Check Out My List of the Top 5 Contenders for Vice President on the 2020 Democratic National Ticket.
Let’s be frank. Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee, Joe Biden, will be 78 years old if he is sworn in as president on January 20, 2021. This will make him the oldest person who has ever been sworn in as president.
Given the media’s attention to Biden's occasional verbal mishaps in public, the state of his mental capacity will definitely be on the ballot in November. Therefore, his choice of running mate will be the most important decision of his campaign.
Vice President Biden is well aware of this and has been vocal about his ideas for a running mate. We know he knows the job description well and has a pretty good idea of what he’s looking for.
My sources tell me the most important factors he is considering are: 1) must be female 2) younger in age and 3) well-vetted.
With this in mind, here is my list of the top 5 women most likely to get the nomination:
1. Gretchen Whitmer: Governor of Michigan. According to CNN, Biden called her an “outstanding governor” and “one of the most talented people in the country in my view.” Whitmer is 48 years old (the same age as my mother), and a great choice to pull in the younger vote with her selection. My political gut instinct tells me she’s the one.
UPDATE 04/16/20: Negative press surrounding Whitmer's tough stay-at-home pandemic policy has brought her name into the political spotlight in a less favorable way, which may deter Biden from popping the question. But if the heat dies down quickly, she's still his number one pick in my book.
2. Kamala Harris: Senator from California. Harris is a great choice given she’s already been vetted for president, 55 years old, and a household name. For me, she’s a personal favorite in that she embodies the kind of spunk we’d like to see in a debate with Vice President Mike Pence. If race is a factor for Biden, Kamala will be his partner in November.
3. Tammy Duckworth: Senator from Illinois. What a pick this would be! Imagine the first Asian American on a national ticket, let alone a veteran who was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot during the Iraq war, lost both legs when she was shot down, and is the first U.S. Senator to give birth while in office at the shocking age of fifty. Today at 52 years old, she’s checking off all of Biden’s boxes. Definitely a contender in my book.
4. Amy Klobuchar: Senator from Minnesota. I’m surprised she made it as far as she did in the presidential election, but since we share a birthday, I understand her determination and perseverance. As a solid moderate, Klobuchar aligns closest to Biden. And at 59 years old, she still meets his criteria of finding the right running mate at the right age.
5. Elizabeth Warren: Senator from Massachusetts. According to CNN, Biden said he wanted a VP with “some correlation between their views and mine,” specifically mentioning support for “Medicare for All” as a non-starter. Despite this statement, I think Warren must still be on his list otherwise he will alienate every single progressive both Warren and Sanders spent so much time cultivating. This is definitely Biden’s most unlikely choice in my opinion, but Warren’s powerful presence cannot be dismissed, or too many progressives will spend November 3rd at home eating pizza.
UPDATE 04/16/20: Senator Warren told Rachel Maddow on her show last night that she would say "yes"if Biden asked her to serve as Vice President. Her demeanor was practically giddy. As much as a long shot as this is, I truly hope Biden's team considers how left out most Progressives feel right now, and adding Warren to the ticket would be a huge win for this important sector of the Democratic Party.
In sum, the prospect of having a female vice president takes us one step further to having a female president. As much as I dislike the notion of identity politics, I think in this case, having a lady in the White House is long overdue.
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Article written by Jett James Pruitt