As usual I’m starting with my qualifiers: I am talking about Clinton’s prospective VP, not Bernie’s, because I think Clinton has a much better shot at being president at this stage in the race. If you can’t abide the thought of a President Clinton, then you can stop reading here and save your time. I am NOT saying Sanders doesn’t have a shot at becoming nominee. This diary is simply musing on what MIGHT happen with the VP selection IF Clinton is selected.
I don’t think O’Malley will be VP. It sure is nice to think about though.
On the other picks
Julian Castro seems to be in the process of being groomed for Clinton’s VP. I think it’s a good call. Demographically speaking, Clinton has strong support among Latinos no matter what other people claim: she won 7 out of 10 latinos in Texas, dominated among Cubans in Florida, and won some 63% of Latinos in NY’s primary. Picking the first Latino VP in American history would do well to solidify this support, and will play nicely against Trump’s incredibly xenophobic jargon. As a Texan Castro could, if we’re dreaming unicorn daydreams here, cause a real contest in Texas come November (I know it’s unlikely, but West Wing flashbacks make me feel warm and fuzzy).
There are rumors that Warren might be picked, and in my opinion I think that’s a very bad idea. She’s a prominent voice in the Senate and we need every senator we can get. Also, two women running President and VP? 8% of the country flat out refuses to vote for a woman if she runs for president, that’s bad enough. Clinton and Warren’s voting records, and the fact that they’re both old, white women, might not expand the horizon for undecided, or conservative democrat (yes, they exist, and in still-large numbers), or misogynistic voters. Still, it’s an idea to be entertained—many Sanders supporters have told me their admiration of Warren, and it might convince some in the Sanders camp to vote Clinton come November.
Al Franken, legendary and passionate liberal, would energize the left’s base. I’m personally a huge fan of Franken and I’d be delighted if he became VP. My only concerns are his age—at 64, he’s no spring chicken—and the loss of a democratic Senate seat. In this aspect I believe he’s somewhat less crucial than Warren but it still hurts.
Corey Booker is fiscally conservative and socially liberal, which I like, but is also too close to Clinton in this sense for me to think that it’ll broaden her appeal. I also don’t like his little bits and snippets of bumping heads with Obama; I rather like Obama. His leaving the NJ Senate would mean his seat gets filled by probably Christie, which makes me ill. He WOULD be the first black VP, which is something to cheer for, and might further solidify Clinton’s gargantuan support among black voters.
On O’Malley
I personally saw and met O’Malley some two years ago, at my university’s graduation ceremony. He radiated warmth and exuberance, and he had a throw-the-arm-around-the-shoulder type of friendliness that reminded me of Bill Clinton. I liked his handshake. He plays guitar and was in a rock band, how cool is that?! And as someone who lived in MD for nearly a decade I was pleased with his record in Baltimore as mayor and as governor. O’Malley’s plan for the environment was hopelessly and romantically ambitious in my opinion, but as an Environmental Science Policy major I couldn’t help but cheer for it. I was happy to see he was running in 2016. While I wasn’t surprised that he was eliminated from the race very quickly, I was a little sad about it.
As VP, O’Malley would bring much to the table. White men, one of the only race/gender groups who don’t have majority support for Clinton, would receive some mollification. His geniality and handsome charm would nicely balance criticisms of Clinton seeming awkward or dishonest. His proud Irish-American background harkens to an important part of white American history. His relative youth is a good contrast to Clinton’s (and Bernie’s, and Trump’s) age. And while the VP doesn’t have much power, O’Malley can give hope to environmental groups that he’ll push for a more ambitious and comprehensive environmental protection agenda, just as he did in his native state of Maryland.
And maybe—just maybe—being VP would be a nice padding to his resume should he decide to run for president again in 2024.
Who do you think should be Clinton’s VP? Vote/Comment below!