I think it's gonna be Susan Rice.

[Wanderlust988]

Jonathan Alter also thinks she might be the one. She checks way too many boxes. Plus, she is already in the Obama world and will come with a gold seal of approval from President Obama. She's African-American and she knows her shit probably more than anyone else he is thinking about.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. I would be happy with her too.

She would smoke Pence in a debate with her intelligence and world affairs knowledge.

[BigmanPigman]

2. She would be good too!

[leftieNanner]

3. She is wonderful!

She has been on MSNBC a few times recently. They will try to trot out Benghazi, but I don't think it will work any more.

And she would be a bit of a surprise which is nice.

[Catamount]

4. That's my hope too!

K&R😁👍

[boston bean]

5. I like her very much.

[VarryOn]

6. I could get on-board with her big time...

Last edited Mon May 4, 2020, 11:47 PM - Edit history (1)

She's a candidate with a a solid and serious background. I like it that she's not a novelty, nor a politician, per se. An impressive CV, no doubt.

[Wounded Bear]

7. Ms Rice would be an excellent choice...

she would also probably be a good SoS. She has international experience as the UN Rep.

Good demeanor, smart.

[Blue_playwright]

8. I really want Warren but...

Her republican governor will put a right winger in her place in the Senate and that’s not cool. We need her in the Senate.

[Fiendish Thingy]

53. That's not true - Dem legislature can force Baker to appoint a Dem replacement for Warren nt

[BComplex]

59. Thank you! I'm so tired of people trying to keep Elizabeth Warren down for their own selfish

needs. She would be the best person for the job. Then she would make an excellent first woman president after Biden is done.

[Fiendish Thingy]

74. And the only hard data we currently have - 2 polls - shows she is first choice among Dem voters

Warren is tied with Harris for first choice among black voters, and is the clear first choice among all voters and all other subgroups in both polls, by double digits.

Any other claims that other candidates would be a better choice are pure speculation with no evidence to support them.

[lostnfound]

9. Lovely idea but why do you think you know such a thing? Wishful thinking?

[Alex4Martinez]

10. Would love that. Sharp mind, takes no prisoners.

And she wouldn't leave a vacuum in a state house or congress.

[Sugarcoated]

11. Not the best choice

I like Whitmer.

[Ninga]

12. The VP needs to hit the ground running day one.

The VP needs to have institutional knowledge on the legislative process. Getting bills through.
No time for on the job training. Rice is brilliant but not the right choice.

[tavernier]

13. I don't think he will choose a black woman.

A woman is already one big pill to swallow for most truck driving guys and some women in the Midwest. But a black woman to step in if something happens to Joe... now that truly smacks of LIBRUL!!

I think it will be Klobuchar. Not my first or even second choice... I prefer Harris or Warren... but that is my thought.

[uponit7771]

14. Those Truck drivers voted for Trump the last time, what makes you think they'll switch now after

... Trump screwed them with taxes and then killed 65,000 Americans by blowing CV19 response off.

The taxes thing should've been the nail in the coffin

[tavernier]

21. Because I live in rural Indiana half of the year

and I personally know a few pissed off truck driving farmers who have crossed over, so I believe that there are more out there.

[Midnight Writer]

57. That's good to hear. I live in a similar area and I am not seeing anything but doubling down.

People I have loved and admired all my life are buying this GOP crank bullshit.

Really, it's like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Hippies I knew in the 60's are now gun toting, racist, redneck caricatures.

I mean cool people. Nice people. Intelligent people.

It's like someone flipped a switch.

It's just unreal.

[rufus dog]

38. I think it HAS to be a Woman of color

As a big FUCK YOU to all of them. The time to reach out is over. The assholes decided Sarah FUCKING Palin was a valid choice 12 years ago. FUCK THEM, AND FUCK THEM AGAIN.

The time to give one shit about what they think is over. The time to pound their ignorant, racists, asses is now.

Just my opinion, LOL.

[tavernier]

47. Still the main objective is to get enough votes to beat trump.

Revenge comes later.

[RhodeIslandOne]

95. Biden is supposed to bring in the truck drivers

How's he gonna lose them for that?

[tavernier]

98. Not those truck drivers.

The ones with the gun racks on the back.

