Speculation is rampant as to Vice President Biden’s process of selecting a vice presidential candidate.
Conjecture swirls around many excellent women, all with strengths and inevitable weaknesses, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Stacy Abrams, and so forth. As the field narrowed, I supported Senators Harris and Warren, so I understand their appeal.
Still, I’d like to make the case for Susan Rice. She is not dynamic, she is not trendy, she is not cool. But she brings something to the table no other women being chattered about does. Long, and deep international experience, and established relationships with the leaders of our allies. She is tough as nails and would present Vlad with an adversary to fret over, rather than an easy pushover about whom to rub his hands together in glee.
After 3 years of international corruption, withdrawal from important international arrangements, isolationist policies, affronts to our most crucial and valued allies, there is no other person on the chattered about list who brings even 1/10 such important experience and position.
It’s true, Joe Biden has deep international experience himself, so the argument could be made that he doesn’t need strong back-up in international diplomacy.
But Joe Biden will need to expend every bleeding drop of his being in calming and healing this nation, while at the same time, rebuilding the institutions of a teetering democracy picking up speed on the continuum to banana republic status. He will need to ram through critical economic bills to shore up a devastated economy, and revitalize the institutions of public health.
He needs someone he can set loose rebuilding our status and alliances in the world. A woman who can hit the ground running. A woman about whom he will feel comfortable telling world leaders “Susan speaks for me”. Without worrying what she might say.
Susan Rice for VP.