Who Should Bernie Select for His Running Mate?

[amborin]

Vote for Bernie's Veep!
Bernies-vp-caps

Bernie Sanders is launching a political revolution. He can't do it alone!




https://actionnetwork.org/forms/vote-for-bernies-veep/

[jillan]

1. Tulsi!!

[yourpaljoey]

2. O yeah... she is super!

[Tarc]

3. /facepalm

[floriduck]

5. Why'd you put the horse behind the cart? LOL

[Kip Humphrey]

36. its a pushcart, not a pullcart.

[Funtatlaguy]

7. If it's Hillary....

She might think about somebody who supported Bernie in the primary.
If so, I say Raul.

[Funtatlaguy]

4. Tulsi!!!!!!!!!!

She's a great speaker.
Military experience.
West Coast to go with Bernie East Coast.

However, the thought of a Muslim (Ellison) in the ticket would be great fun to see the Trump supporters heads explode.....lol.

[litlbilly]

6. I would be happy with any of those three:)

[firebrand80]

8. Someone strong on foreign policy nt

[JonathanRackham]

9. Hillary

Good prize for second place. Again.

[carolinayellowdog]

14. benefit: party unity

cost: how long would Bernie live into his first term?

[Myrina]

48. Oh hay-ell no! Lady MacBeth needs to stay away from the VP job.

"Out, damned spot! out, I say!—One: two: why, then, 'tis time to do't.—Hell is murky!—
Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard?
What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?"

[840high]

53. .+1

[Hiraeth]

54. No fucking way.

[felix_numinous]

10. Elizabeth Warren

or Martin O'Malley

[Cheese Sandwich]

84. Elizabeth Warren has got to be top option.

[demwing]

11. Jesse Jackson

Been beating that drum for months

[Cheese Sandwich]

81. This is a good choice. Jesse paved the way. I would like a chance to vote for that ticket.

We need the original idea of the original Rainbow Coalition right now.

[demwing]

89. Not only does Jesse have solid gold progressive credentials

but he's also noted as an international diplomat.

And, if the VP is tasked with balancing the ticket, a black, southern, civil rights legend would do nicely.

[Cheese Sandwich]

92. Yeah I agree. My only concern is they are both pretty old.

That would be a consideration. But even with that it would still be a good choice.

[NWCorona]

12. I'm almost positive Bernie will pick a female VP and I'll be disappointed if he doesn't.

I'm hoping it would be Warren and her refusal to endorse either candidate kinda plays to that but it might not happen. Other's have made a strong argument as to why she's needed in the Senate.

I'm thinking it might be Tulsi Gabbard and I'd be very happy with that.

[lagomorph777]

15. Yup, Warren would be great

...but can she be safely replaced?

[NWCorona]

19. That's my thinking too

[dreamnightwind]

13. Outside the box a little, but Kshama Sawant is excellent

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kshama_Sawant

Kshama Sawant (/ʃɑːmə sɑːˈwʌnt/)[2] is an American politician who sits on the Seattle City Council.[3][4] A former software engineer, Sawant became a socialist activist and part-time economics instructor in Seattle after immigrating to the United States. Sawant ran unsuccessfully for the Washington State House of Representatives before winning her seat on the Seattle City Council. Sawant was the first socialist to win a city-wide election in Seattle since Anna Louise Strong was elected to the School Board in 1916

Otherwise, I've been very impressed with how well Gabbard presents to an audience, but don't know enough about her. edit to add I llove how she speaks out against U.S. military interventionalism.

Grijalva is another interesting choice. He takes corporate money, doesn't he? I see that as a problem. But maybe he is a good choice.

Ellison, I think he would be a liability as a Muslim. I would have no problem with it, but many would.

Warren would be a great addition to the ticket, but I think she would prefer to be a Senator than a VP.

O'Malley always vibed like a phony to me, but he could be ok. I know others here like him.

If I were Bernie I would stay far away from anyone the establishment would prefer as POTUS, assassination risk.

[nemo137]

17. After fighting a long, bruising battle with the Democratic party establishment

and needing, after the election, if he wins, to have to work with elected Dems, I really don't think trying to bring on another non-Democrat on to the ticket would be a good idea.

[dreamnightwind]

22. And why not?

You think many of those Democrats will vote for Trump or Ryan or whomever? We can triangulate the party establishment the way they've always done it to us, if we get the nomination. They have nowhere else to go. I suppose they could kick up a Bloomberg run or something like that, let them if that's who they are.