[calguy]

15. I'm still hoping it will be Amy,

but I could also get really excited about Susan Rice. My feeling is she'd be more valuable to the country as Secretary of State, but I'll trust Joe's good judgement and enthusiastically get behind whoever he chooses. It's his ticket, it'll be his administration, it'll be his choice.

[Ninga]

17. We already had Tim Kain - Sen Klobuchar is

not a dynamic stump speaker and she doesn’t provide a contrast.

[calguy]

26. You could well be right

I'll trust Joe's judgement on this.

[Demsrule86]

29. That is not true...Klobuchar is a great speaker.

She would help deliver the states we need. Rice will be destroyed unfairly over Benghazi.

[CTyankee]

75. the way things are going, that requirement might be moot...more and more red states are

trending or at least leaning blue. This is a whole new ballgame, IMO. We can't play be yesterday's rules. And neither can the repukes.

[Celerity]

96. hard pass on Klobuchar (I do agree on Rice and Benghazi, I was amongst the first to bring that up)

Last edited Tue May 5, 2020, 10:45 PM - Edit history (1)

5 points on Klobuchar and why she is close to the worst of the top 11 or 12

1. She is the most problematic with PoC of the 11 or so frontrunners (she polled worse that Buttigieg did with A-A's and does not have a great legal background when it comes to race-related justice issues from her time as Hennepin County Attorney.) She also, at one point, she had voted for nearly 2/3rds of Trump's judicial nominees, some of them who were clearly unqualified.

2. She lacks the temperament, IMHO, based off her past interactions with staff and subordinates, which was on exhibit in the last several debates.

3. She would be the most antagonistic pick in regards to the left half (NOT just the far left Sanders people) of the party as she ran one of the most hostile-to-progressives primaries (only surpassed by Hickenlooper, Delaney, and Bloomberg IMHO.)

4. She adds little in terms of energising and attracting the under 45yo vote (she polled very poorly with them the entire primary campaign), which is a pre-existing issue with Biden himself. She is low on the charisma scale compared to others.

5. I think the entire 'she will bring the Midwest for sure' angle is overrated, as she did fairly poorly in Iowa (5th place), which is adjacent to Minnesota. I think she brings little to the table in terms of winning Florida (a massively crucial state) as well, the same for North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada (5th place). She only won 3% of the vote in SC, a heavily A-A primary.


Stacey Abrams (who does have some weaknesses I do admit) is the closest to a candidate who would help the most with almost all of those issues, but I would go with most all of the other top 10 or 11 over Klobuchar as well. Klobuchar has Kaine 2016 written all over her, with many of the same potential downsides. This is not the election to play 'let's ram in the most centrist VP pick of all the 11 or so favourites, and also the one with arguably the poorest strength amongst PoC and younger voters' games with.

[Bettie]

110. Well stated and

in my opinion, absolutely correct with regard to Amy K.

Also, Rice would be constantly dealing with the "Benghazi" screamers and the media would be all over that as well.

[smirkymonkey]

107. Agreed. Amy has zero charisma.

I like Joe, but he's not the most exciting candidate either. I think he need someone like Kamala on the ticket who can enhance his appeal. She's attractive, bright, well-spoken and has that "star-quality" that (unfortunately) really matters when you are running for public office.

[JudyM]

108. And she'd fight like hell to bring justice and is great with words and super bright. Great choice.

[jimlup]

16. I hope so... Susan Rice is awesome!

[DURHAM D]

18. What swing state can she get?

I like Susan but don't see this happening.

[AllyCat]

37. The South and Michigan

[mopinko]

100. how about, like, all the ones south of the mason-dixon line.

ya know, the base. the excited base.

[sop]

19. Susan Rice would be an excellent choice for Secretary of State.

Republicans really have it in for Rice, though. If Biden selected her as his VP running mate, it would resurrect the whole Benghazi thing. Rice was thought to be Obama's choice for Secretary of State to replace Hillary Clinton, but she withdrew from consideration when all the Benghazi crap hit the fan.

[tritsofme]

20. There's just no way Biden picks Rice.

I like her quite a bit, but why rehash all the Benghazi nonsense in the middle of a campaign?

She is more than capable, but it would be unnecessary controversy. I think she will be a leading candidate for Secretary of State.

[Dem4Life1102]

25. Well said

[smirkymonkey]

22. I am still all in for Kamala.

Biden needs a hit of charisma for his campaign and she is really the only one who has it. Not to mention her credentials.

