Speculation over Biden's VP pick grows after list of DNC speakers released

[Zeus69]

Source: KRON4

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (KRON) – The Democratic National Convention is now less than a week away.

The theme will be “Uniting America.”

Speakers of various backgrounds are scheduled to speak at next week’s convention.

CNN’s Dan Merica reports the following speakers:

Monday: Bernie Sanders, Andrew Cuomo, Gretchen Whitmer, John Kasich, Amy Klobuchar, Michelle Obama
Tuesday: Chuck Schumer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bill Clinton, Jill Biden
Wednesday: Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton
Thursday: Joe Biden, Tammy Duckworth, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Cory Booker

Speculation started to grow after the apparent list of speakers was released, with some noting that potential VP nominees Susan Rice, Karen Bass, and Val Demings were not included.

Read more: https://www.kron4.com/news/your-local-election-hq/newsom-obama-among-speakers-slated-for-democratic-national-convention/

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Getting feeling that my first choice of Kamala Harris is not meant to be…?

[2naSalit]

1. I think it's...

Susan Rice, my first pick. I kind of expected it months ago. They have worked together in various positions for years and have a good relationship. Not to mention her amazing skill sets.

[Lonestarblue]

23. Bret Stephens already has a hit piece out on Rice this morning in the NYT.

Same old, same old. Benghazi. Favored corrupt dictators of African nations. Poor judgment. Etc. Etc.

Republicans are masters at the politics of personal destruction. No matter which woman is chosen, that person will be the subject of as many lies as they can make up—and much of the media is likely to just report the lies without any clarification of the facts. I’m really, really tired of Democrats having to fight the dirtiest Republicans ever along with the media.

[Music Man]

2. Harris was a major presidential candidate. It would be weird if she *weren't* scheduled.

Demings, Bass, Rice, and aren't big political names, frankly. Don't read too much into this.

[brush]

4. Rice is a pretty big name. But you're right about not reading much into this.

[Music Man]

8. You're correct that Rice is a big name.

But for her role in policy, not politics/campaigning, which is the function of a convention. If Rice were listed as a speaker at a political convention and not Harris, that would raise eyebrows. Seeing Harris at a political event but not Rice seems about right.

Lots of DUers are thinking way too hard about the DNC speakers list. In my humble opinion.

[PatSeg]

7. I wouldn't read too much into this either

Presidential candidates love keeping everyone guessing and could even try to throw people off intentionally. All of this keeps Joe in the news, which is good for his campaign.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Very revealing

Well, I can go by my conventional observations, which are those not mentioned are still in the running. My hunch here is that Joe Biden knows America has a LOT of repair work to do around the world as well as at home, and why no go with one of the quickest minds with the most experience to fill that role. Checking Susan Rice by my criteria.

But let's face it, Warren or Harris are scheduled on the right nights to still be in the running! In fact Warren is on THE right night.

[PatrickforO]

28. You know, I really, really like Warren. I liked her enough to support her in the primary,

for sure. But my feeling here is that the times demand Biden pick a woman of color. And I'm not comfortable saying that, because I'm a white guy in his sixties who was raised in suburbia so I wouldn't be bused. I mean, the mantra for most of the people in my circles is that we need the most qualified candidate, regardless...but if you think that through, and are honest enough with yourself about rationalizing, it can be a quite convenient excuse not to choose the person of color. I mean, it's easy, if you're white, to pick a white person, and justify it on the basis of their qualifications while still feeling good about not being a racist. Sadly, I've done it a few times.

My...that wasn't comfortable to read, was it? It wasn't comfortable to write, either. But after the battle to get Trump and the Republicans gone, this country has a lot of healing to do, and that will necessarily involve having some really painful conversations, and some really painful realizations. Millions who look like me are going to have to confront the evil truths of slavery and genocide. We will have to talk about it, make some kind of reparations, and ensconce it in our K-12 like Germany has what the Nazis did - so it never happens again.

And think of the misery we have allowed for centuries on Indian reservations. Consider the Arapaho people. They are an Algonquin tribe, and originated up around the Great Lakes, in Canada and Minnesota. They were peaceful farmers, and grew maize and other crops. But as the white man came, they were pushed further west and before 1700 had become a nomadic tribe on the western plains around Wyoming and Colorado. After the Sand Creek massacre, it was a long, slow series of defeats, culminating in the removal of the Northern Arapaho to the Wind River reservation in central Wyoming, where our government allows oil companies to pollute the water and the ground, and Wyoming fought the tribe for years over allowing them to have casinos.

If you look at this republic, it really could be a light on the hill, but we have always tried to make that happen in spite of these evil twin truths. When I was a kid, I know, it was easy to ignore. Now it's not. Until we have a just and balanced society, we will never really be great.

[bucolic_frolic]

30. We'll never reach our true stated potential anyway.

And how can you be great if everything is equal? Achievements imply hierarchy. Science, technology, incentives, motivation to produce. The Founding Fathers set up a legal system for themselves and their ilk. Smart legal people write the laws and rules. That's what Trump and Barr are trying to supplant. Replace it with their own rules where they always win.

Some native tribes were peaceful, some had conflicts with others. Nature is not a state of peace. It's full of predators. Our sanitized sterile image of North America was born in Puritan times. Clapboard houses, preachers, God, and breeding wives with 17 children until they dropped. Then marry again.

So yeah without getting too deep into it all, there's a lot of inconsistency there.