I want no part of the corporate Democratic establishment, it is thoroughly rotten. Most voters have figured that out, too, and it's those voters we need to reach.

[nemo137]

33. No, but you're going to need, among other thing

1.) Democrats that didn't vote for Bernie, and who are not socialists, to feel like they're still part of the party (and do things like vote, donate, and volunteer, because no matter how many new faces you bring in, you're not replacing them), because they're not going anywhere
2.) Elected Democrats, of whom there will hopefully be more of after November, to work with Bernie. Telling them to take a flying fuck at a rolling donut by tapping a socialist city councilor for the VP would not be wise
3.) Undecided voters, who may be terrified of a Trump/Cruz/Ryan presidency but not on board with a "revolution", to feel comfortable voting for Sanders

I don't have any problem with Sawant, but I don't think bringing in another independent socialist on to the ticket is a good idea.

[dreamnightwind]

40. Good points, though I disagree

I really think it's time to put people out there who stand for the right things, without apology or compromise. I'm not saying you never compromise as part of governing, I'm saying we need candidates who are themselves uncompromised.

Sawant is really excellent on the issues. She probably isn't ready for such a national stage, which is why I said she's out of the box, but it would be a bold and worthy choice given who Bernie is and what he is fighting for.

I disagree strongly with your point 1), I just don't think we'll lose many of them to a Trump or whomever, and they are not the activist grass-roots energy of the party at all, the Bernie/Warren types are. If they don't like policies like social security, national healthcare, free college tuition (something we used to have at many universities), why are they Democrats? There's a rightful place for socialist constraints on privatization and unchecked capitalism in the Democratic Party, and if we don't stand up for that, we have no soul as a party and very little legitimacy.

[Retrograde]

74. Sounds like an interesting person but not eligible

Per the 12th Amendment: "But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."

[dreamnightwind]

75. Wow, thanks, didn't know where she was born (India)! - eom

[Norrin Radd]

87. I'd rather Sawant became mayor here in

Seattle.

[dreamnightwind]

90. I hope she does! - eom

[pinebox]

16. Jill Stein

[NWCorona]

20. I really like Jill

But that would fracture the Democratic party even more.

[pinebox]

21. I think it would open it up even more

Her message and Bernie's are very similar. They would work well together and it would open up the progressive tent even more so.

[dreamnightwind]

23. That could work

I heard, a couple of weeks ago, that Jill reached out to Berne in some way, and wondered what that was about. I was assuming it was about putting him on the Green ticket if Hillary gets the nomination (not that there's any sign Bernie would do that), but it could have been an inquiry re VP.

I actually voted for Jill in 2012, disgusted with Obama after I supported him in '08, and my state was very safe for Obma in the 2012 election so I voted for her.

[pinebox]

24. Yes she did reach out to Bernie should Hillary be the nominee

[dreamnightwind]

25. Any info on what that was about? - eom

[pinebox]

34. There's been some conjecture that he could be a running mate

[dreamnightwind]

37. Wow, thanks, verrrryyy interesting - eom

[pinebox]

35. I wouldn't be too sure

[silvershadow]

42. I am. He wants to win. If he doesn't win, then what? nt

[pinebox]

44. I'm not

because if it's one thing Bernie has done it's open the tent up to new Dems. If he had Stein as a VP that tent would even get larger. Think about it, a unification of progressive ideals.

[silvershadow]

58. Not gonna happen. She is welcome to vote for him. I would encourage all of the Greens to do so. nt

[pinebox]

60. Explain your position

Why do you think that? I see it as more likely than anything considering the Dem establishment has essentially royally screwed him over.

[silvershadow]

61. Because he is not that foolish. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

52. Good choice.

[Retrograde]

56. An Independent and a Green as the Democratic ticket?

I don't play n-dimensional chess, and I'm not even all that good at the 2d version, but I see this pairing as problematic down the line as well as down the ballot.

Now, a Sanders/Ellison ticket would be interesting and IMHO more workable.

[pinebox]

59. Bernie is now a Dem

and if the Dem party wants to grow they need to reach outside the political realm. Both parties are bleeding people. This would ensure a much larger base

[Cheese Sandwich]

83. How would it be a problem? You think Democrats would stay home?

[Retrograde]

91. I think the party stalwarts will vote for the candidate no matter who

IIRC, roughly a third of voters will vote Democratic no matter who's on the ticket, and a third will vote Republican no matter who. It's the swing center that will be more likely to be put off by a Green candidate, and it's those voters that the Democrats will need to keep the presidency (and, I hope, pick up some more seats in Congress). That's why candidates tend to move more to the center once they receive a party's nomination.

