Clinton's VP pick will be very enlightening and have long term impact on the Democratic Party

[rufus dog]

If she, as expected, goes with a middle to right safe choice she will be reaching out to moderate Republicans that she feels can be peeled off due to Trump. If she picks a liberal then she will be reaching out to the Bernie supporters, the left wing of the party and will be forging a potential long term alliance with major portion of the party.

Now before any Clinton supporters go crazy, Kos is stating something very similar over at the DailyKos, that is that she needs to reach out to the liberals in the party.

Trump and the Republicans are an absolute disaster, so I can see her temptation to reach out to moderate Republicans (are there any left?) but such a move has the potential to alienate the liberals, me included.

p.s. based upon history, I am preparing to be thrown off the bus.

[arcane1]

1. I have yet to meet anyone who votes based on VP choice.

I know many, many people who voted Dem in spite of the VP choice, but never because of it.

[rufus dog]

3. Me, this year

First time ever! I live in CA so she doesn't need my vote. But I will go on record that the VP choice will be very important.

[larkrake]

7. this cycle, with unfavorables so high, it may help

[Jim Lane]

21. In 2008 there were a fair number, I think.

There were RWNJs who denounced McCain as a RINO and declared they'd never vote for him. They were reconciled to the ticket by his choice of Palin.

Of course, it's quite likely that the Palin candidacy was a net negative. Fortunately for us, a LOT of people voted based on the VP choice.

[Yupster]

33. You may want to pick the politician with the largest family

because they are about the only people who vote based on VP.

[apcalc]

2. Whoever she picks will probably disappoint someone....

[tallahasseedem]

13. Yep.

And we'll have to deal with their crap for days. "I'm not voting!", "She doesn't care about the issues!", "She just handed Trump the Presidency!", "Unity my ass!". I think I about have it covered based on what I've seen already.

[Nye Bevan]

4. Almost all of the Sanders supporters will vote for her anyway, regardless of her choice of VP.

The number of former Sanders supporters who will say on election day "I would have liked to go and vote for Hillary against Trump, but I won't because I don't like Tim Kaine" is vanishingly small. I suspect she is much more interested in peeling off votes from sane Republicans who are afraid of and disgusted by Donald Trump.

[larkrake]

8. I dont know where you got that.They are going to third partys in majoritys along with the indys and

millienials. only liz or bernie will bring them back. both are unlikely.

[Jakes Progress]

15. I have more faith in the intelligence

of independents and millennials than you do. Sure they wanted the fantasy, but most of them are smarter than going a vote to trump.

[larkrake]

17. intelligent people do not see it as a Trump vote. They see it as near Bernie, or libertarian

the two party system has screwed this country to the point that all choices are equally bad, so vote your morals and ethics, flush the corruption. If you think Hill is worthy , vote for her.

[Jakes Progress]

22. Intelligent.

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

An intelligent person can see the results of having a trump presidency and see that helping bring that about is a slur to the things that Sanders said he wanted. An intelligent person will not see Hillary and trump as equal. An intelligent person might think they could ride out a trump administration if they are well off and white, but an truly intelligent person will also see the pain and suffering that such a horrible president would cause for many who aren't rich and white and therefore not help to bring that about.

[larkrake]

23. you just dont see ii, so I wont bother. DU does not allow the argument I have about both candidates,

To me, a poor white woman, they are both a threat

[Jakes Progress]

26. Maybe you should consider that I am not the one who doesn't see it.

If you think a trump presidency will help your world, you are simply wrong. He will appoint at least three supreme court judges. For the next four decades, he will tell you what to do with your body and provide cover for the corporate world to keep you and other people down. Is Hillary the hero for the working class? No. (And neither was Sanders though) We don't get heroes in the real world. We get to choose between shades of gray. It's frustrating, but it is real life and not fantasy. We don't get a magic, god-like creature that will grant us perfection. We get to work hard to make things better each day.

My plan. Elect the biggest Democratic majority since 1964. Put Clinton and as many Democrats in with enough support that the republicans will be scared away from racists and homophobes for a long time. Then work like crazy in the mid terms to primary as many blue dogs as are vulnerable. That will begin to scare the centrists to the left. (Hey. It worked for the tea party) It is a long haul and won't be easy. But sitting on our hands and sulking won't get it done.

Maybe your feelings are hurt that Sanders didn't win. But to equate the results of a trump presidency with a Clinton presidency, is very myopic. I have seldom had my presidential or senatorial or gubernatorial candidates nominated. I keep trying though. With a trump presidency, that trying becomes practically futile.

(There is a good reason that DU doesn't allow such posts. I won't alert, but dance carefully. Your unhappiness is taking you near the edge. Stay with us and help us. You know that is what the ideals that Bernie espoused would want to you to do.)

[larkrake]

28. My shade of grey is clear. I stated the answer is congress, not the presidency

we agree on the fix. I will vote progressive downticket

[Jakes Progress]

30. Gray is not clear.

You don't understand the fix. The fix is to beat trump. Beat him like a drum. Make it so bad that no republican will think of trying his kind of shit. You voting for anyone but Hillary will not help do that. Voting all Democrat down ticket is excellent. But you need to vote all Democrat. Even the sleazy blue dogs. We need a massive congressional majority. Massive. For the same scare tactic reason. We can't fight the blue dogs in mid term unless we have majority and can afford to lose a few. The tea party only managed to primary their in party enemies because they had a big majority. Pick off the most egregious centrists first. Then you won't have to primary the moderately bad, because they will be scared by what you did to the really blue dens.