[qazplm135]

5. I don't think it tells you anything

I also think there's too much old white guy energy against Harris, but this list was put out without knowing the pic. Harris and Warren for example were going to be speaking either way, not necessarily the case with Rice, Bass or Demmings.

[Pachamama]

6. I still think it's Kamala Harris....

I was calling for a Harris/Biden or Biden/Harris ticket and still think that Harris will be his pick.

Just because Susan Rice, Karen Bass or Val Demings isn’t on there doesn’t mean his choice is one of them, just as it doesn’t mean that being on the list means your aren’t his choice....



I am so excited - whoever the pick is!!!

[pamdb]

9. Kamala

The republicans are salivating over Susan Rice-it will be Benghazi, Benghazi
Benghazi all over again. I don't want ANYONE close to the Clintons, or for
that matter, as much as I love him, no one connected to Obama except, of
course, Joe. Susan Rice has NO experience of running for office or campaigning. I don't even know why Bill and Hillary are BOTH scheduled to
speak. Enough with the Clintons already. Jeez. One of Biden's strong points
is his foreign experience, don't need two people with that.

[LSparkle]

13. The first woman president should have run for office

Rice is brilliant but her experience is as an appointee. I think a bit of “ambition” should be required — enough to have sought public office (at least as a mayor!).

[woodsprite]

14. +1,000,000 nt

[Texin]

16. I agree. That would be playing right into the retrumplicans hands.

She, much like HRC before her, has been a lightening rod for rethug controversy for a long time. I think she is probably the most qualified for the job, but it might be more strategic to appoint her to a high level intelligence position, because we certainly know that a lot of repairs need to happen stat within those ranks.

[pamdb]

11. Whitmer

Plus, don't take my governor!!!!! We need her here, with a house and senate in michigan under republican control, we need Gretch!

[tavernier]

35. Not necessarily. She is one of my favorite two along with Tammy,

but my friends don’t like her. They state a lot of reasons, but I’m kind of surmising that they think she doesn’t have enough humility.

[Texin]

12. I don't think you draw any conclusions from that roster of speakers.

I note that Mayor Pete isn't among those speakers...

[not_the_one]

33. That was my first thought, too.

Pete is a better speaker AND communicator than anyone on that list.

Plus, Biden stated that LGBT issues were going to be a major focus of his administration.

So where is Pete? (I know, it is preliminary...)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. Most of the primary candidates are scheduled speakers, probably as

a symbol of party unity. It would be odd if Harris hadn't been listed. The symbolism of each of the speakers on the list can be inferred:

Sanders - Unity and inclusion of progressive wing
Cuomo - Dem governor, national recognition for handling covid19
Whitmer - Female Dem governor who also handled covid19 well
Kasich - Never-Trump GOP-er
Klobuchar - Primary opponent, early endorser and pulled out of VP contention to urge pick of woman PoC
M. Obama - obviously

Schumer & Pelosi - party leaders in respective houses of Congress
AOC - represents young party leaders, esp. women, Latinx, & progressives
Warren - women & progressive economic policies
B. Clinton, H. Clinton & Obama - obviously

Duckworth - women & veterans
Newsom - California
Booker & Harris - PoC, primary opponents

Could be a red herring in there.

[still_one]

17. I guess that means Biden will have three VPs........

I don't know how much to read into any of this.

My favorites are Rice, Demings, and Harris. I think Val Demings being from Florida represents multiple opportunities

The other advantage of Demings is there isn't much negative history from her past


https://www.ontheissues.org/FL/Val_Demings.htm

[question everything]

19. No Dr. Jill Biden?

[WePurrsevere]

25. She's speaking on Tuesday but surprised that her 'Dr' was dropped...

Maybe by accident or her choice though.

[PatrickforO]

20. Well, one thing is sure. Things will unfold more as time goes on.

I'm hoping for Rice, as well, but like Harris a lot too. Not real familiar with Val Demings, and Bass has a bit of baggage.

[question everything]

21. Why is Sanders the first speaker when, apparently, he wanted to be nominated then and there?

continuing to disrupt in a supposedly "unity" convention?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142558091

[WePurrsevere]

22. What an interesting variety & list...

I tend to look at the list of speakers not as just those 100% behind our candidate but as revealing the direction the party plans to go in and a way to give a bit of the spotlight to those they see as having great potential to be candidates in the future.

As for VP... I'm going to guess Susan Rice too but only because she's noticeably absent from the official list of speakers and was known to be near the top of the VP list. While admittedly not my absolute favourite, she'll make a great VP and president if, goddess forbid, needed.

[Vinca]

24. My money is still on Stacey Abrams.

[Fiendish Thingy]

27. Abrams has said she has not been vetted

Hope you didn’t bet too much...

[Vinca]

31. I'm basing it on Biden's remarks way back before he was even a candidate in the primary.

He was pretty much dangling the prospect of naming her before he entered the race which tells me he must have already done some vetting.

[Fiendish Thingy]

26. The list on Daily Kos says PBO on Tuesday, Jill Biden on Thursday? Nt

[ananda]

29. What a great list!

We have so many good Dems!!!

[mdelaguna]

32. Hoping for Kamala! Or Liz!

[Roc2020]

34. My bet it is Susan Rice. Biden does not

trust Harris. Even though he does not hold grudges he has every right not to trust her. Plus the pressure is on for a black woman. plus he has a long working relationship with Rice and she is capable day one. It's Susan Rice. Final Answer.

[WhiteTara]

36. Thanks Joe