I think being a major/Lt.Col in the military translates just as well. It’s a harder job. That’s a lot more than flying a helicopter, you’re in command of a lot of folks, a lot of lives.
I’m not a superstitious man, but ffs it’s 2020; do you really want to push our luck?
Hey, I’m not going to slight her service at all, but her actual job was a helicopter pilot.
Now, i don’t know what she was doing while in the national guard after she got shot down. Maybe lots of stuff, but i honestly don’t know. But I’d be surprised if a LtCol in the Illinois National Guard somehow weilded more power or commanded more people than the AG California. I’ve known a good of LtCol’s over the years, and none of them had that kind of power. Not even remotely close.
I hadn’t considered the Bill Pullman scenario.
I look forward to Marine One starring former President Duckworth, a 15:17 to Paris-esque reenactment of her heroic actions against an unhinged Ted Cruz.
One of the biggest issues that Biden and his team are having to tiptoe around is the one that is front of mind to a lot of folks: if Biden does win in November, the odds aren’t great that he’ll run again in 2024. And so in a lot of conventional wisdom thinking, his VP appointment may be an anointing of his successor.
And he may not want to put his finger on the scale that much. Which is why someone like Demings or Susan Rice represents a good alternative – both qualified to lead if necessary, but neither would maybe be seen as the definitive front-runner in 2024 either.
I also feel Duckworth is a good choice here for the same reason. I just can’t see her running for President.
Harris would likely trigger a backlash among the left, who despite the fact she isn’t moderate, is seen as one, and moderates see her as more leftist. She’s got that HIllary problem, that’s why I don’t want her as the pick - I could easily see her losing in 2024, though I think 2024 depends on how quickly we can get through corona and out the other side. If we’re in recovery in 2024, I think Dems win, if not, we go full fascist.
Why not? She already has experience for the job …
I think that attitude would be a huge mistake. He ought to be picking a successor now, with the full understanding that this is what he is doing, and every intention of helping that successor to the top. If Obama and Biden had taken that approach, Biden would probably be President now.
And on that basis, Harris is a better choice than Duckworth. There isn’t anything wrong with Duckworth, but in terms of things like stage presence and gravitas, it’s Harris.
In the short term I don’t like the pick of Harris because I think she would make a much better AG. But if you’re playing the long game and you want to groom the VP to be the next president then I think she would be a good choice.
Who do you think wouldn’t trigger a backlash among those people?
I mean, on some level, are those people really going to vote for Trump because they don’t like Biden’s VP pick?
I was excited about Harris at the start of the primary process but was Luke warm towards the end. Don’t get me wrong, I’d vote for her in a heartbeat and think she’s qualified. There are just other choices I’d actually be excited about.
The prosecutor thing is t a deal breaker for me (there are no deal breakers so me) but we s less than ideal in our current climate, even if she has discussed how her views have evolved.
This is so important, probably even more important than winning this election. The 2020 one will possibly see one of the parties take full control of the country. If that party is the current GOP or a more extreme version, authoritarianism is coming to America just like it did in Turkey or Hungary but with no restraints from “higher ups” (Nato/the US or the EU).
Bottoms because of her lower name recognition, Warren because she’s on their side.
Duckworth would generate mild grumbling would be tolerated.
Bass might also be ok.
Harris is more intensely disliked,she’s largely seen as pro-police, pro-corporate.
Do you have any numbers/polling/etc or are you just speaking anecdotally?
I think the only real support for that stuff is that Harris ran against Bernie, and at that point they tried to demonize her pretty hard, especially when she was surging in the polls at one point.
However, I think that her experience as a AG is a benefit, in that she can probably help bridge the gap between the justice system and the people it is supposed to serve.
This is stuff that is dumb and shouldn’t matter, but it does: I just think Harris has a “presence” that I haven’t seen in Duckworth or the other candidates. For me personally, I’ll be happy with whomever Biden picks. Harris is just good at projecting a confident/commanding sort of aura about her, if that makes any sense. At least that’s how she’s come across to me when I’ve seen her speak, and I’m saying this as someone who doesn’t have a strong opinion about her either way.
I endorse this view.
I wouldn’t say its dumb and it probably does matter. Harris also benefits, vis-a-vis Duckworth, from the opportunities she has had to project that presence to a wide audience. Duckworth, as far as I know, may have that same presence but she wasn’t part of the Presidential primary debates and she didn’t have the same high-profile camera time questioning Supreme Court candidates and others appearing in front of the Senate.
Fair points!
You live in a very closed silo.
Anyone who decides not to vote for Biden over his VP pick from amongst the Democratic party wasn’t going to vote for him anyway and was looking for an off-ramp to wave away that decision.