Apparently Susan Rice's son is a big supporter of Trump.

[Drunken Irishman]

He also seems to be quite the mess.

I love Susan Rice. I advocated for her as Biden's VP choice a year ago but I think there are two issues that hurt her campaign:

Benghazi
Her son

Neither are fair. And if Biden picks her, clearly he'll have concluded neither are much of a liability.

But from my perspective, having her son campaigning for Trump would be awful, horrible optics.

Susan Rice's son was the President of the College Republicans at Stanford. In 2018, he pressed charges on fellow classmates stating they attacked him due to his pro-Kavanaugh stances. It didn't happen. He dropped the charges.

I don't believe that would look good. Despite it not being fair - and I'm sure some will disagree with me. And I get it. Ambassador Rice should not be held to her son's opinions. But in an election where everything is about optics, she absolutely will.

I can see it now:

Sean Hannity having Susan Rice's son on talking about why people shouldn't vote for her or Joe Biden.

The other issue is Benghazi. This is an interesting issue because it's one that completely missed Obama (and now Biden) but became an actual campaign issue in 2016. Rice will be hit by it just as much as Hillary was.

I wanted Rice. I thought she'd be a great pick. I now have doubts.

My call is for Val Demings or Kamala Harris.

[SouthernCal_Dem]

1. Dems can't do things based on what Sean Hannity might say/do...

You're giving them more power than they deserve.

[Drunken Irishman]

3. I used Hannity as an example but don't pretend he wouldn't be paraded around by the MSM.

I do not think it's good optics to have a son of the VP out there campaigning for her opponent. Maybe it's trivial but holy shit I feel 2016 was all trivial optics and we lost every inch it felt like in that contest. I do not want a replay of 2016.

[Cha]

2. Unreal how her son can be so brainwashed to

support evil monsters. And, they are

[applegrove]

4. Susan was given talking points in the fog of Benghazi. The points were wrong. Nobody

was sure what had happened at that point and assumed it was about a video played in the US enraging people in the middle east as was the case nearby in Egypt. Turns out it was a terrorist attck that was carried out at the same time in Libya.

She writes about the family arguing that take place because her son is such a right winger in her book. They are lively and she chrishes the chance to learn what is what. Are you thinking she will be swayed? Not a chance. Really the independants and republicans sick of Trump are not going to hate that she comes from a home with different points of view in this Biden election of reconcilliation.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. No. I don't think she'll be swayed at all lol

I believe her son will be actively out there campaigning for Trump and it's not a good look on our end to have the son of the VP candidate essentially telling the world, "don't vote for my mom!"

[applegrove]

7. As if he has any bonafides. I think it gives her more insight to know

the arguments of the other side intensely.

[SMC22307]

41. Dumbass voters listen to Ivanka, Don Jr, and Eric and they have no bona fides.

They will listen to Rice's son as well.

[StarfishSaver]

33. OR if family overcomes politics and her Trumper son campaigns for Mom ...

that would be pretty awesome.

[onetexan]

21. Yes, i'm sure the trumpers will have plenty to tear Rice up re: Benghazi. Not to mention her son

being Agent Orange's supporter. I'm very disappointed in that fact & it perplexes me greatly how any person of color would choose to support such an overtly racist administration

Kamala is the best choice.

[AlexSFCA]

6. I don't think Rice is a VP material

She has never been elected to anything, politically (charisma) unvetted, doesn’t add to Biden’s campaign in a meaningful way - both are from Obama admin. Maybe there is a place for her in Biden administration. If she can’t even convince her own son to vote for her, what are we even talking about here??
I think Harris is by far the most vetted VP Biden could possibly find.

[applegrove]

8. Harris is good at details but not painting a big picture. She gets sort of lost when she

has to. Her nomination campaign started out strong and then petered out. If she can demonstrate she can do big picture thinking i would be thrilled.

[AlexSFCA]

9. she can be prepped

her charisma and ability to connect with people have been tested and that’s more important for running mate, her big picture material should come from Biden.

