My 2020 Vice Presidential recommendations

The first contest in the 2020 Democratic and Republican presidential primaries will take place in less than two weeks. During the Iowa caucus on Feb. 3, voters will set the stage for the contests that follow. 

That means it’s the perfect time to begin considering who potential nominees might choose as their vice presidential running mates. The following candidates are listed in the order of my current preferences for who I would like to win the presidential race.  

1. Bernie Sanders

Strategically, the best VP pick for Sanders would be Elizabeth Warren. A combination ticket between the two of them could potentially unite the progressive wing of the Democratic party and defeat Joe Biden, who has consistently led national polls in the Democratic primary race. 

However, that may no longer be possible after Warren declined a handshake from Sanders and accused him of calling her, “a liar on national TV,” following the most recent Democratic presidential debate. Sanders calmly responded that Warren had called him a liar and that they should talk about the matter another time. 

The rift between the two ideologically similar candidates arose when people close to Warren shared her account of a private conversation between Sanders and Warren with CNN. The private conversation took place in December 2018 ahead of the upcoming presidential race. 

Warren alleges Sanders said that a woman couldn’t win against Trump in 2020. Sanders denies the claim and instead states he said Trump might launch sexist attacks against a female nominee. 

If the relationship between Sanders and Warren is too damaged to make a combination ticket a comfortable arrangement, Sanders has other great options. His campaign co-chair Nina Turner is one of the most effective advocates for how Sanders’ economic policies would benefit working and middle class Americans. 

Ro Khanna, a congressman from California, is the other co-chair of the Sanders presidential campaign. Khanna has actively worked to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. 

Khanna is also one of the most effective advocates for a more peaceful and less interventionist foreign policy. If Sanders wants a VP pick who can boost his credentials on foreign policy, Khanna would be a great person to consider. 

Either Turner, 52, or Khanna, 43, could serve to help sustain the progressive movement into the next generation of political leaders. Both Bernie Sanders, 78, and Elizabeth Warren, 70, are fairly old and unlikely to remain a major force in American politics for much longer after the next presidential administration.  

2. Elizabeth Warren

Again, a unified ticket between Warren and Sanders, with either one on top, could potentially solidify the progressive wing of the Democratic party and lead it to victory against Biden in the primary. 

But if Warren or Sanders don’t want to share a ticket, Warren should consider choosing Andrew Yang to serve as her Vice President. 

Yang excites many of the same progressive voters who support Sanders. A Warren/Yang ticket could attract anti-establishment Democrats and Independents who are skeptical of Warren’s ties to the power centers of the Democratic party and her endorsement of Hilary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in 2016. 

Both Warren and Yang are policy wonks and have big, structural ideas to reform America’s economy, society, and politics. Warren is good at detailed plans, and Yang is good at crafting soundbites that resonate with voters. Their strengths could compliment each other quite well in a general election.

3. Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang lacks previous political experience. Yang should balance his ticket with someone with experience navigating Washington.

A good choice would be Ron Wyden, a Democratic U.S. Senator for Oregon, who serves on the intelligence committee. 

Wyden asked then Director of National Intelligence James Clapper in March 2013 if the NSA collects data on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans. Clapper replied that they did not do so, at least not wittingly, a claim that was proven false by the subsequent release of internal NSA documents leaked by Edward Snowden. 

Wyden voted against the Iraq War and supports a War Powers Resolution that would prevent the Trump Administration from further escalating hostilities with Iran.  

4. Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, also lacks Washington experience. He needs to balance his ticket with someone with experience in the nation’s capital, preferably a U.S. Senator. 

I have been impressed by Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democratic Senator from Rhode Island. Whitehouse advocates for action to address climate change and opposed President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

5. Bill Weld 

Bill Weld served as Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. Weld is running against President Trump in the Republican presidential primary.

One of the things that Trump’s presidency has made clear is that a president has a strong influence on the policy direction of his party. If Weld wins, he could move the Republican Party in a different direction on many issues. He describes himself as a candidate who is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. 

Weld supports gay marriage, abortion rights, and marijuana legalization. He also wants the U.S. to rejoin the Paris climate accord. Weld opposes Trump’s tariffs and the president’s withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal. 

Weld has said he is considering choosing Justin Amash as his running mate. Amash is a congressman from Michigan who came out in favor of impeachment following the release of the Mueller Report. Amash subsequently chose to leave the Republican party to become an Independent. 

Weld should also consider choosing Lamar Alexander, a Republican Senator from Tennessee, as his VP. Lamar Alexander cautiously praised the Trump Administration for its efforts to balance protecting due process for students accused of committing sexual assault on college campuses while still striving to provide safety and support for victims. 

I wrote a series of articles about the Trump Administration’s changes to the U.S. Department of Education’s interpretation of a federal civil rights law that sets guidelines for how colleges investigate allegations of sexual assault. 

Lamar Alexander worked with Patty Murray, a Democratic senator from Washington, to negotiate a bipartisan bill to improve Obamacare in 2017. More than any other domestic political issue, healthcare policy has divided Republicans and Democrats in Washington since the fight to approve Obamacare. 

The bipartisan effort followed multiple Republican attempts to repeal or weaken Obamacare. The bipartisan bill received little traction in Washington and was not approved. 

Alexander is also known for his advocacy for funding scientific research. Scientists even named an insect after him in appreciation of his support for research funding.

6. Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard, a Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, has said she would consider nominating Republicans to positions in her administration.

A bipartisan ticket running to restore order to Washington following President Trump’s demolition of norms and decency has the potential to generate significant support. Uncompromising partisanship, especially from the GOP, has plagued American politics.

I don’t know if it’s an affliction that can be cured, but I wouldn’t fault a presidential candidate for trying to do so.

If Gabbard wants to choose a Republican VP, Weld or Alexander would be good choices.

But she could also choose former Ohio Governor John Kasich. 

Kasich appeared to be the most reasonable Republican running for president in 2016. Compared to the other final candidates in the Republican primary, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, most Democrats viewed Kasich as a breath of fresh air.

If Gabbard is more interested in shoring up her support among Democrats in the primary, then it might help for her to choose Ron Wyden or Sheldon Whitehouse.

Picking a Democratic senator might mollify Democratic voters concerned about Gabbard’s attempt to negotiate peace by meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad or her previous opposition to LGBT rights.

7. Michael Bennet

Michael Bennet, a Democratic U.S. Senator from Colorado, hasn’t garnered much enthusiasm in his presidential run. 

 

In the unlikely event Bennet wins the nomination, he should choose former Maryland Congressman John Delaney, who is also running for the Democratic presidential nomination, as his running mate. 

Neither has attracted virtually any attention or support. 

But many people would consider voting for a ticket of boring inoffensive white guys in an election against Donald Trump. If Bennet/Delaney were to run against Trump/Pence, the entire election would be dedicated almost exclusively to a referendum on Trump. 

 

Given how many people dislike Trump’s hostile and narcissistic personality, that referendum could mean a victory for the Democratic ticket.

And that’s all of the candidates running for president. 

Or at least that’s all of the candidates that I have chosen VP choices for. Among the remaining presidential candidates, I would prefer Amy Klobuchar to Joe Biden, and Joe Biden to Donald Trump.

What VP choices would you like to see candidates consider? Let me know in the comments.