By Donna Smith
We know. The debate in Brooklyn is barely a memory and the New York primary is yet to happen, so who are we to think we need to help Bernie select his running mate now? We are the people, the staunchly Bernie-supporting people, who believe that Bernie has a pretty good chance of earning the Democratic nomination. And we believe it not just because of the momentum but also because of the math – anyone who tries to say differently is not being honest.
So Bernie also has a pretty good chance of needing to choose a running mate. Since Progressive Democrats of America, PDA, was there at the very inception of drafting Bernie to run as a Dem, we just thought it proper that we take the lead again on drafting a great vice presidential candidate and the best running mate for Bernie. He’s been a little busy with the whole Vatican jaunt and all, after all.
PDA’s favorites in alphabetical order are:
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Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota was the second member of Congress to endorse Bernie. He’s a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the first Muslim American elected to Congress, and a champion for all of our progressive legislation. When we offered him a “Healthcare Not Warfare” sticker, he asked if we meant single-payer healthcare before taking it. When told it was indeed single-payer, he said, “Good! Because anything else is just bull s—t!” We love that combination of plain talk and smart thinking in Bernie and in Keith. Sanders-Ellison, 2016. No nonsense, just results!
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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii resigned her DNC leadership position in February 2016 so she could endorse Bernie. An active duty major in the Army National Guard who served two tours of duty in the Middle East, Tulsi displays courageous decision-making we need for our political revolution. She sponsored legislation barring U.S. action to commit regime change in Syria, to avoid another Middle East quagmire. Tulsi knows all too well the real costs of war; that “boots on the ground” don’t suffer casualties—American families do. She turned 35 just this week, making her constitutionally eligible to be Bernie’s vice president. Sanders-Gabbard, 2016. It's the winning ticket.
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Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona was the first Congress person to endorse Bernie. He’s a kind, open man who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus with intelligence and courage. He’s helped PDA whenever we’ve asked, and graciously appreciates our support for his important legislation. He agreed to sponsor the resolution PDA and our allies drafted, the most ambitious Climate Emergency legislation ever. He supports all of our agenda items. We appreciate Raul’s friendliness, complete lack of pretense, and other Bernie-like qualities. Sanders-Grijalva, 2016. Sí, se puede! (Yes, we can!)
These three Congress members were the first to endorse Bernie, and all have demonstrated their commitment to progressive values. We discussed this, and determined that they deserve to be featured choices, but we invite you to write in any choice you’d prefer here, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
At PDA, we hope you took a few moments to express your preference here, and now we hope you get back to work helping get out the vote in New York. And let’s start spreading the news – Bernie needs a great V.P.