When Jimmy Carter picked Walter Mondale to be his Vice President in 1976, he selected someone who could be a partner in governing.
When Bill Clinton selected Al Gore to be his running mate in 1992, he picked a candidate who could share governing responsibilities in the new Administration.
When Barack Obama offered the Vice Presidency to Joe Biden, he wanted someone who could help steer the ship of state.
Electoral concerns were not the primary consideration among these Presidential Nominees in choosing these number twos in their future administrations.
Carter was going to win Minnesota without Mondale on the ticket.
Obama was going to prevail in Delaware without Biden.
Bill Clinton, a charismatic golden child of the South, would probably have won Tennessee without Gore in his two elections.
Clinton, understanding the importance of who to choose for Vice President, told Paul Begala when the advisor asked: “Why Gore?”
“I could die, that’s why ” Clinton snapped back.
These are the primary considerations, Joe Biden, given his age and the history that eight Vice Presidents assumed the Presidency following the death of the President, must ponder when choosing his Vice President.
Checking who is the celebrity of the month or who could deliver a state or region or fill an electoral box would be nice bonuses but should not be the paramount criteria for choosing someone, in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic and economic downtown, who is a heartbeat away from the Presidency.
The ability to govern and take over the Presidency on day one is the only consideration Joe Biden and his team should discuss when choosing potentially the next Vice President.
These are the names of the current candidates it is believed the Biden team is vetting for the Vice President nomination. They are:
- Stacey Abrams
- Senator Tammy Baldwin
- Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
- Representative Val Demings
- Senator Tammy Duckworth
- Senator Maggie Hassan
- Senator Kamala Harris
- Senator Amy Klobuchar
- Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
- Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
- Governor Gina Raimondo
- Susan Rice
- Senator Elizabeth Warren
- Governor Gretchen Whitmer
All of these candidates have favorable qualities in their favor. However, not all of them are ready to assume the Presidency on a moment’s notice.
This country, after the Trump-Pence Administration, does not need another Andrew Johnson or Spiro Agnew or Dan Quayle in the Vice Presidents’ chair.
Again, when Biden’s age is factored along with the necessity of having a solid governing team in place on January 20, 2021, that can start the process of cleaning up the mess that was the Trump Administration, having a person that can be President at a moments notice, if God forbid something happened to Joe Biden, is vital to the forward direction of the nation.
Please remember to:
Turn out and vote on August 4, 2020, and November 3, 2020.
Register/sign up for the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) in Arizona or any state that allows early or absentee balloting and mail. Arizona residents can sign up at servicearizona.com
Arizona residents, mail your General Election ballot by October 28, 2020, for the November 3, 2020 election.
Check-in with the Secretary of State’s office where you live to verify your mail-in ballot was received, processed, verified, and counted.
Know the voter ID requirements in your state.
If you can, support Clean Election Candidates with a small contribution.
Also, please remember to stay informed on all the candidates and vote for all the offices on the ballot.
Also, remember to research all the ballot initiatives, sign to get them on the ballot if you support the measure, and vote on them as well.
Remember Primary Election Day is on August 4, 2020, and General Election Day is on November 3. 2020.