[Dem4Life1102]

24. There are better choices

who can help win a swing state.

[Demsrule86]

30. No he doesn't. He needs to win in red and purple states...and Harris won't help. We could

possibly take Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa,South Carolina, Georgia and Texas...Harris can't help. And she didn't endorse him until after super Tuesday.

[rufus dog]

39. Me too, but I think is due to one thing

I wan't to see him beat his ass down, verbally of course, but if he pulls any stalking, in your face shit on her, she will physically knock his ass out.

[Dem4Life1102]

23. Great idea, let's give Republicans an excuse to bring up bengazi again

Last edited Tue May 5, 2020, 09:13 AM - Edit history (1)

That worked out so well in 16.

[DFW]

60. The Republicans were never sharp enough to know ANY of the major languages of South Asia

Why should they bring up Bengali over Hindi or Punjabi or Urdu?

[Dem4Life1102]

72. Sorry Bengazi

Rice on the ticket would re-start that whole debate.

[DFW]

73. That does seem more in context. n/t

[CTyankee]

76. they'll try but it won't work. Or they may not try even if they do their polling correctly and

become honest with themselves. The pollsters will tell them: new ballgame, new rules.

[Dem4Life1102]

81. Maybe

But why take the chance when there are other choices.

[CTyankee]

83. Two reasons: taking out a sitting Dem senator when we need all the votes we can get from the

Senate. Also, who says the picks he makes aren't targets for attack also? Warren is a "socialist," and that's anathema and one of the foremost of arguments against the ticket. (I'd be very surprised if Kamala is picked, given Jill Biden's animosity toward her).

Unfortunately, every woman who has served, has actually had government experience, will have some problems, somewhere, somehow...we're going to be fighting against a well funded, very slick machine of slander and outright lies with any VP pick Joe makes, unless he chooses someone with hardly any experience in government.

Let's explore that for a moment. "She's untried, untested, has no experience, we can't take a chance on someone like that because Biden is old and who knows how he'll hold up under the strain...so it follows that the VP choice MUST be someone with experience. Boom! back to the drawing board...

My very close second choice is Witmer, altho she is not AA. She is young, bright and a sitting governor of a midwest state. That's good. It's Michigan's loss, our country's gain.

Klobuchar is terrific, but we take out a sitting Democratic senator, etc

This drives me crazy.

[Dem4Life1102]

85. I agree about not taking out a Senator

But there are still other options who are not Senators. And might help flip a swing state as well.

[CTyankee]

86. who do you have in mind?

[Dem4Life1102]

88. Off the top of my head

Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mayor of Atlanta
Val Demings of Florida
Stacy Abrams of Georgia

And all have run for office before which Rice hasn't.

[CTyankee]

89. I only know Abrams but she has held only state office. I'll look into the other two.

Mayor of Atlanta sounds good but mayors always are in trouble with somebody about something.

[Dem4Life1102]

90. So?

[CTyankee]

101. Oh, I mean no disrespect. Mayors have a helluva tough job. I have a good deal of respect for

the good ones. They can be a real force for good during crises or...not. It's not a job I would ever want.

[Demsrule86]

27. No way. That would be a disaster...it would be Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi all the time.

Just no.

[TheFarseer]

41. Must agree

Benghazi is just the start of the garbage they will dredge up. Why voluntarily make someone with an approval rating in the 30’s a focal point in the campaign?

None of this is to say Ms. Rice is a bad person, unqualified or anything of the sort.

[Grendam]

28. Pass...

I think a lot of the foreign policy failings of the Obama administration can be traced back to her and Ben Rhodes. I've also never been a fan of her attitude and demeanor.

Just a taste of what I'm talking about from Newsweek:

But Rice is also a study in contrasts. Insiders say she regularly peppers her remarks with four-letter words, raising questions about her temperament and shocking some of her colleagues and foreign envoys. One much-publicized anecdote involved a March meeting between Obama and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House. The Palestinians rejected a forward-leaning U.S. proposal, setting the stage for the latest collapse of the peace process. After the meeting broke, a witness recalled that Rice scolded Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator: "You fucking Palestinians can never see the fucking big picture," she said.

snip

Others have taken issue with her bluntness. After Rice dropped a "motherfucker" during a 2013 huddle with German officials to win support for military action against Syria, Christoph Heusgen, her German counterpart, reportedly said it was the worst meeting of his career.

