Warren's VP bid faces obstacle: Her state's Republican governor

[brooklynite]

The Hill

But picking Warren would likely cost Democrats one of those Senate seats, at least temporarily, if Biden were to defeat President Trump.

Warren represents a state with a Republican governor, Charlie Baker, who has the power to pick anyone he wants to fill her seat, should it become vacant, until a special election sometime in 2021.

Massachusetts law requires a special election to be held between 145 and 160 days after a Senate seat becomes vacant, a significant problem if Biden wins the White House and the Senate is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.

If Baker were to appoint a Republican to replace Warren, Democrats would need a net pickup of four Senate seats — instead of three — and control of the White House to win back the Senate majority, where the GOP holds a 53-47 advantage.

[JI7]

1. I don't see Biden picking her even if they had a democratic governor

[BeyondGeography]

4. Yes, I'm sure Chris Dodd will see to that

[brooklynite]

17. ???

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. There are better choices

for VP than Warren.

[Fiendish Thingy]

20. That data does not show that to be true nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

23. Elizabeth Warren stuggles in her home state.

Blue state Massachusetts.

No, she's not a good pick. I would support her for a cabinet post, however.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. If Warren is the best VP pick we can wait out the time until a MA special election

Even if that seat is the swing seat toward a Senate majority, we'll be fine. If we win enough seats to flip the Senate that means it was a blue wave election, which means Biden will be President and we will also control the House. Baker would fill the seat with a centrist who of course would hope to hold onto the seat, but that would be almost impossible for Republicans to pull off in the current political climate. Still that means that the temporary Republican Senator would not act like a total jerk opposing everything a newly elected President Biden wanted, like the confirmation of Cabinet members. And then he or she will be replaced in less than six months by a Democrat. This is doable.

[still_one]

5. Can we? That is what we thought about Scott Brown, and why the House had to

accept the Senate version, and couldn't make it more like the House version during reconciliation

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. I am taking into account the current political climate

In order for Warren's seat to be the swing seat, Democrats will have had to have done extremely well nation wide picking up a number of GOP seats, and Biden will be newly elected, in the honeymoon phase of his presidency. I just don't see MA voters giving control of the U.S. Senate over to Republicans under any circumstances next year given how much that state among others has suffered because of the National Republican Party. Of course I can be wrong, I just doubt that I am on this.

[still_one]

7. Without debating the likelihood of that, or not, the only thing I would add is I don't think there

will be a honeymoon phase because of the problems and mess trump and the republicans have done to the country and world

[brooklynite]

21. Baker was re-elected in "the current political climate"

I don't accept that its obvious that a Democrat would will a special eleciton.

[Tom Rinaldo]

25. Re-elected, yes. Pre-Pandemic. To a State office. As a known quantity, after serving 4 years

during which he cooperated well with a Democratic legislature. Massachusetts has a habit of electing moderate Republicans as Governor. Weld and Romney are two other relatively recent examples. I agree that there are no iron clad guarantees in politics, but I don't think Charlie Baker's re-election serves as a relevant comparison for a potential 2021 U.S. Senate race.

[Fiendish Thingy]

10. Scott Brown ran against a weak, unknown poorly funded Dem candidate

This time we would have some strong candidates, one of whom is named Kennedy.

[Demsrule86]

11. Absolutely not...last time with Obama...it pretty much ruined our attempt to get Public

option...NO. No one with a GOP governor should be VP period end of story.

[FM123]

8. I unabashedly adore Elizabeth Warren!

While highly qualified, she is not a woman of color and that matters in this election. I don't want her to be Veep. I want her to be the new Senate Majority Leader (sorry Chuck) after we flip the Senate so she can give Mitch McConnell the daily beating that he deserves - maybe not literally, but figuratively for sure.

[Fiendish Thingy]

9. THIS IS A FALSE NARRATIVE FROM RW SOURCE, NOT SUPPORTED BY FACTS!

The MA legislature has Dem supermajority that can (and has in past) passed veto-proof legislation requiring the governor to appoint a Democrat to any vacancies.

