If Clinton does select Warren, or another progressive, like Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, political junkies will undoubtedly interpret it as a strategic decision to keep movement progressives in the Democratic fold — or, in Brown’s case, to tighten the Democratic Party’s hold on a crucial swing state. But it would actually be an indication that Clinton approves of the party’s ideological drift since the end of her husband’s presidency, and wants her presidency to boost its momentum in that direction.
But the same logic will make progressive criticism stickier if she decides to elevate an establishment Democrat or a Clinton loyalist or someone else of whom, say, Wall Street would approve. (Virginia Senator Tim Kaine has been floated in this role.)
As she considers her options, Clinton is uniquely insulated from external pressure. Wall Street and other progressive bêtes noire have less leverage than they’re accustomed to having, which may explain why they’re trying to sway her now in public venues. But if she follows suit, it will be because she didn’t need convincing in the first place.
—Brian Beutler
Hillary Clinton Can Pick Any Veep She Pleases
All I am looking for is a pick who will not overshadow Clinton but at the same time won’t lose his voice.
“His” voice?
(I am told my comment is too short to post, so this is filler text.)
Fairly sure it will be a guy since the Clinton and Warren event was a great deal like a Unity event she had with Obama back in the day.
I am pulling for either Perez or Franken.
Both would be excellent choices. Franken for President 2024!
I think that’s a joke, but I don’t quite get it. But don’t worry. It’s me. I’m not doing so well.
I was just saying it’s somewhat presumptuous to assume Clinton’s running mate will be a man, especially with all the chatter around Elizabeth Warren.
Hope you get to feeling better soon.
I really have to fix how the comments display. That was a response to Elizabeth. You are quite right. Although since I think Elizabeth was giving us a cryptic joke, I think that might have been part of it. Might be a reference to people saying that Clinton shouts, which is true — like every other politician campaigning in any large venue. See, for example, Bernie Sander’s voice. He didn’t get that from whispering into a mic.
It was in reference to Tom Perez always coming close to losing his voice so I guess a cryptic reference? My mind doesn’t work like other people.
It seems to me that in any competitive presidential race, the candidates always get there. Strangely, it doesn’t happen so much on the right. I think they play to smaller audiences — ones that can afford $10,000 for chicken breast.
The Republicans don’t seem to get as excited and joyful. Democrats are like “OH MY GOD WE GET TO RUN FOR OFFICE! YAY!!!!”
I think it’s this corner that Republicans have backed themselves into. In order to win elections, they have convinced a large section of the populace that government is just bad. So why do they even want the job? I think public restrooms are horrible. I don’t care how much money and power you gave me, that is not a job I would take unless I had no other choice. These Republicans are signing up to be janitors. (Actually, it’s much worse than that.) But it isn’t surprising that they aren’t happy about it. And clearly Jeb Bush, for example, was running just because that was what he was expected to do. John Quincy Adams is a good model — after getting the ring he felt he had to (in a corrupt way), he went on to be a good politician. Can you imagine a former Senator and President today running for the House of Representatives? It was even shocking then.
Unless you’re Howard Dean, in which case shouting too loud is the worst thing you can do. (Yes, I acknowledge he probably would have lost even without “the scream,” but it doesn’t change the fact that it was stupid for the media to make such a big deal out of it.)
They smelled blood. He had lost. He came in third in Iowa, where he had dominated for months. His campaign was over. Although I did think it was clever to call it the “I Have a Scream” speech.