[HarlanPepper]

68. Sounds like a strong black woman in a white male world to me.

Im comfortable with that.

[KT2000]

31. I hope so!

She would be great. She has such a grasp on international affairs that she would hit the ground running. She know what needs to be fixed.

[arthritisR_US]

32. She is also not a Governor or a Senator.

At this point in time the Left needs as many Democratic Senator’s and Governor’s in place to hopefully take back the Senate and continue the diminution of GOPig Governor’s.

[2naSalit]

33. My first choice! She's best suited to

be president if the need arose. She has no baggage and she's been in top Cabinet roles and worked with our nominee for years already.

This team has to hit the ground at full scream ahead and know what they are doing. Bringing back a lot of the civil servants who held positions previously is a great idea since the government has to be reconstituted on day one as well.

[Polly Hennessey]

34. Once her name surfaced,

I knew she would be the best choice. Just think, an intelligence woman as VP. Just think, Ivanka and Jared gone. Just think, all the morons and idiots gone. Seeing tRump leave the White House with
his porno wife will be happiness beyond compare.

[AllyCat]

35. I know many AA women hoping for her!

Also Senator Harris and Stacey Abrams

[JTOL]

36. Great Choice. Kamala for

Attorney General

[DURHAM D]

40. No. That is a demotion.

She needs to stay in the U.S. Senate.

[malchickiwick]

42. She's terrific, but two figures from the previous admin.? Nah. Warren or Harris.

Nobody else is close, except Catherine Cortez Masto, who makes a LOT of sense.

[spanone]

43. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️K&R⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[WheelWalker]

44. I agree.

[ecstatic]

45. I like her. Bring it on! nt

[Talitha]

46. Key words: "knows her shit".

I agree, Wanderlust988... whoever is chosen as VP needs to be able to hit the floor running in case (God forbid) circumstances require them to take over as Pres.

I'm not one to say who Joe 'should' pick. But as you said, Rice checks way too many boxes.

[BadgerMom]

48. Wow!

I hadn’t thought of her, but she would be a great choice. And, if he chose her, wed not need to worry about the potential loss of a seat in the Senate or House.

[Greybnk48]

49. I'm super pro-Elizabeth Warren, but would be thrilled with Susan Rice too!

I really, really hope it's one of these two. They are both brilliant and tough as nails, but super likable.

[pattyloutwo]

50. No

Don’t think so. It’ll be:
1. Warren 2. Klobuchar 3. Harris 4. Abrams 5. Whitmer

[GusFring]

51. LOl. I would love it, but I don't think there's enough guts to do it. They're too afraid of

Pissing off republicans. And Republicans hate Susan Rice

[Laura PourMeADrink]

52. Can she energize youth? What we are desperately in need of.

[Wanderlust988]

62. No offense, but sick of hearing about needing to energize the youth

Bernie couldn't even energize them in the primary. If you're young and don't feel like Trump is a mortal danger to your life, then you have a problem. Conversely, Biden seems to be energizing older voters and Trump is deathly afraid of that. And old people vote!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

67. Take it back... energize people in general. Generate

some level of exuberance. No doubt Biden is a fine, experienced candidate. But he needs a spark. Imho

[relayerbob]

54. Sounds good to me!

[Bucky]

55. Or if you wanted some real star power, he could offer it to Susan Sarandon

I keed! I keed!!

[grantcart]

56. Like her but not a chance

Gov Lujan of NM would be a better choice

Lujan would guarantee NM, Lock down AZ and pull TX into to play.

She could help FL as well.

Probably Warren or Harris but if we go past those two you would do well to consider the first Hispanic woman governor. Smart and effective and as a hard working widow would play very well to suburban women across the country.

[tritsofme]

78. That would by far make her the most effective vice presidential candidate, ever.

People just don’t generally vote based on VP, unless perhaps the choice is something egregious like Palin. I don’t think any particular VP candidate will bring states into play that otherwise wouldn’t be.

I do believe Lujan to be a compelling VP candidate, just not for those reasons.

[Thekaspervote]

58. Smart, very well educated, well liked, savvy, hard working, known to Biden

What’s not to like?!

[DFW]

61. Rice could definitely do the job.

I'm less sanguine about the electability factor. Now that Benghazi has faded in most voters' minds, the Republicans can not only bring it up, but insert convenient lies into the story that the Biden team will have to spend unnecessary time debunking.