[Indykatie]

13. I Would Suggest Her Campaign Along with other POC Petered Out Because of the Primary Calendar

The IA caucus and NH should not determine who are viable candidates before the Dem base even has an opportunity to cast votes. Biden was my choice from the beginning and I knew if he could make it to NC things would change and boy did they ever. Given that you can't win the Dem nomination without Black votes it only makes sense that we should start the primary cycle in a state that actually has Black folks voting. End of rant.

[Blue_true]

35. You sort of touched on the mouse that keeps running around my brain.

How in the hell did her son gravitate to extreme republicanism. Parents role model for their kids and kids usually take on their parents politics and social view, not 100% ironclad, but pretty solid.

What happened with that kid?

[Indykatie]

10. Rice is Impressive But I Don't See Biden Selecting Someone who Never Held Elected Office

What would the rationale be for picking her and passing over Kamala Harris who has demonstrated strong campaigning and debate skills?

[2naSalit]

26. Her international experience and

her National Security Advisor experience. She's my first pick for VP.

[tritsofme]

11. I don't really believe Rice is under serious consideration for the VP spot.

And I didn’t even know this about her son.

The first rule of VP nominees is to “do no harm” and it seems impossible that Rice could meet that and insane that she would actually be picked.

[SunSeeker]

12. Biden already said he's picking someone with campaigning experience.

So it's not going to be Susan Rice.

[Hortensis]

16. I missed that, but clues he's letting out should be assumed definitive.

If that's so it's not her. Plain and simple.

[orleans]

14. i like the mayors of atlanta & washington d.c. (from what i've seen of them)

i've only just recently found them on the news but from what i've seen they look like they would be good choices.

demings? i was going to say: "isn't she an ex cop?" but decided to google to be sure and i see a nypost article that says: "Joe Biden considering ex-cop as veep, angering BLM activists"

i like stacey abrams too

[PatSeg]

29. Yes, mayors have executive experience

and we've seen some excellent female mayors and governors lately. Definitely, the mayors of Atlanta and Washington DC have great appeal. I don't care for Demings though. During the impeachment hearings she was a bit of a showboater, playing to the camera, which turned me off. To be a running mate with someone like Joe Biden, one needs to show a little more authenticity and less raw political ambition. The "former police chief" doesn't help much either, especially right now. Basically, I don't see her as a fit for Joe.

I like Susan Rice for her broad experience in government, but I don't think she would be very helpful on the campaign trail. She isn't a terribly personable individual, which is fine for many positions, but probably not as a running mate for Joe Biden. I'm quite sure there will be a place for her in a Biden administration though.

Of course, Joe will pick the person that he is more comfortable with and he knows what he wants better than we do. I really do trust his judgment.

[Jeebo]

15. Are you sure her son would campaign for her opponents?

Maybe blood ties would trump (no pun intended) ideology and maybe he would also like the idea of his mom being vice president of the United States. Don't assume he would support his mom's opponents.

-- Ron

[Hortensis]

17. I'd barely heard of the son, so went and found, among others, THIS. Whoa!

Last edited Sun Jun 14, 2020, 04:27 AM - Edit history (1)

I'd just assumed, oh, well, embarrassing relatives are common. So he's right wing -- handleable, might even be used to some kind of advantage, whatever.

This one isn't. He's FAR right. He's intelligent, a leader, aggressive and talented at putting himself very out front, and in 2 years he's changed the political culture of the Stanford campus.

His ruthlessly unethical behaviors and extremist attitudes that are known to be true, without the other allegations not verified by this author, show that he'd be trouble. For the first time I agree that a relative whose behaviors aren't shared by the candidate could be very good reason to pass. This one wouldn't allow himself to be dismissed.

Earnest piece from a college journal, no need to read it all to get the idea.
https://stanfordpolitics.org/2018/05/28/john-rice-cameron-make-stanford-great-again-1/

[smirkymonkey]

18. So, unfortunately, she's a no.

We can't have this dogging us throughout the election. It's too big of a liability. We have enough on our hands having to deal with the Hunter Biden bullshit, we don't need this.

I am still behind Kamala Harris. I think she has what we need to run a successful campaign going forward.

