Women Ready to Serve

I was thinking a lot last night of a particular element of the upcoming election. My friend Mary Beth Lampe had asked me earlier in the evening who I was supporting (or more likely hoping for) as Joe Biden’s running mate. Biden has committed to choosing a woman as his Vice President.  Much of the speculation is the candidate will/should be a woman of color.

 

The pool of possible female candidates Joe has to choose from is a distinguished one. He’s vetting several women. Topping the list for me is Senator Elizabeth Warren. In the vetting process, Warren’s biggest liability is that she’s white and 70 years old. It’s my opinion she is the most ready to step up to the presidency if something should happen to a President Joe Biden. I believe Biden, if elected, will be a caretaker president; his main role will be to heal the country and step aside after one term. His choice of running mate is crucial.

 

Another possibility is Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. Baldwin’s a terrific senator; but, not a woman of color. Tammy’s an out Lesbian who has won elections for decades in Wisconsin. She’s Progressive. Would being part of the LGBTQ community be a liability or an asset in a national election? I readily know my answer, but not the country's. Wisconsin is a battle ground state the Dems want to win, so I wouldn’t count her out.

 

There are four strong African-American female candidates Biden could nominate: Senator Kamala Harris of California, Stacey Abrams of Georgia, Rep.Val Demings of Florida and Former Ambassador to the United Nations and National Security Director Susan Rice. As a Congresswoman from Florida and a former police chief, I find Demings an intriguing choice. Florida is a battleground state as well. Law enforcement reform will be a hot button issue in this election. Her experience in law enforcement could be a plus..

 

Another candidate interests me a lot. I’ve not heard her name mentioned much; I’m not certain if she’s being vetted as a potential running mate for Biden, but she should be. A woman of color, a Veteran and a Senator who served in the House of Representatives, it occurred to me Senator Tammy Duckworth could be a wonderful choice for the ticket.

 

Tammy Duckworth was born in Bangkok, Thailand, the daughter of Lamai Sompornpairin and Franklin Duckworth. Her father, who died in 2005, was a U.S. Army veteran who traced his family's American roots to the American Revolutionary War. Her mother is Thai Chinese. Senator Duckworth lost both of her legs fighting for our country in Iraq; she’s progressive, articulate and an experienced legislator. 

 

In summary, in this unscientific musing about Joe Biden’s running mate, I currently favor Val Demings of Florida or Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Filling in some of the spots in Joe Biden’s cabinet, I’d could see Elizabeth Warren as Secretary of the Treasury; Senator Kamala Harris or Senator Amy Klobuchar as Attorney General. I could see Senator Baldwin heading up the Department of the Interior. Or ... I could envision all of the sitting senators working their magic as part of a Senate majority. 

 

Who would you like to see as Joe Biden’s running mate? The Latina governor of New Mexico perhaps? Or the Latina Senator from Nevada? Another choice I’ve mentioned? Is there a strong possible candidate I’ve missed? Michelle Obama and Oprah are not available. :) We have a breathtaking amount of diversity, brilliance and competency in the pool of women who could be Vice President. This excites me. Here’s to the women ready to serve!