For the special election the Dems have a number of strong candidates (including one named Kennedy) unlike when Scott Brown ran and won.

I really wish this myth about Warren as VP costing Dems the senate majority would die a quick death...

[Hav]

13. Stop calling it a false narrative not supported by facts

when it's exactly what would currently happen. That is what makes it supported by facts in contrast to your hypothetical scenario which would be only possible through blatantly partisan legislation. We'd scream bloody murder if the Repubs did the same.

[Fiendish Thingy]

15. It is a false narrative - MA Dems have required gov to appoint a Dem before, and will again

You seem to support a pearl clutching, anti-Warren VP narrative, when the evidence shows she is the first choice of Dem voters and would give Biden the most boost in the November election, WITHOUT risking the Dems chance at a senate majority.

[Hav]

24. It's not a false narrative

if it's correctly reflecting what the currently existing rules are saying instead of speculating about what could theoretically be done to circumvent current rules.

[Fiendish Thingy]

26. It's not theoretical - it's an established, historical fact

Why are you perpetuating the pearl clutching False narrative that Warren as VP costs Dems their senate majority?

[Green Line]

29. Not true

Charlie Baker can appoint a replacement.

[Fiendish Thingy]

31. Nope - the Dem supermajority has, and will, pass a law requiring a replacement from same party

They have done it before, and will do it again, and Baker can’t veto.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

32. When?

I'm not saying I doubt you. It's an honest question.

[Fiendish Thingy]

36. They did it whenKerry was the nominee

And overrode Romney’s veto.

[Green Line]

33. Oh, so now they have to pass another law.

They have already said they won’t do that. What you are stating is just not true. There will have to be a special election, what if Charlie Baker decides to run? He’s so popular here he could win.

[Fiendish Thingy]

37. Here's a link that explains why Warren doesn't risk the Senate

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/05/18/how-the-massachusetts-legislature-can-help-elizabeth-warren-become-vp/

[fleur-de-lisa]

12. I love Elizabeth Warren. She was my first choice for our presidential nominee.

But now we need her to stay in the Senate.

And I really want an African American woman as our VP.

KAMALA HARRIS!

[Trumpocalypse]

14. I think a bigger obstacle is that

she and Biden don’t like each other.

[Fiendish Thingy]

18. Well, they seem to have mended any rift between them, as they've made many joint appearances

Online And in print of course, But still, if they detested each other, they wouldn’t be co-authoring op-Ed’s and making joint cyber appearances and fundraisers together, would they?

[Trumpocalypse]

22. Doesn't mean they like each other enough

to be partners for the next 4 years.

[Fiendish Thingy]

27. Well, Warren has said,she would agree to be on the ticket if asked

So, no evidence of hostility on her part.

[Trumpocalypse]

38. It's not up to her.

[Arazi]

16. Love her but Tammy Duckworth makes more sense - a war hero, WOC, whip smart

And a Democratic governor to appoint her replacement

[BannonsLiver]

30. I've been on the Duckworth bandwagon from the beginning

It would be a shit show to manage to take back the senate, and win the wh, and then have fucking Charlie Baker give the senate back to the GOP. There is no room for error with the senate. None. We need to thread the needle to get it back.

[tritsofme]

19. Aside from that...I don't think an all-septuagenarian ticket is wise.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

28. I have brought this up frequently

This was the one hesitation I had about her running for POTUS. Plus, in regards to being VP, I think that we may need some age-balance for the ticket.

[EndlessWire]

34. Thank you for my education.

I want a female VP who will make Pence look stupid, and can hold up under tRump's antifemale twitters that he will insult her with. I think we have quite a crop of smart, resilient women to choose from. Whoever it is, she might very well end up running in 2024, so she has to be able to fight.

[flamingdem]

35. Biden/Warren 2020