However, as far as competence and integrity go, I have no qualms about her, if that's who Biden and his team choose. I don't think they will, but she would definitely be preferable to me than a couple of the Senators apparently under consideration.

[Mike 03]

63. Oh please let it be!

When people talk about her attributes they sometimes forget the most obvious one: She's drop dead brilliant. And she can express that brilliance with clarity and confidence.

If it's not Dr. Rice, I hope it's Amy Klobuchar or Kamala Harris, but I hate to lose a senator.

[hlthe2b]

64. She'd be excellent, but be prepared for non-stop Benghazi bullshit.

[essme]

65. and *this* is why I don't think

she'll be the pick-

She's an easy target for the Republicans.

[TryLogic]

102. It doesn't matter who it is, there will be nonstop bullshit from GOP. That's what they do.

That's who they are.

[wishstar]

66. Doubtful since she has never run for public office and doesn't have a built-in constituency

Doubt he will pick someone who has never served in Congress or Senate or a Governor.

However Rice will return to being in a position as a top WH advisor.

[themaguffin]

69. Yeah, I think those would be some hurdles

[kentuck]

70. Secretary of State

would be ideal, in my opinion.

[Celerity]

94. if the Rethugs control the Senate after 2020, she will never even get a hearing for SoS, we will

have to hope for a 2022 takeover.

McConnell is almost as dangerous (in some ways much more so) than Rump.

[Happy Hoosier]

71. She's very competent. And it would be a HUGE missed opportunity, IMO.

I think that would be a "Meh" pick. It wouldn't hurt the ticket, but wouldn't help it much, either. WE need, IMO, someone with name recognition.

[CrispyQ]

77. Rice would be an excellent choice!

[MoonRiver]

79. She would be a great choice!

[BootinUp]

80. Very smart and qualified. I don't have any

Problem with it.

[Kahuna]

82. She would be great! nt

[flamingdem]

84. I think it's gonna be Elizabeth Warren

Fingers crossed

[Demsrule86]

103. No, she has a GOP governor first of all. Secondly, we need Senate seats in red and purple states,

she can't help with that. t I love EW but we can't be down a Senator for six months or more. And there is never a guarantee that we will win a special election

[Sloumeau]

87. I'd prefer Senator Kamala Harris,

but if not Kamala, Susan Rice would be a good choice.

[womanofthehills]

112. Kamala is my choice - she has charisma

And I love her clear way of speaking.. Next I like Stacy.

Last week, Joy Reid had several black women on her show and they all agreed if Biden did not pick a black women, it would be a kick in the face for black women - after delivering the south to Biden when his numbers were down.

[bluescribbler]

91. She would be great.

That was my thought after I saw her on Rachel Maddow.

[Nictuku]

92. She is my first pick

She is a very serious person. She has international connections from her service as National Security Advisor.

She can hit the ground running, and that is what this country needs.

My ex says no way, she has never been elected. And he thinks that will have an effect for campaigning. I don't think that matters here. Experience matters.

I think Kamala Harris might be better at campaigning. And she, too, is a serious person. I just think the NSA experience of Susan Rice is more important.

It will be interesting to see what happens, but I'm rooting for Rice. I have a great amount of respect for her.

And for Kamala? Having worked in San Francisco, I'm all too familiar with Willie Brown. Nuff said there.....

[abakan]

93. Not my choice...

I do not trust her, her addition to the ticket will cause me to hold my nose
but it will not stop me voting for Joe or whoever is not trump. I would prefer
Warren.

[Catherine Vincent]

99. No!

[librechik]

104. If she is the nominee, I will vote for her happily!

I want Harris as Attorney General, anyway. Elizabeth to the Supreme Court! A girl can dream...

[Miigwech]

105. My first choice is Warren, but Rice, I will love too.

[Amaryllis]

106. And she already basically knows the job. And do we ever need someone who can put

national security back together.

[TomSlick]

109. That would be my choice.

At a minimum, she should be offered a senior position in the administration. I don't know that she would want her old job as National Security Advisor. How about Secretary of State?

[niyad]

111. Welcome to DU.

[disndat]

113. Rice would be great

I also think Whitmer because of the Electoral College and even though she isn't black, she is strongly supported
by the blacks in her State.