Amy Klobuchar

Joe Biden Pledges His Vice Presidential Running Mate Will Be A Woman Or Person Of Color

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In an interview with a group of African American journalists, former Vice President Joe Biden pledged that if he was to end up as the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, he would select a Vice Presidential running mate who was either a woman or a person of color.

This is, if it indeed occurs, quite a revolutionary step, and it gives us the following list of potential Vice Presidential nominees:

Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota

Senator Kamala Harris of California

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro of Texas

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang of New York

Former Georgia Gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams of Georgia

It would seem highly unlikely that Elizabeth Warren would be asked or accept, and being the oldest potential nominee at age 71 in 2020, alongside Biden, who would be 78, is highly unlikely.

It also seems unlikely that Andrew Yang would be tapped, as he has no government experience.

Stacey Abrams was rumored months ago to be a potential Vice Presidential nominee, but without any state level executive experience or Congressional or other federal government experience, it would seem highly unlikely.

So the bet would seem to be either Amy Klobuchar, shoring up the Midwest support, which is crucial, or Julian Castro, with his mayoral experience in a large city in Texas, and his cabinet office experience. Also, Castro was on the short list for Hillary Clinton, and being that the Latino population is the largest minority in America, and that he has an inspiring story of growing up in poverty without a father present, makes him very appealing. Castro might also put Texas into play for the election.

Harris might not wish to be number 2 on the ticket, and there is no need for California to be concerned about in the election. And Cory Booker comes from the same Northeast as Biden, so seems highly unlikely to be selected, plus there already has been an African American male President, Barack Obama.

Democrats Need Only About 40 Percent Of White Vote To Win Presidency If Minority and Women Voting Percentage Is High And Committed To Cause

Ronald 2 Comments

In the midst of the turmoil of the Presidential campaign of 2020, the reality is that Democrats have lost the White vote in every election for the past 40 years, except Bill Clinton in 1996.

IF Democrats gain about 40 percent of the total white vote, mostly from suburban women, college educated men and women, and socially aware whites of both genders, they can win this next election, if the following caveats occur:

Voter Suppression, Gerrymandering, and Russian collusion is able to be controlled, where it does not undermine the will of voters.

African Americans, Latino and Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and younger voters of both genders turn out to vote in larger numbers than they did in 2016, as compared to 2008 and 2012.

If disappointed far left Progressives of the Bernie Sanders variety agree to overcome their resentment, and come out and vote for a likely moderate progressive candidacy, then victory over Donald Trump is insured.

Of course, having a woman, a minority person, or a gay candidate on the ticket for Vice President would help, meaning Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Julian Castro, or Pete Buttigieg as the running mate, if not the nominee in any of these cases.

The El Paso And Dayton Mass Murders Require Secret Service Protection Of Democratic Presidential Contenders!

Ronald 3 Comments

The horrific massacres in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over this weekend mark the 249th and 250th such events in 216 days of 2019.

It requires immediately the protection of the ten Democratic Presidential contenders who will be in the September debate in Houston, and all of these ten should have protection for as long as they are in the competition and for at least three months after they exit the race.

If we can afford to pay for Donald Trump’s golf outings at $110 million in the past two and a half years, then we must work to protect those trying for the Presidency.

As the author of a book on Presidential Assassinations and Threats, and with the memory of the death of Robert F. Kennedy and the shooting and paralysis of George Wallace a half century ago, it is urgent that such action be mandated NOW!

This is particularly the reality with the white supremacists and bigots who do not want a woman (Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar); a minority candidate (Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Julian Castro, Andrew Yang); a candidate who is a declared Socialist and of Jewish heritage (Bernie Sanders); and a person of alternative sexual orientation (Pete Buttigeig), who is openly homosexual; to be a possible future Presidential nominee for the Democrats in 2020.

Joe Biden Survives Onslaught In Second Night Of Second Debate, But Kamala Harris Remains Major Competitor, And Cory Booker Impresses

Ronald 20 Comments

The second night of the second Democratic Presidential debate in Detroit, Michigan, saw former Vice President Joe Biden survive an onslaught from Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Bill de Blasio.

At the same time, Harris remained a major competitor, although attacked by Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on her handling of criminal justice as California Attorney General.

Cory Booker gained a great deal from this debate as well, and Julian Castro and Jay Inslee both improved their status.

Overall, this debate was far better than Tuesday night’s debate, and it is certain that the 20 debaters will decline by up to half the total for the Houston debate on ABC on September 12 and 13.

Some of these 20 contenders, even if they did well, will be unable to gain 130,000 unique contributors and 2 percent in at least 4 polls, the requirements for the third set of debates.

Right now, the following are definite:

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

Bernie Sanders

Elizabeth Warren

Pete Buttigieg

The following have a good opportunity to move forward as well:

Cory Booker

Julian Castro

Amy Klobuchar

Jay Inslee

Beto O’Rourke

Steve Bullock

So a total of 11 candidates are likely in September in Houston, and since there will likely be only 11, they may all be on one evening.

Winners Of First Night’s Second Democratic Debate

Ronald 30 Comments

Last night’s first night of the second Democratic debate has clear cut winners, and they are so called “moderates”:

Pete Buttigieg

Steve Bullock

Amy Klobuchar

All three did extremely well, and meanwhile, Bernie Sanders was shouting, and Elizabeth Warren was shaking, not good impressions to witness.

This author thinks all three will still be part of the equation going forward.

But tonight’s second debate will reshape the race, and decide who will be able to move forward, along with these three.