It starts with having a huge win over trump. Anything short will be just self-indulgence.

[larkrake]

31. I respectfully disagree. I am in a blue state so I will live with myself

voting sleezy bluedogs is part of the problem- not for me.

[Jakes Progress]

40. I also disagree.

Every vote that doesn't go to Clinton gives credence to trump's message of hate. He can count your vote as a vote against progressivism even in your red state.

I don't like voting for the lesser of two evils either. But sometimes you have to do something that you don't like for the good of people other than yourself. I'm think of Susan Sarandon, who posited that it would do the country good to live with the evil of trump so she was going to not vote for Hillary. I'm sure that made her seem noble to herself. But it was no rich, white skin off of her to do that. Her race and status protect her from the cops who don't think black lives matter, from the predations of the completely freed banisters, from the homophobic legislation. She wasn't doing anything noble. She was exercising her rich, white privilege to make herself feel good. Doing the noble thing would be swallowing her pride for the good of others.

It's not about me. Or you. Or especially Susan Sarandon. It's about those who need the protection and help of the rest of us. How much will the sense of self-righteousness help when trump appoints his third thirty-year old scalia to the bench. I want to be able to say that I did everything I could to keep that from happening.

[CrowCityDem]

5. Remember two weeks ago when the platform was supposed to be the reach to Bernie voters?

Now it has to be the VP too? They got the policy ideas they wanted mostly adopted. Shouldn't that be enough?

[bigwillq]

9. It's about winning an election

and getting those undecideds to come out and vote. Hillary will get the DEM base, as any DEM candidate would. It's about getting those still on the fence. Reaching out is a smart thing to do.

[CrowCityDem]

10. There are more on the fence in the middle. The left should be along no matter what.

[bigwillq]

11. Then Hillary should reach out to those folks too (nt)

[CrowCityDem]

18. No Veep pick can reach the middle and the left at the same time.

[ciaobaby]

6. She would be wise to choose from the left.

Anti Trump republicans will NEVER vote for Hillary. They will just sit it out.
I believe this is why Bernie always polled better against Trump.
Hillary can get more of Bernie's supporters and independents if she chooses a vp from the left.
She will loose support from the left choosing Kaine or Vilsack.

[Jakes Progress]

19. I'd like that too. But

I would rather win with an asshole VP than worry how pence will run the senate.

I've haven't voted for a liberal for president for some decades now, and I have always voted, and I have always voted the straight Democratic ticket.

I still can't believe that those who supported Sanders' ideas would do something that would put trump in office. You really think they are that ignorant and selfish?

[ciaobaby]

20. Sanders supporters are neither ignorant nor selfish.

Perhaps principled is the word your looking for.

[Jakes Progress]

24. I'm the one who said they were not.

You suggested they would selfishly do something ignorant, not me.

How principled is helping trump appoint three supreme court judges?

If someone who says they have the principles espoused by Sanders does something so heinous, they are either selfish or ignorant.

My principles call for many things that mean I have to weigh various factors. To think that helping trump win is a good way to bring about a better world is ignorant. The world is not simple.

[ciaobaby]

29. So it would follow that you think electing Hillary to run against Trump, knowing all

polls showed that Bernie did much better against Trump, was ignorant and selfish.

[larkrake]

32. yes, it is ignorant and stupid

[Kingofalldems]

12. Anyone will be better than Pence.

[farmboy]

14. I agree with your post except I do think Warren's reputation as a citizen advocate is more appealing

than just to the "liberal" democrats. Her positive ratings are strong nationally and she speaks to all workers, including all those in the Midwest battleground states that Trump thinks he can steal away with anti-trade talk. Her pluses far outweigh other candidates'.

[Bigredhunk]

16. -

Me & mine are enthusiastically voting for HRC no matter what. I would rather see a "shot in the arm" candidate as VP than a Vilsack, Kaine, etc... It's a tough position to be in though. I don't want to lose Sanders (I know it would never be him), Warren, or Brown from the Senate.

I agree with those who say she'd be better served to pick a lefty who appeals to the left flank (or a Latino/a who appeals to Latin Americans) -than- she would by picking a moderate to appeal to white married men. I honestly don't think that she's going to peel off a lot of middle/right folks who are scared of Drumpf, but I could be wrong.

[OnDoutside]

25. The best thing is that NO ONE KNOWS in advance of the announcement. That's a professional campaign.

[Ilsa]

27. A strong ticket can help, especially if some people think she may be

Pulled from office.

The thought that McCain could die in office and SPalin would take over was enough to scare off voters.

[pnwmom]

34. Give it up. That won't happen. n/t

[Ilsa]

37. I hope you're right. But the point

of having a great VP is knowing that they can do the job if it becomes necessary.

[pnwmom]

38. All of the candidates that have been mentioned would do a great job if necessary. n/t

[Ilsa]

39. I have no doubt about that. NT

[kacekwl]

35. Have we learned nothing on the last 8 years.

There are no moderate Republicans and if you find a few they would not admit it. You CAN NOT work with these folks as Pres. Obama found out (too late IMOP)

[rufus dog]

36. Hmm, not sure how to answer that

Because we may be the ones that haven't learned. A pessimist would say they use the the option of reaching out to the right as an excuse.