Who should be Biden’s number two? – Liberal Article
If Joe Biden beats Donald Trump, which seems likely at this point, he will become the oldest President elected in America – overtaking Donald Trump himself. Joe Biden would be 78 and 61 days on January 20th, the current proposed inauguration day. However, this naturally makes Biden’s VP candidate very important. So, let’s take a look at Biden’s top prospects.
Firstly, we must be aware Biden himself has narrowed the list quite a lot. He has already vetted four African-American women for the position.
Kamala Harris
The strongest candidate by far on this list in my opinion. Last year, most would have expected her to be the presidential candidate for the democrats, including myself. However, even before the primaries began, she dropped out as her campaign slumped.
However, this doesn’t mean she doesn’t desvere to be on the ticket. A former District Attorney, she usually dominates at rallies and debates. Biden could seriously do with this added injection of charisma. To say he has struggled at recent rallies and debates is an understatement. Having Kamala would be a very strong choice.
As some have said, she seems like the ‘obvious choice’ for Biden. Although I don’t think the choice is that simple. Having said this, I do think Kamala is the right pick, and I stand by my sentiment that Kamala is certainly a future President in the making. Adding the VP title to her resume will only make that more likely.
Susan Rice
The biggest problem Biden faces when he enters the White House is he will have to mend broken bridges internationally. Donald Trump seems to have, in recent months, dropped a tactical nuke on US forgien relations. Both through trying to pull out of WHO and the UN.
America is certainly becoming a laughing stock. What could be better than to have an extremely experienced candidate when it comes to foreign diplomacy? She occupied the position of US ambassador to the UN and National Secruity Advisor to Obama during his tenure. She also played a key part considering the Iran deal, something Biden needs to sort out once he enters office.
Comparing Rice and Harris, the choice is up to him. Do you want one of strongest political candidates or a heavy weight on the international stage?
Keisha Lance Bottoms
For me, Keisha Lance Bottoms is one of the outsider candidates for the VP role. However, she has something Harris and Rice both lack; she comes from Georgia, a swing state.
Now believe me, this should not be the only thing tied to her impressive resume, but it should certainly be a talking point. Harris was born in California and Rice in Washington, D.C. If Biden’s campaign team want to work tactically to win another state, Keisha Lance Bottoms is a great pick. People often underestimate the importance of where people come from.
However, she might not even be available for the position. The mayor of Atlanta has been dragged into a number of battles over face masks. She herself tested positive for Covid-19. This most likely means she cannot leave her position due to the chaos currently in her state.
Tammy Duckworth
The final candidate, and possibly the outsider, but a strong candidate none-the-less. The Senator from Illinois has a stunning history. She won the purple heart during service with the US army and is the first US Senator to give birth in office.
She is an incredibly fierce candidate for VP and would certainly add to Biden’s sometimes flavourless attitude. In that respect, she is a lot like Kamala Harris. However, you cannot overlook the impressive barriers that Senator Duckworth has broken in her lifetime. Although I reckon Biden will overlook her this time, I do think Tammy Duckworth has a long and impressive career ahead of her. She will definitely continue to break more barriers in the years to come.
Written by Senior Liberal Writer, Max Anderson
Point of Information
A choice for VP that matters more than usual – A Conservative Response
Firstly, it honestly astonishes me that Biden is the Democrat pick. He is currently 77 years of age, and will be 78 by the time the race is concluded. When watching unedited debate footage, his cognitive decline is clear.
I do not think he is physically capable for the most stressful job in the world. This is where I very much agree with Max: the second-in-command is crucial.
So, who should be his number twp?
My pick from Max’s suggestions is Susan Rice. I do not agree with her on every issue, but she is without doubt, a very impressive candidate. I completely agree with Max’s point on her resumé, again; she is the former National Security Advisor to President Obama, the former US Ambassador to the UN, and educated at both Stanford & Oxford universities.
The international playing field is a dangerous one, and is in flux; America is becoming less and less the undisputed hegemon. Thus, if Biden is elected to office, he would be well-aided by an individual who could navigate the perils of international politics.