Clearly, Sanders and Warren are not going anywhere, but the number of moderate competitors will be growing in numbers.

Is The Road To Success For Democrats An Old White Man, Or Instead A Woman, A Minority, Or A Gay Candidate?

Ronald 3 Comments

The Democratic Party is in a major quandary for 2020.

Is the road to success to nominate an old white man, such as Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Jay Inslee, or John Hickenlooper, all of whom will be in the high 70s or 80s if in office for two terms?

Or should they nominate an older white woman (Elizabeth Warren) or a younger white woman (Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tulsi Gabbard), or a multi racial woman (Kamala Harris), or an African American male (Cory Booker), or a Latino male (Julian Castro), or a gay male (Pete Buttigieg)?

The question is what is the right formula to defeat Donald Trump in a nation where working class white men are terrified of anything other than a white man in the Oval Office!

Could There Be Two Women On The Democratic Presidential Ticket In 2020?

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One wonders if it is conceivable that the Democratic Party might have two women on the ticket in the Presidential Election of 2020.

Such a combination might be Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren for President and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar for Vice President, with an eleven year difference in age between Warren, who would be 71 in 2020, and Klobuchar at age 60.

Also, California Senator Kamala Harris with Amy Klobuchar is another possibility, with Harris being four years younger than Klobuchar at age 56 in 2020.

A bigger question is whether two of these women could actually cooperate and work together well enough, with the clashing egos, to be a success.

And how would the American people react to two women on the ticket?

We do know that many nations have had women leaders, and we also know that New Hampshire and Arizona have had an all women teams in top state government positions in recent years.

Are We Ready For Another “Revolutionary” Change, Beyond Barack Obama?

Ronald 12 Comments

Democrats are faced with a challenge that will determine the Presidential Election of 2020.

Is the nation ready for another “revolutionary” change, beyond Barack Obama?

The nation elected a mixed race African American Senator to the White House eleven years ago, something much more “revolutionary” than electing the first Catholic President John F. Kennedy in 1960.

The question is whether the nation is ready to do any of the following:

Elect the first woman President (Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tulsi Gabbard)

Elect the first mixed race woman President (Kamala Harris)

Elect the second African American male President (Cory Booker)

Elect the first Latino President (Julian Castro)

Elect the first gay President (Pete Buttigieg)

Elect our first Jewish President (Bernie Sanders, Michael Bennet)

Elect our first Hindu President (Tulsi Gabbard), who was born in the US territory of American Samoa.

Elect our oldest first term President at inauguration (Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren)

Elect the first President who will reach 80 years of age in office (Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden)

Elect our first sitting Mayor (Pete Buttigieg, Bill de Blasio)

Elect the first sitting Congressman since James A. Garfield in 1880 (Tulsi Gabbard, Seth Moulton, Tim Ryan, Eric Swalwell)

Elect a President younger than Theodore Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy (Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Eric Swalwell, Seth Moulton)

Is It Time For A New Generation Of Leadership For The Democrats?

Ronald 11 Comments

After watching both Democratic Presidential debates this week, one has to ask the question:

It is time for a new generation of leadership for the Democrats?

The Democratic Party, historically, has regularly gone for younger candidates for President than the Republicans.

Witness Franklin D. Roosevelt, age 51; Adlai Stevenson, age 52; John F. Kennedy, age 43; Lyndon B. Johnson full term, age 56; Hubert Humphrey, age 57; George McGovern, age 50; Jimmy Carter, age 52; Walter Mondale, age 56; Michael Dukakis, age 56; Bill Clinton, age 46; Al Gore, age 52; Barack Obama, age 47.

Compare this to Dwight D. Eisenhower, age 62; Gerald Ford, 1976, age 63; Ronald Reagan, age 69; George H W Bush, age 64; Bob Dole, age 73; John McCain, age 72; Mitt Romney, age 65; Donald Trump, age 70.

So nominating Bernie Sanders, age 79; Joe Biden, age 78; or Elizabeth Warren, age 71—all of whom would be the oldest first term nominated Presidential candidate—might be the wrong way to go!

Might it NOT be better to nominate, at their ages at the time of the Presidential Election of 2020?

Pete Buttigieg age 39

Tulsi Gabbard age 39

Eric Swalwell age 40

Julian Castro age 46

Beto O’Rourke age 48

Cory Booker age 51

Steve Bullock age 54

Kirsten Gillibrand age 54

Kamala Harris age 56

Amy Klobuchar age 60

The Second Night’s Democratic Debate: Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg The Stars, But Eric Swalwell And Marianne Williamson Gained Notice

Ronald 39 Comments

The second night’s Democratic Party debate has two clear winners—Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg.

But Eric Swalwell and author Marianne Williamson also impressed this author and blogger, although no one in reality would think that Williamson would have any chance to win the nomination.

Joe Biden’s dominance is no longer such, and it could be a sign of troubles ahead, as his performance was lackluster, while not eliminating him, but a lot of homework is ahead if he is to keep his lead in the polls.

Bernie Sanders came across as strong in his views, but one still has to wonder how his ideas can be seen as pragmatic and possible, were he to be elected, which seems doubtful.

The remainder of the list—John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Andrew Yang—did not come across well to this observer.

So at this point, while nothing is final, one would think the true competitors are, besides Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, the following in no special order:

Elizabeth Warren

Kamala Harris

Pete Buttigieg

Julian Castro

Amy Klobuchar

Jay Inslee

Cory Booker

Eric Swalwell

We are far from knowing who will be the nominees of the Democratic Party, however, and the people will decide in the caucuses and primaries beginning about seven months from now.