Why do people think Democrats who refused to run for president would want to be a VP?

[MoonRiver]

This is the primary, pun intended, thing I don't understand about those who push Warren and now Biden to be Hillary's VP. It would be very odd indeed if either of these two, who both had enormous support for a presidential run, yet turned that opportunity down, would now want to become mere figureheads, with virtually no ability to effect policy. The Biden choice is particularly weird, imo, because he's already served 8 years, is 73, and still dealing with enormous emotional pain from the death of his son, Beau. Seriously, how long can a person be expected to serve?

[Zynx]

1. Because most VPs are people who didn't run for the nomination.

It's far more common than not throughout history.

[MoonRiver]

2. That makes no sense. They chose not to run.

Why would they now want to run for a much lesser position? Warren has a lot of influence in the Senate, which she would lose and Biden is grieving.

[Zynx]

4. There are many reasons. One could be that they support the other person running.

Why would they compete against someone who they think should be president?

Also, it could be that they want the "lesser" job. Not everyone aspires to the highest post. There are definitely powerful positions that I would turn down and less powerful ones that I would take.

Is this supposed to be some argument for Hillary picking Bernie as VP?

[MoonRiver]

5. Bernie would be the WORST choice, imo.

I just don't see Warren or Biden, for the reasons I have outlined, being interested. Time will tell of course.

[Lord Magus]

8. I agree that VP doesn't make sense for Warren.

She has more power in the Senate than she'd have as VP. And while Biden (quite unusually for a VP) seems to like the job, he didn't run for president because he didn't want to put his family through another campaign during their time of grief. So he probably wouldn't want it either.

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. And ...

They chose not to run.

In this instance, the un-named subject, refused to run, despite efforts to draft her, repeatedly.

[TwilightZone]

15. In part, because Clinton was running.

Had Clinton chosen not to run, I think Warren would have considered it much more seriously.

[1StrongBlackMan]

17. Perhaps. n/t

[thesquanderer]

18. Besides not wanting to go up against Clinton, another reason could be...

...that for whatever reasons, she did not want to spend these last 12 months traveling (campaigning, fundraising, etc.) Having no interest in running a grueling (and likely losing) candidacy against Hillary in 2015-6 doesn't necessarily equate to having no interest in being president or VP at a subsequent point in time.

[1StrongBlackMan]

19. True ... But we can, alos, go by what she said ...

she values her seat in the Senate, and wants to continue her efforts from there.

But it is , also, true, she could change her mind; but, I will wait for HER to do so; rather than, project my fantasies upon her.

[NurseJackie]

3. The campaigning part (the distaste for the ugliness of it it, and time required) might be ...

... the biggest reason.

[MoonRiver]

6. True that.

[longship]

7. Yup!

Plus, a Senator VEEP candidate could lose us a Senate seat.

[NCTraveler]

9. It's well known Sanders wasn't the first choice to run for President.

It was all about Warren. This talk is an attempt to bring unity. In a reply earlier I called it positive propaganda.

[jamese777]

10. Vice Presidential Candidates

don't have to personally raise the huge amounts of money that are required to run for president.
Fundraising, Barack Obama: $745 million in 2008 and $716 million in 2012.
Vice Presidents can indeed effect policy if a president cedes to them policy making powers. For example, Vice President Dick Cheney, prime advocate for and principle architect of the Iraq War.
A condition of accepting the Vice Presidential position can be having policy making authority.

[MoonRiver]

11. Have you ever heard of a VP who actually had policy making authority?

I haven't, but if you have I would be interested in knowing which VP, and what policies.

[TwilightZone]

14. Cheney had a heavy influence on Bush foreign policy

Sole policy-making authority? No, but his influence was stamped all over Iraq.

[1StrongBlackMan]

12. because they know better for that person, than the person knows for themselves ...

we've seen it on DU, over and over again, where DUers confuse what THEY want for what is "best" for others, whether it be other individuals or groups ... but they get highly offended when this is pointed out. So ... thread lightly.

[Vinca]

16. So you would narrow the choices down to Sanders and O'Malley?