Now that the Democratic presidential field has narrowed to two old, white guys (Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders), there is widespread speculation about vice presidential running mates. That speculation naturally leans toward the pick being female, younger, and a person of color with broad appeal.
A friend suggested over beers Saturday night that the best pick might be one that most irritates Donald Trump.
“It’s got to be somebody that the Democratic Party can see its future in,” Ian Russell, former deputy director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Business Insider.
The Washington Examiner notes:
Biden, in particular, describes himself as “an old guy” when asked by voters about his vice presidential shortlist. The people he’s mentioned range from Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren to Stacey Abrams, Maggie Hassan, Jeanne Shaheen, Sally Yates, and even Michelle Obama or a Republican.
“But for me, it has to be demonstrated that whoever I pick is two things: One, is capable of [being] president because I’m an old guy,” Biden said in January.
Sanders has said his pick would not be “an old white guy.” He told a CNN town hall in February, “My administration, my cabinet will look more like America in terms of gender equality, in terms of racial equality than any administration in American history.”
An unnamed Democratic operative that spoke to Business Insider speculated on Sanders’ pick:
“He doesn’t want to seem as if he’s selling out his people. There is an appearance piece of this, so it’s gotta be someone who’s going to pass the smell test with his supporters,” he said.
Hillary Clinton’s selecting Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia in 2016 only exacerbated the rift between her and disappointed Sanders supporters. My friend* was one of them.
On that point, we speculated that if Biden wins the nomination, he’ll need someone Berners will accept if he and the party have learned anything from 2016 (doubtful). If Sanders wins, he’ll need someone acceptable to the party rank and file as well as his base. But it would be that much more fun if the V.P. pick made Donald Trump’s head explode.
Given local and national murmurings, we decided the perfect woman for that assignment would be Michelle Obama.
A poll taken in California between Feb. 26 to Feb. 28 showed her the clear favorite:
A poll put out by Stanford’s Hoover Institution, along with the Bill Lane Center for the American West and YouGov, shows 31 percent of those asked choose Obama as vice president. This compares with 19 percent for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) at 18 percent, Stacey Abrams, author and politician from Georgia, garnered 13 percent support, and 10 percent of respondents supported Bay Area billionaire Tom Steyer as the VP. California Gov. Gavin Newsom received 8 percent support.
Of course, Michelle Obama is not interested in saving the world, no. But consider Trump’s reaction to having to run against another Obama in 2020.
Trump spent the aughts flogging the birther conspiracy. Widespread speculation is his decision to run in 2016 was triggered by the roasting he got from President Obama at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Trump has spent his presidency systematically dismantling everything Barack Obama touched, if for no other reason than simply to be contrary. He uses every opportunity to blame his own failures on Michelle Obama’s husband.
When Trump is not doing that, he and his red-hat cult take every opportunity to “own the libs.” What would it do to him if the libs owned back?
Michelle could bring back the White House garden.
* Update: Clarified a pronoun.
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