Who should Bernie pick as his VP?

[HorusRa2 5,005]

Just want to point out that Bernie does just fine with moderates when the vote is between 2 people. He did great in rural areas in 2016 and regularly gets about 1/4 of republican votes in Vermont general elections. He also tied for the moderate vote in Nevada. 

[AndiGaga 7,277]

The chance that he will die in the next 5 years is high, thats why he needs a great and popular VP

[ItsTommyBitch 12,640]

There just isn't a progressive with strong name recognition + high favorabilities who also addresses electoral concerns in a general election really... I'm pretty sold on Barbara Lee or Tammy Baldwin (progressive, gay senator from Wisconsin, but also an old woman so  atm, Even Barbara despite her high respect in Washington isn't that well known out of it. Tammy is even less well known. AOC is too young and IMO needs a lot lot more experience.

I want her to be president so shes gotta play smart for the next 8 years to stay relevant but still liked too.

 I've begun to be open to the possibility that he has to pick a moderate if it looks like the establishment is REALLY not relenting, so I'm really not sure. I hope if he becomes the nominee they get it right though, its going to be important not only for his chances of winning but for his governing, and if he does end up either going budget reconciliation parliamentary overrule with his VP or opens to the idea of a Filibuster nuke, he will need someone at least somewhat open to progressive ideas...

Or we could go the true twitter liberal route and make every one who ran for President be a part of the administration to get that #Unity Vote  Kamala AG, Booker HUD, etc.  

 

[HorusRa2 5,005]

4 minutes ago, ItsTommyBitch said:

There just isn't a progressive with strong name recognition + high favorabilities who also addresses electoral concerns in a general election really... I'm pretty sold on Barbara Lee or Tammy Baldwin (progressive, gay senator from Wisconsin, but also an old woman so  atm, Even Barbara despite her high respect in Washington isn't that well known out of it. Tammy is even less well known. AOC is too young and IMO needs a lot lot more experience.

I want her to be president so shes gotta play smart for the next 8 years to stay relevant but still liked too.

 I've begun to be open to the possibility that he has to pick a moderate if it looks like the establishment is REALLY not relenting, so I'm really not sure. I hope if he becomes the nominee they get it right though, its going to be important not only for his chances of winning but for his governing, and if he does end up either going budget reconciliation parliamentary overrule with his VP or opens to the idea of a Filibuster nuke, he will need someone at least somewhat open to progressive ideas...

Or we could go the true twitter liberal route and make every one who ran for President be a part of the administration to get that #Unity Vote  Kamala AG, Booker HUD, etc.  

 

No to any senators. We kind of need those to stay put. Barbara is too old. 

I think my choices are high profile, well-rounded and fit all your criteria except for well-liked. Tulsi isn’t well liked by the democratic electorate but the VBNMW will vote for the dem ticket anyway. What she does bring in are voters who would have voted for Bernie in 2016 but will vote for him now only if Tulsi is on the ticket. It’ll help him for sure. 

[President Biden 5,898]

Fidel Castro

Maybe Noam Chomsky

 

he could even pick Lenin’s dead body

 

all fit the socialist message

[FATCAT 60,909]

I think his best bet is to balance the ticket. That being said, I don't want that to go too far. Stacey Abrams is the best I've seen so far, but I honestly haven't explored it too much.

[FATCAT 60,909]

3 minutes ago, Halsey said:

Fidel Castro

Maybe Noam Chomsky

he could even pick Lenin’s dead body

all fit the socialist message

He's a Democratic Socialist, not an actual socialist.

[Chickens in Malibu 7,873]

41 minutes ago, WildAmerican said:

He should pick a younger, WOC, establishment friendly candidate. Stacey Abrams or Kamala Harris 

If he wraps this thing up mid-March, then from then to the convention he needs to pull this party together, and satisfy the establishment so there's unity and no 3rd party funny business.

Stacey Abrams? No thank you. She has no principle. She’s a sellout bought by Michael Bloomberg.

[HorusRa2 5,005]

16 minutes ago, Halsey said:

Fidel Castro

Maybe Noam Chomsky

 

he could even pick Lenin’s dead body

 

all fit the socialist message

Very cute. 

