillary does not
DeleteJoe Biden definitely has the most experience and is well known to the American population. We can assume the 2016 election will come down to Trump and Clinton, and which one would be more tolerable as president. For Clinton to clinch the presidency, she needs to appeal to those who still aren't sure which candidate is is slightly better than the other. some Voters are unsure of electing a female president, choosing a Male VP pleases the voters still seeking some male control. Clinton choosing her VP will also depend on trumps choice for Vice President, as this race could come down to them. Each candidates controversies must be ignored and voters will need to look at the Vice President. if Clinton choose the well known Joe Biden, she will be a step up given her and Joes experience. I also think Bernie Sanders could potentially be a good Vice President for Clinton considering his following on the Democratic side.
ReplyDelete- Madison Johnston
I think Joe Biden would be the best choice as Hillary Clinton's vice president. He already has lots of experience and is clearly well qualified for the position. He is also well respected in the Democratic party. Biden is also generally well-liked by the American people, which could be a good contrast for people who are anti-Clinton. Biden has moderate views overall, which will be very good in the general election, as a majority of moderates will most likely not want to vote for Trump. Biden would also allow Clinton to lean a little more to the right, picking up additional votes.
ReplyDeleteJoe Biden seems like the smartest choice for Clinton. He has just as much, if not more, experience than her and is generally well liked by the public. However, his criticisms of her in the past could lead her to choose a different person. Julian Castro could also be a smart decision for Clinton because of his youth. Many of the younger generation feels alienated by Clinton, so choosing a younger VP that could also pull in a strong Latino vote, would be highly advantageous.
ReplyDeleteJessica Ellison
Joe Biden seems to be the best choice for Hilary Clinton's VP. Biden has many years of experience as Vice president when compared to those who lack the experience. He will be a good balance to Hilary Clinton. Vice President Joe Biden already has a favorable approval rating. Given that he has criticized Clinton in the past, there could be some tension between the two. still, everything put aside Biden is the clear choice.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Julian Castro and Deval Patrick offer guarantees in the African American and Latino vote, I believe that A safer pick is available for the ditsy Hillary Clinton. I think Joe Biden would be the perfect cool uncle for the UN-cool Hillary. I have never heard of a Vice President being nominated twice and I think this would be an interesting election to utilize this tactic. Not only will he win over almost all of Obama's voter's, she will have an experienced and well trained Vice President in her arsenal of tools. They also have past working experience working two very important jobs in close proximity to each other which will only help to bolster their confidence in the white house. Right now Hillary is in the driver's seat of this election and it looks like whoever she picks will be a better pick than Donald Trump's pick. I just think Hillary needs to pick a strong male figure to help her better secure the nomination from "Alpha-Dog" Trump.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Hillary is that she is so polarizing. The smartest move for her would be to attract the young non-establishment voters. Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden would be the two best options for her to choose. She has a clear hold on the minorities and Democratic establishment; therefore, if she was able to capture the other half of the Democratic party, I don't see Hillary having any problem locking down the election. Her VP choice could make or break her chances to be president.
ReplyDeleteJoey Burcham