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Hillary Clinton’s Shortlist For VP Just Leaked: Here’s What You Need To Know

Hillary Clinton’s Shortlist For VP Just Leaked: Here’s What You Need To Know

Former Secretary of State and presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has finally released a shortlist of candidates for possible running mates for the ticket – and it’s quite an interesting collection of candidates. From the possibility of an all-woman ticket to several up-and-coming West Coast mayors, there are a number of combinations that would be a fresh addition of exciting talent to complement Clinton’s tremendous experience and political savvy.

1.Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MASS): The populist champion has made herself a household name standing up for the middle class against the machinations of Wall Street and the oligarchs that have come to dominate our politics – and more recently, engaging in high-profile wars of words with the crude buffoon currently remaking the Republican Party in his tangerine image. She would be a huge draw for Sanders progressives but a repellent for any conservatives that Clinton might be tempted to draw away from Trump – and she would be a tough pill to swallow for corporate donors, who widely despise Warren for her democratic socialist inclinations. Finally, there is always the lingering issue of America’s rampant misogyny – are we progressive enough to accept an all-woman White House?

2. Senator Tim Kane (D-VA): The former governor and former chair of the Democratic Party is a safe pick, but is a rather boring one. Bringing little name recognition or any demographic boost, Kane is also held back by an extremely conservative economic record and is downright backwards when it comes to women’s reproductive rights.

3. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH): Brown is a notable economic populist who could be extremely useful in prying away white-working class votes away from Trump – should it come to that, which is looking less and less likely at this point – but his economic policies, particularly his opposition to free trade, would put him at odds with Clinton’s agenda.

4. Julian Castro, Housing and Urban Development Secretary: A young, Latino former Mayor of San Antonio is Clinton’s opposite that would be a very popular pick with millennials and Latinos – but many feel he is simply too inexperienced to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

5. Tom Perez, Labor Secretary: The former assistant attorney general for civil rights helped cull the Justice Department of the corruption that grew during the George W. Bush administration and has proved extremely effective as Labor Secretary, helping to push through President Obama’s historic overtime rules and reining in corruption in the finance industry. VOX seems to think that his lack of true political experience holds him back, but in this atmosphere that could prove to be a boon.

6. Senator Corey Booker (D-NJ): Booker is one of the more well-known Senators on the Democratic side of the aisle, most recently having taken center stage with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) in yesterday’s epic anti-gun violence filibuster. He’s well known and would be the first black vice-president in our history. His long enmity with teachers’ unions and his loud support for charter schools – a love shared by the Koch Brothers – could prove a testy stepping stone for him.

7. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA): The experienced Becerra is well-positioned to counter Trump on immigration (the Stanford-educated son of first-generation immigrants) and has twenty-four years in the House under his belt, in addition to a strong progressive record.

8. Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles Mayor: Running one of our nation’s largest metropoli has given him the tools he would need to properly the office of Vice President and as a young Jewish-Latino politician, he brings a very interesting contrast to Clinton.

9. Rep Tim Ryan (D-OH): The young economic populist from Ohio would bring with him a swing state and has been seen as a rising star in the party for several years now, but his staunch anti-abortion position makes him pretty much dead in the water.

Colin Taylor
Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America.

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