No wonder you support anyone but Bernie when your capacity for an intellectual conversation is at a bare minimum.

[FFXSoul91 1,100]

Elizabeth Warren, I hope.

[ItsTommyBitch 12,640]

8 minutes ago, HorusRa2 said:

No to any senators. We kind of need those to stay put. Barbara is too old. 

I think my choices are high profile, well-rounded and fit all your criteria except for well-liked. Tulsi isn’t well liked by the democratic electorate but the VBNMW will vote for the dem ticket anyway. What she does bring in are voters who would have voted for Bernie in 2016 but will vote for him now only if Tulsi is on the ticket. It’ll help him for sure. 

Every pick is a +/- and seeing what outweighs what though.

I think if Tulsi hadn't capitulated SO far to the right in her stances in just the last year, she would be an easy easy pick, but her unfavorables with the Democratic electorate and base are really so high that they see her as a bad republican, and I think it would hurt noticeably amongst people who are skeptical but will vote blue no matter who that he'd be picking someone they hate so strongly. It'll ignite more "We gave him a pass for being an Independent and now hes gonna pick someone who the Democrats hate and is basically a Republican at this point?" 

And for those who are sure he'll die or not run for re-election or whatever (), do we want Tulsi to possibly be the president in 4 years? I can't say I personally would want her as President at all, the only area I trust her in is in foreign policy really... and only barely at that  

But Conseravatives who think he would be one term or just right leaning independents might go for her I guess. I think the risk of alienating our own base is higher than the potential to turn conservative minded voters, but it doesnt add to his appeal to non voters really (I don't think any candidate does, unless u want to argue Stacey's program is going to turn out black non voters, which who knows if it will. I think her appeal is VASTLY overstated outside of a general "Georgians like me" message. Like would putting a black woman VP increase voter turn out amongst black people? Maaybe, but certainly not to Obama levels that's for sure. 

[StarstruckIllusion 53,589]

Nina Turner rights!!

[rumours 45,521]

36 minutes ago, Halsey said:

he could even pick Lenin’s dead body

That moment when I release I may prefer Lenin's corpse as a VP than Bloomberg

[ItsTommyBitch 12,640]

21 minutes ago, mauvais said:

 In general, I'm not against Bernie announcing his entire cabinet before the election because it would be interesting but I have to remember most people don't care  and politics has turned my brain to soup.

That kind of thing is very made-for-TV in my mind, in that it would be interesting to watch and a really craven way to try to get that 100% democratic retention rate from all the bases, but idk how itd play out in the general. 

Dems are going to have a RPDR: All Stars moment where Kamala, Cory, Castro, Yang, Williamson (yes for dpt. of peace), etc. all come back out after being eliminated and they link hands and are ALL crowned America's next Executive Branch Leaders   I dont even know how pundits would react tbh. They'd probably argue that most of them arent fit for their positions, especially Pete, etc.

But it'll never happen, so   

[Othon 34,299]

Ultimately, it really comes down to what Bernie is attempting to accomplish with the pick.

If he wants to pick someone who will lead the revolution when he's gone, he'd pick a Tlaib type. I'd prefer someone in this vein, but AOC has already credibly established herself as the leader of the burgeoning democratic socialist left in America and will almost certainly run for president in a few years, so that may have already sorted itself out for him.

If he wants to pick someone that is perceived to be more of a standard politician (while still selecting someone with progressive credentials) to appease the media and Washington, he'd pick Barbara Lee or Tammy Baldwin. Outside of Baldwin potentially helping him in Wisconsin and the fact that she's a lesbian, I don't know if the vast majority of voters would find her to be an exciting choice (or even know who she is). Lee is a prominent black politician with a legendary vote against authorizing war powers for Bush, but she endorsed Harris in the primary, is 73 years old, and has been pushing for a Department of Peacebuilding for years (which Sanders could actually create for her).

It's a tough choice. There's no obvious, no-brainer candidate.

I do know it can't be Warren. I wanted a Sanders/Warren ticket for years, but after the way she's run this campaign and alienated the left, the ammunition her candidacy would hand to Trump, and after learning more about her electoral track record (https://jacobinmag.com/2020/01/elizabeth-warren-electoral-track-record-2020-democratic-primary), I think she'd be a bad idea.