Senator Al Kranken
A few weeks back, I wrote a column for Black Star News advocating that if Hillary Clinton does indeed win the Democratic party nomination in 2016, in order to ensure victory in November she needs to choose Bernie Sanders as her Vice President.
The article was widely read. Many Sanders supporters were even angered that I would dare suggest a pairing of a genuine crusader against Wall Street extravagance orgy with its beneficiary.
I am happy to report that Bernie Sanders is not on HRC’s 2016 VP shortlist.
The source for this story has requested anonymity.
For the record, The Black Star News has endorsed Sanders.
Based on the current state of the campaign within the Democratic party- Sanders still continue to haunt HRC; yet Clinton increasingly conducts herself as if the nomination is wrapped up, a sound strategy.
Clinton’s VP short list is quite revealing in terms of her strategy in the fall. How the short list works is this: The names on it constantly shift around depending on the political climate and the needs of the candidate at that given time. What the GOP does at their convention will certaintly scramble Clinton’s VP even more.
I should also say, that at this point, none of the names of the list have been “officially asked” or “properly vetted” by the Clinton campaign. However, they are still who Clinton is focusing on at this time. I should also note, for the first time since 1988, Sam Nunn is not on the list.
This where the top VP choices for Clinton currently rank.
THE LIST:
5. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown:
You would think a popular, scandal free politician would be higher on the list. But Sen. Brown is dead last because if he and HRC win in November, Ohio Governor and current struggling GOP presidential candidate John Kasich would then appoint a Republican replacement of a stable Democratic seat. But Brown is on the list, I was told, as a “nuclear option,” in case, lets just say hypothetically the GOP nominates Kasich/Bush on a 2nd or 3rd ballot or a Rubio/Kasich ticket emerges. Basically, Brown would be tapped if both Kasich and someone from Florida is nominated. But with Donald Trump leading the GOP race, the Clinton camp believes the mild mannered Brown would get “shredded” by team Trump’s hatchet style politics. With Brown’s prospects revolving around that scenario, it appears that HRC is smartly planning for all outcomes at the GOP convention in Cleveland this summer.
4. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren:
Arguably, the most popular Democrat in the party, Sen. Warren would be an interesting choice. But like with Brown, the constellation of certain political dynamics would have to perfectly line up in order to see a Clinton/Warren 2016 ticket. Again, as with Brown, Massachusetts has Republican governor and she maybe the wrong choice to get in the sewer to battle team Trump. Warren also has other strikes against her VP chances. She is untested on a national stage and has not been totally vetted yet. But most of all, Warren is taller then HRC and that, believe it or not, is of consequential importance in the VP selection process.
3. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro:
Castro has been at the number one spot of Clinton’s VP short list for years. His choice to be Obama’s current HUD Secretary was guided by this notion that he would be Clinton’s ultimate VP pick. Castro has been groomed by the Clinton’s for quite some time, recently even learning to speak Spanish to better court Latino voters for Clinton. He is also shorter than HRC. But his star has faded in recent moths due to an unlikely source, the hate filled mouth of Trump. With the draft-dodging Trump saying that Muslim US Military servicepersons “hates us(America)” and that Mexicans are “rapists,” the need to attract Latino voters by nominating one of the own has greatly diminished. That goes too for former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick(son of Sun Ra Arkestra “Pat Patrick), who was recently knocked off of HRC’s VP List altogether. In fact, Clinton needs to boost her numbers with White voters, which leads to the number two prospect.
2. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine:
The former governor and current Sen. Kaine has been on a lot of VP short lists before, including being in the top three on Obama’s 2008 VP list. Kaine is from an important swing sate and with Catholic roots potentially has Midwest appeal as well in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana and Minnesota(he was born in St. Paul). Kaine is also in the height range of HRC. A Clinton/Kaine 2016 ticket has other benefits. Since being a Catholic missionary in his youth, he is totally fluent in Spanish not to mention the fact that he has governed a state and currently sits on both the Foreign Relations and Armed Service Committees.
The only thing not putting him at the number one spot is his total lack of charisma. And with HRC possibly going up against the fire breathing Trump campaign, Kaine may wilt in the clutch when she really needs a pit bull to bite down on Trump and not let go. For that, HRC has the ultimate weapon, the current holder of the number one spot on her VP list.
1. Minnesota Senator Al Franken:
In the past few weeks, with the rise of Trump, Sen. Franken has shot up from total VP obscurity to the number one spot with a bullet. Team Clinton has recently come to believe that Franken just may be the perfect antidote against Trump in November.
What could possibly crush the Trump juggernaut? Comedy. And who better than a former Saturday Night Live cast member/writer who has since become one of the most progressive members of the Senate and one of the most popular politicians in his home state, Minnesota? He will neutralize Sanders supporters feeling burned and who are threating to vote Green Party Franken also passes the height requirements, he is one inch shorter than HRC. But even more importantly Franken ishilarious, which the Clinton camp now believes could give her a “yuge” advantage battling Trump in the fall.
Team Clinton hopes Franken can turn Trump’s so-called “rewritten political playbook on it’s head.” Now that Trump is given tremendous amount of leeway by the media, team Clinton thinks Franken could take full advantage of the political mud pit Trump has created for his campaign while keeping HRC squeaky clean and above from the ensuing Trump shit storm that will be thrown at her.
Just look at any Franken youtube clip, like his decapitation of a committee witness from Focus on the Family over the federal definition of a “nuclear family,” his debate with Ann Coulter on alternative history or his 2015 appearance on David Letterman to grasp where why Franken is currently Clinton’s number one choice for VP.
The tea leaves of Clinton’s 2016 VP short list read one thing. When you factor in that Brown and Warren are only on it in case of some unusual circumstances, HRC’s list of three VP potentials is really short.
With Castro fading from one to three, it appears that Clinton choices really only include, Kaine and Franken.
With such a shortlist, as Yoda told Luke Skywalker, for Clinton, “choose wisely, you must.”
