Joe Biden has a huge opportunity staring him in the face. And it is the same opportunity that Obama utilized for his winning coalition, when he brought many of his competing Democrats (and some Republicans) into his administration.
Biden should announce cabinet level (or similar stature) positions for his now-vanquished competition:
- Elizabeth Warren. Is it too much to hope for her as Biden’s VP? I know the conventional wisdom is that his VP will be a black woman, but he has demonstrated that he already has strong support from the black community. Instead, he really needs someone who can help him with the progressive vote, and Warren will definitely help with that. Plus Warren has shown that she was a great attack dog against Bloomberg, and that could really help against Trump.
- Amy Klobuchar. She was one of the best debaters, but for some reason she never took off. She would be a great cabinet member, and a strong campaigner for Biden.
- Pete Buttigieg. Super smart, young, and would help bring in the LGBTQ vote. And the Democratic party would benefit by giving this rising star a role that would provide him experience and attention.
- Julian Castro. Sanders is strong with Latinos, and this might help blunt that.
- Maybe even Mike Bloomberg, as Trump is clearly afraid of him, and he has shown he can attack Trump with impunity and do damage.
Comments? Anyone else? Any (presumably never-Trump) Republicans who would be a good addition?
8 Comments
First Biden still has to win the nomination.
To be sure even Hilary is adding her voice, perhaps she desires a brokered convention so she can swoop in.
What happened Monday was the establishment coming to the aid of Biden as their white knight. I get it, the financial sector is worried that one of their pets will not he the nominee. The result will be the progressives, in all their forms, will rally around Bernie and a real fight for the soul or the Democratic Party will follow.
Heil Trumpf!
You’re calling Klobuchar, Buttigieg, and O’Rourke the establishment? And for gods sakes, why are you bringing Hillary Clinton into this? Get over it.
In the case of Super Tuesday, it sure looks like the progressives, in all their forms, couldn’t be bothered to vote for Bernie. He got less votes than he did in 2016.
And I noticed that last night Sanders was attacking “the establishment” but today he is embracing it, running an ad that hugs Obama close.
Is this what happens when a Bernie Bro loses?
Bernies Bro’s are the reason he is last on my list to vote for this coming Tuesday.
I kind of hate the idea of losing a senator to the cabinet. I like Warren, but she needs to stay in the Senate until the state gets a Dem as gov.
Stacy Abrams is going to run for president some day. I think, unless there are skeletons in her closet, she will probably have a good chance of being elected. Being VP might give her a leg up if Biden’s tenure as president goes smoothly. But there’s a danger it might not and then she could be toast. That would be a shame. She’s certainly an up and comer.
I’m pretty progressive and think the party needs to shift a bit left, but not at the expense of losing this coming election.
Dan,
As for Hilary adding her voice. Why shouldn’t she? As the last Dem contender, former Sec of State, former Senator, she is certainly entitled to do what she wants. And why wouldn’t the Dem establishment be concerned about Sanders? He’s not a democrat and yet runs under the umbrella of being one. If he gets the nod, I will vote for him. If Biden gets the nod, I will vote for him. Can, and will, the Bernie Bros do the same? They are probably why Clinton lost the last election and I blame them, to some degree, for the mess we are in right now.
The longest Massachusetts might have a Republican senator in the event that Warren is on the ticket or in the cabinet is 180 days, but the current GOP governor is a never-Trumper who might, given the circumstances, replace Warren with a Democrat if he hasn’t wrested control of his party from the all-in-for-DJT crowd just to spite them.
I think the VP candidate MUST be a woman of color if the candidate is a white man, but especially Bernie given his problems connecting with black voters. Maxine Waters would be an awesome VP and as she’s nearing the end of her career, a hiccup in a Biden or Bernie administration wouldn’t hurt her the way it would for Abrams or Harris.
Has to be younger that Waters. Both candidates will be 78. It has to be someone who can take over as young progressive president. Like Abrams or Harris.
As a staunch conservative, who does not like Trump, in terms of ideas, the only person I liked was Bernie (for being consistent) and also his medicare for all. To me medicare for all is most pro-growth/pro-market idea out there. The number of small businesses will spring, the innovators can start in garages. Small businesses will hire other people without worrying about cost of medical. Medicare for all was most liberating idea out there. I seriously think, the amount of money being spent by corporations, individuals already can be shifted without adding any burden and yet covering everyone.
The only losers will be insurance companies (thank God), and people who work for those companies. The medicare for all bill should have some manner of transitioning those people to either government or other jobs.
I hope Biden can take this idea, but it seems he was very persistent (during debates) that this is terrible idea
If Biden wins a few people suggested Obama as VP. Biden already said that someone who supported medicare for all wouldnt be on his ticket so that probably rules out warren. Obviously bernie wouldnt be a VP candidate. I hope it’ll be Klobuchar since she seems to have a similar platform to Biden, she gets along reasonably well with republicans, its good to have a younger VP with an elderly statesman as president, and she may be able to resonate with female voters who may be turned off by an all male ticket.
I’m a bit disappointed it was bernie and not warren who rose up from the progressive wing. She had detailed plans unlike bernie who just seemed to have pie in the sky ideas. Since she had detailed ideas there was a good chance she could have gotten her bills through. Too bad the progressive wing seemed fixated on Bernie.
I plan to vote for Warren next Tuesday. Pretty sure Biden will take Missouri, no matter who I vote for, so as a salute to the woman who should still be running, I will vote for her, (the smartest person in the race by far).