[Hortensis]

20. Note what Sunseeker said also. What Biden says I believe,

of course. He also says he's choosing above all someone to do the job once elected. I'm sure his real short list is all good people, including of course Sen. Harris.

[sprinkleeninow]

23. I too feel Sen. Kamala Harris has the best chance of consideration.

[PatSeg]

30. Until today, I had no idea

though I suppose it wasn't something Rice was advertising. As a mother, I can't imagine what it must have been like for her to see her own son turn out that way.

[Hortensis]

32. Me neither! I read a WaPo article, though, in which she's positive

and supportive of him (of course). Interestingly, they apparently talk, and on substantive subjects, almost every day. Whatever fears they have, she's far too good an everything to let them show.

And technically, he is still an adolescent. We haven't seen the man yet, but I'm afraid we're going to ...

[PatSeg]

36. That is true about him still being an adolescent

Children often take positions that are contrary to their parents in an attempt to establish an independent identity. Its not unusual for them to change later in life. A lot of those left-wing hippie types in the sixties were pushing against their very conservative parents, so it goes both ways.

My ex husband was quite liberal when he was with me, but today he is an ultra conservative Fox-watching republican. He has even bought into some very bizarre conspiracy theories.

[Hortensis]

37. Best wishes for them. Your ex-'s course from acting liberal

when younger to joining the right (which today has become extreme) far more common, though.

And you're right of course that the son's deciding who he is before he can really entirely know. It's his extremism rather than conservatism that seems rather scary. It's not just a little attention bomb thrown out now and then. Extremist thinking tends to be personality linked, ideology chosen to fit self. I'm thinking Steven Miller, and yuck to both.

I just stopped and messaged our son kisses, didn't say why.

[PatSeg]

38. Yes, Stephen Miller is an excellent example

I'm sure there are many reasons why some people go to extremes, in spite of the environment in which they were raised. I agree that Rice's son taking a more conservative path is not as disturbing as him embracing extremist ideology. That could possibly indicate more serious issues. It is hard to analyze someone you know little or nothing about.

I am fortunate that my children all are on the liberal side. Obviously we don't all agree on everything, but we all love Obama and Biden. When it comes to politics, when Mom talks, they tend to listen!

[Hortensis]

44. When our children were small, a child psychologist on TV

said you could already tell orientation at that age, and when I thought of it, of course. Our son, quick to be indignant whenever something wasn't "fair," was liberal, his four-year-old sister more conservative. Grown up and raising their own children, they're both solid, decent and generous-minded Democrats, including our daughter and her wonderfully sane husband.

Discussing politics didn't seem such a critical part of our parenting 40 years ago at their age; we mostly just thought well of them and assumed they'd grow up rational and responsible.

But it is for them now as they help their children evaluate partisan insanity, extremism escaped from its boxes, and one enormous crisis after another and all at once. Their boys' phone/computer use is monitored 24/7, but they are still allowed exposure to a fair amount. In an incredibly complex and fluid world, they have to counter disinformation and create a proper perspective and context in which the boys can understand what's happening. And do. Like yours, we're very proud of them, and impressed.

[PatSeg]

45. We didn't talk much politics when my kids were young either

I wasn't a terribly political person at the time, but we did discuss morals, fairness, empathy, which appear to be more liberal concepts these days. One thing that was very important to me was to teach them to think from a young age. I rarely tagged anything right or wrong, but would instead ask them questions to encourage them to figure it out their self. The critical thinking they learned undoubtedly helped to bring them to more liberal viewpoints. Most conservatives tend to be sheep who were taught to do what they are told. We have had a lot of really great conversations over the years and still do today.

I don't envy anyone raising children today with computers and smartphones. They present a whole bunch of new challenges.

[Hortensis]

46. Yes, that was a liberal upbringing. Lol, what my children remember

most vividly is my not trying to protect them from knowing about troubling events but explaining edited versions so they'd have some realistic understanding of things they asked about, because I valued that from an otherwise rough childhood. Rolling eyes and shared glances between them, though. They both tried to create more of a happy Mr. Rogers bubble and longer for their children.