My personal pick is Tulsi Gabbard.
Although she dropped out rather early, she has been the most impressive candidate that I have seen debate, often making light work of other candidates. She is a combat veteran, an anti-interventionist and staunch defender of current Democrat policies. Furthermore, for those that want to play the identity game, she also ticks that box, being female and of Samoan heritage & Hindu.
Her clear blemish, in my mind, is her previous problematic stance against same-sex marriage. However, she has since performed a U-turn and apologised for this on multiple occasions.
Written by Senior Conservative Writer, Alexander Dennis
An opportunity to embrace the zeitgeist – A Labour Response
I agree with Max and Alexander that cleaning up the absolute mess that is Trump’s foreign policy will be no easy feat if Biden is elected. However, I think that such an issue will be at the back of most American’s minds going into the 2020 election. Top of the list of concerns will undoubtedly be the response to the pandemic, and the enormously polarised reaction to the Black Lives Matter protests.
Biden faces an unenviable dilemma. On the one hand, the Democratic party is worryingly fractured along generational/ideological boundaries, and neglecting to acknowledge progressives with the VP pick could significantly disillusion young voters. On the other hand, choosing anyone vaguely left wing would allow Fox News to whip up a 21st century red scare. This would effectively frighten off any swing voters or Republican Never-Trumpers.
Out of Max’s suggestions, for me, it’s a close call between Keisha Lance Bottoms and Tammy Duckworth, with Bottoms’ lack of high level experience perhaps placing her behind Senator Duckworth. Biden needs a younger, charismatic VP in order to harness the growing outrage expressed by young and black voters.
Whilst this may seem to describe Kamala Harris to a T, there has been rising scepticism of the current favourite, with many seeing her as inauthentic due to her close association with the broken criminal justice system during her time as District Attorney, and later Attorney General.
I think that in order to beat Trump, Biden must lean into the zeitgeist. Millions of Americans this summer have made clear that the justice system, including the police, is simply not working. Combine that with the unprecedented popularity of a truly left-of-centre candidate (Bernie Sanders), and a political revolution seems imminent.
A maverick option, and my personal pick, would be Karen Bass. Whilst not well known on a national level, Bass is deeply experienced, being chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, head of two subcommittees, and a former speaker of the California State Assembly. She also has the progressive credentials needed to balance out Biden’s moderate image, having been the chief architect of the recent police reform bill.
Now is the time for the Democratic party to listen to the largest, most widespread political phenomenon in the history of the USA, and to respond decisively.
Written by Senior Labour Writer, Max Ingleby
Max Anderson
I am currently in my second year of reading Politics at the University of Exeter. My first interaction with politics was at the tender age of four years old.
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Max Anderson#molongui-disabled-link
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Max Anderson#molongui-disabled-link
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Max Anderson#molongui-disabled-link
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Max Anderson#molongui-disabled-link
Alexander Dennis
Hello, I’m Alexander Dennis, and I am going into my third undergraduate year at the University of Exeter. I study Politics & International Relations, with a possible year abroad hanging in the balance. My particular interest in politics really started in early 2016: yes, it was ‘Brexit’. I was at once intrigued, and confused, by something so critical. From that baptism, I have become somewhat addicted to political discussion, intrigued by issues ranging from drugs policy to taxation. So I followed my nose: I applied for a degree in the subject.
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Alexander Dennis#molongui-disabled-link
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Alexander Dennis#molongui-disabled-link
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Alexander Dennis#molongui-disabled-link
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Alexander Dennis#molongui-disabled-link
Max Ingleby
A late bloomer when it comes to politics and current affairs, I first dipped my toes in the political pool at the tender age of sixteen with a bracing submersion into the AS politics syllabus, and I have been hooked ever since.
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Max Ingleby#molongui-disabled-link
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Max Ingleby#molongui-disabled-link
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Max Ingleby#molongui-disabled-link
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Max Ingleby#molongui-disabled-link
