In examining the Hillary Clinton running mate rumors there are a couple of things that come to mind. First of all, she will need a running mate that excites her base. When a woman such as Hillary, who has been in the public eye for many years, runs for a high-profile office such as the President of the United States, it can be easy for people to get an enthusiasm gap around her. Second, Hillary Clinton would probably do well to pick someone who is a newcomer to the political field. She needs someone who is smart and who will be a sort of attack dog and go after the likely GOP nominee, Donald Trump.
In looking at the Hillary Clinton running mate rumors, ladies and gentlemen, may we submit to you that she should pick Bernie Sanders to be her vice president. Suddenly, you hear a collective gasp from many different individuals at this suggestion.
“What?” You say….”Bernie Sanders as a running mate?” “Why?” and my response to that question is, “Why not?”
Bernie Sanders has all of the qualities that Hillary Clinton needs in a vice presidential pick. Because of the witch hunt that focuses on Hillary Clinton’s every move, she is going to need an individual who has no ties to her past whatsoever. So, in looking at the Hillary Clinton Running Mate rumors, who better than Bernie Sanders, who only rose to prominence outside of his home state of Vermont during this current election of 2016?
You see, Hillary Clinton has a serious problem here. She does not have the youth vote or the younger supporters on her side. Bernie Sanders has, however, time and again demonstrated that he is a big hit with the younger set. He has a message that appeals to them and reasonates with them. They are tired of politics as usual, and they want a political outsider to fill that gap. Sanders fills that role. However, Hillary Clinton, with her 30-plus years in Washington and in Little Rock, certainly cannot call herself an outsider.
Another part of Hillary’s problem is trustworthiness. Whether she likes it or not, she has a serious image problem. It could be because Hillary has come across as the prototypical politician and realizes that every now and then she has to fudge some things. That’s part of the job, my friend. However, she is going to need someone who has a better image than her. Sanders has demonstrated that he has a better image than Hillary and does not have the immense amount of scandals that Hillary has been the recipient of over her political career.
There is also a situation where, whether Hillary likes it or not, she might have no choice but to offer Bernie Sanders the VP slot. The Hillary Clinton running mate rumors actually could indeed begin and end with this crucial factor. Sanders has received an immense amount of votes and he has won many contests against Hillary. Thus, he has demonstrated that he is going to be able to wield an immense amount of power at the Democratic National Convention. Yes, Hillary is going to be the nominee, but Sanders is going to have some influence in the process. Could it be that he wants some issue addressed that is near and dear to him? Possibly. Could it be that he wants a cabinet post? That is possible. Or could it even be possible he wants to be vice president? That, my friends is indeed very, very possible.
Clinton would do well to consider this extremely talented individual and get him on her team if he is willing.
[Feature image AP Photo/Seth Wenig]