[dooner]

18. Barbara Boxer

[shanti]

64. Sadly, Boxer is for Hillary

I'm really disappointed in Boxer

[pangaia]

26. Willie Nelson

[NuclearDem]

28. I didn't know there was such a thing as a Vice Senator.

[DesertRat]

70. thread winner!

[Buzz Clik]

29. He'll need someone who has a lot of time and nothing to do.

[Politicalboi]

31. She more on Hillary's level

But thanks anyways.

[Politicalboi]

30. Either Tulsi, Nina, or Elizabeth

Hillary doesn't deserve dog catcher. Besides, Bill never was a dog catcher, so she can't ride those coattails to the shelter.

[amborin]

73. Nina would be great!

[Surya Gayatri]

32. How about Cenk Uygur? He's loud enough, he's ambitious enough,

and, gosh darn it, "progressives" supposedly love him...

[Kalidurga]

38. Jane Sanders

[Kip Humphrey]

39. 1st question should be,"How best does Bernie want to utilize the office of VP?"

keep enemies closer?
domestic congressional liaison?
foreign policy diplomat?
revolution coordinator?
backup QB?

[Peachhead22]

41. Elizabeth Warren

Duh!

On edit: Or if he wants to geographically diversify a little, perhaps Gavin Newsome or someone really out of the blue: Wendy Davis.

[COLGATE4]

43. Nobody, since he won't be running for President

[no_hypocrisy]

45. Jan Schakowsky

https://schakowsky.house.gov/

[KingFlorez]

46. Cynthia McKinney

[Octafish]

65. She was one of the few in Congress with the guts to stand up to Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld.

Cynthia McKinney would hold Bernie's feet to the fire and serve as "Impeachment Insurance."

[TheDormouse]

47. Elizabeth Warren

She's not as liberal as I would prefer, but she has served in the Senate, she knows her sht, she can take on the 1%ers, and she's very charismatic.

[TheDormouse]

49. FYI Tulsi Gabbard is no liberal

http://www.progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=house

Progressive Punch gives her an F grade.

[Avalux]

50. Dare I say Elizabeth Warren? The two of them would be a formidable team.

I would love that!

[Myrina]

51. I would have said Russ Feingold, but ...

... he's favored to replace Ron "Kochboy" Johnson, in the Senate.

[bvf]

55. I'll be fine with whomever he chooses. n/t

[DemocraticWing]

57. I still vote Tammy Baldwin, but it's too early to think about VP picks

[Kentonio]

62. Nina Turner please!

[Lone_Wolf]

63. Kirsten Gillibrand

She's, young, liberal, and female.

Plus it would be a nice little slap in the face at Hillary if Bernie chose Hillary's Senate replacement in NY.

[SecularMotion]

66. Ron Paul

[JoePhilly]

67. Some of the anti-Hillary folks on DU appear to have plenty of time on their hands.

Maybe Bernie could pick one of them.

[phiddle]

68. Janet Napolitano

Strong administrator, security credentials, puts the west in play, doesn't risk a congressional seat, is younger, and will soothe that subset of Clinton voters who wish to see a woman ascend the power structure

[think]

69. Barbara Lee is someone who should be considered also. /nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

88. Yep.

[carolinayellowdog]

71. leave Biden in place?

Never been done before AFAIK but it might appease Conservadems without alienating Bernie supporters.

[hobbit709]

72. someone that would make Camp Bansalot have a collective apoplectic fit.

[grasswire]

76. I love Tulsi, but she has an electability problem..

...having supported an anti-muslim organization. And that is a shame.

[Cheese Sandwich]

82. Give her a chance to walk it back and express understanding of the issue

I don't think this is a deal breaker. The ant-muslim organization is actually the largest political party in India and their prime minister belongs to it. Which is a problem by itself, but hey maybe she didn't know that much about it.

[fun n serious]

77. You won't need to worry about that... nt

[bjo59]

78. In a perfect world, Nina Turner.

[oasis]

79. Noam Chomsky.

[Cheese Sandwich]

80. Two 80 year old Jewish socialists... I like it.

Chomsky wouldn't stoop to this though.

[MFM008]

85. someone who can count super-delegates?

perhaps?

[SoLeftIAmRight]

86. Christopher Lynn "Chris" Hedges

I would have him giving 2 speeches every day