As for electronics, I wouldn't know where to begin, while they're more like the NSA monitoring for terrorists. The older one wake up at 2 a.m. last week to "sleep" with his girlfriend at the other end of the open connection; busted, virtual sleeping together not allowed. (There's such a thing?!) Texting when they were supposed to be paying attention in class? Their parents have their class schedules. Converse with a stranger mom or dad hasn't checked out on a game app? Good way to lose privileges. The boys know that at any moment one or both parents could be on their phones with them.

SOO different!

[PatSeg]

47. I was raised in an era where

"secrets and lies" were the norm in any household and what children don't know, won't hurt them. Some of that dishonesty affected me personally and I was determined to be open and honest with my children. Too often we underestimate what children can handle.

I'm watching my son and his wife raise twin boys (five years old) and they are doing an extraordinary job. They rarely watch television and when they do it is a family thing. Very little access to computers and it is usually for learning purposes. I occasionally let them type on mine, which has been a positive learning experience. Books are all real books, not digital, and they read all the time. One day I realized that they actually read better than Donald Trump, how sad is that?

[uponit7771]

19. Unnnn, she isn't her son

[elleng]

22. 'Messy' fact should remove her from contention

(and anyone else similarly situated,) imo.

[Wanderlust988]

24. Does anyone know if he's adopted or natural son?

Not that it matters, but just curious. After this revelation, this is a hard no for me.

[katmondoo]

27. My son is a right wing conservative. He is also very intelligent.

I would rule her out even though it is not her fault.

[PatSeg]

48. I'm pretty sure he isn't adopted

His father is Canadian and white, and being a biracial son of prominent parents could be an issue. He could have some major identity issues, but it is hard to say without knowing more about him and their family.

[BluesRunTheGame]

25. Susan Rice would be a good choice if Joe was perceived as weak on foreign policy.

He was the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That’s not a weak area for him.

Rice has never held an elected office. She’s never been in a campaign. Her resume is heavy on foreign policy.

What are her views on domestic policy? Can she claim any expertise?

We need someone who’s strong on domestic issues.

I think there are better choices available.

[StevieM]

28. Hillary beat back the GOP lies about Benghazi pretty convincingly, at least at the time.

They had much more success with the fake email scandal.

After the election ended there was some effort to declare the conspiracy theories to be rehabilitated, and valid after all, and that has had mixed results.

[tman]

31. She'd make a great Secretary of State

[Music Man]

34. I would love Rice in the administration again as Secretary of State or UN Ambassador.

I don't want 2020 to be a re-litigation of 2016 (i.e., Benghazi).

I've never seen her on a debate stage, there's no electoral advantage coming from Maine, and for her drawbacks, it's not like she brings Biden a demographic he struggles with (he does well with African-Americans).

I hope for Kamala Harris, Tammy Duckworth, or Elizabeth Warren.

[Ilsa]

39. When she was on TV doing her book promotion,

She mentioned awkward family gatherings and even mentioned her son and her being on opposite sides politically. I know her love for her son would never diminish over politics. Maybe he'll see the light when all the bad stuff about trump is revealed.

[SMC22307]

40. I really don't want to listen to cries of Benghazi!11!!!! the next few months...

it's like handing ammo to the Trump campaign... plus hints of Hillary who many voters still find polarizing. Let's lay all of that to rest and start fresh with someone with a cleaner slate!

[BannonsLiver]

42. Hard pass on Rice

Didn’t know about her deeply troubled and misguided son but it’s yet another reason.

[PatSeg]

49. And her husband is Canadian

which does not bother me in the least, but it might not play well in a presidential campaign.

[JonLP24]

43. Benghazi is a non issue

I say that as a Sanders supporter in 16' & '20 primaries.

[nsd]

50. Susan Rice is smart but she's not a politician.

She's not "charismatic" -- and I realize how nebulous that word is. It's unfortunate that this is the case and that this is important -- I mourn together with my fellow nerds -- but I think it's the case and important.

Someone like Kamala Harris would be better in a front-facing job like VP.