Susan Rice sees stock rise in Biden VP race

[left-of-center2012]

Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are getting most of the buzz, but former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice is also been getting a lot of attention in Joe Biden’s campaign as he considers who to pick as his running mate, sources say.

Rice, who also served as former President Obama’s national security adviser, has seen her stock rise amid a series of crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. “I know she’s very much in the mix,” a source close to the Biden campaign said.

One factor to watch is Biden’s relationship with Rice. The two worked closed in the Obama administration, and personal chemistry is an underrated factor in vice presidential decisions.

“I know they have a good relationship. Perhaps the best relationship of anyone on the list,” the source close to the Biden campaign said. “They’ve known each other for years, they’ve worked alongside each other and she’s been tested in a way that a lot of folks on the list just haven’t been.”

Biden — who has committed to selecting a woman as his running mate — has said repeatedly that he is looking for someone who is “ready to be president on day one.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/505683-susan-rice-sees-stock-rise-in-biden-vp-race

[2naSalit]

1. I hope he picks her.

[shockey80]

2. I recently posted about her unmatched experience.

Experience matters. No white house learning curve with Susan Rice.

[Trumpocalypse]

6. Experience doesn't matter in elections

Never has. If it did Trump wouldn’t be President.

[CTyankee]

21. But here's the thing: Trump's "presidency" has taught us something...

that is, the value of experience in carrying out statecraft. Competency. Knowledge. Experience.

We have learned a lesson.

[Trumpocalypse]

22. No

You learned the lesson, but you probably knew it already. Don't assume that everyone else thinks like you do.

[CTyankee]

24. I gotta believe I'm not the only person who learned this lesson.

Sheesh, all you have to do is turn on the news to be hit in the face with the lack of it every single goddam day.

[Trumpocalypse]

28. I'm sure many who think like you did

But that is still not everyone or else the polls would be 100% for Biden.

[CTyankee]

29. uI am perfectly aware of who is and who is NOT someone who would vote with us.

I think we have a pretty good idea now of who we could really count on and who we might win over and what chances there are to get them to vote with us. I think about that a lot.

[Trumpocalypse]

30. Glad that you do

[Cha]

59. Exactly.. the trump tragedy should be teaching that

experience, competency, qualifications, Knowledge, EtC Etc.. DO MATTER VERY MUCH.

[Kahuna]

3. Come on Susan. Dignified, smart and loyal!

[Mike 03]

4. Go Susan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Trumpocalypse]

5. Poor choice for so many reasons

Rice has never run for office before. This election is too important to bet on a novice.

Rice won’t attract progressives. She’ll be seen as a status quo candidate by many of them.

Rice doesn’t help in any swing states like Florida or North Carolina.

Rice gives the GOP an excuse to bring up Benghazi again which may alienate some swing voters.

Rice should be SOS or have another prominent role in the administration, but there are better choices for the ticket.

[femmocrat]

7. I agree.

While she is extremely well-qualified, she is not well-known and doesn’t really bring in votes. She would make an outstanding SOS however. I’m hoping for Kamala.

[Martin Eden]

8. Susan Rice is the best choice for a VP with the experience to be head of state should the need arise

I think she would be much more acceptable to swing voters than Harris, Warren, or others under consideration.

The question here is whether this election will be won by GOTV on the left or attracting swing voters who might otherwise be scared away -- especially how this plays out in key battleground states.

I don't claim to know the answer to that question.

[zipplewrath]

9. VP's don't matter

Elections are decided by the candidates, not their running mates. And this election will be a referendum on Trump. Biden's VP won't make a hoots worth of difference. On Jan 21st though, Rice will be the person we'll all want to be "ready". And quite honestly, male or female, black or white, I can't think of a whole lot of people that fit that bill in the democratic party right now.

[Martin Eden]

10. If VP's have no effect on the outcome of elections ...

... then you and I are in agreement: Susan Rice is the best pick.

If the VP choice does have some effect, I still think Rice may be the best choice.

[Trumpocalypse]

11. Experience doesn't matter in elections

If it did Trump wouldn’t be President. Clinton would.

And I’m not saying anything in regard to Harris or Warren. I think there are better choices than them as well. But Rice was stopped in becoming SOS under Obama because of Benghazi. Putting her on the ticket just hands the GOP an attack that will hurt with swing voters. This is what happened in 16. We don’t need to make the same mistake again.

[Martin Eden]

20. We're talking about the 2020 election, and the VP selection

Regarding the head of the ticket, the tide of public opinion has turned against Donald Trump. For many who voted for him in 2016 but likely won't in 2020, a big takeaway for them is they gambled on someone with no experience only to find out it was a terrible choice.

It's questionable how much effect (if any) Biden's VP choice will have on the outcome of the election. One size does not fit all regarding how voters will take his VP selection into consideration. If this election will be won by GOTV in battleground states, Warren or Harris or some other woman of color might be the better choice.

If it will be won by not scaring away swing voters who are fed up with Trump but wary of a leftwing firebrand one heartbeat away from the presidency with a POTUS who will turn 80 halfway through his first term, Susan Rice is the best choice among those under consideration. Electoral politics aside, she is also the best choice to be head of state in navigating today's perilous international waters.

Benghazi was in fact a big fat nothingburger. Those who still swallow the rightwing harping on it aren't going to vote for a Democrat in any event.

[Trumpocalypse]

25. Those who fail to learn from history

are doomed to repeat it. And if we learned anything from 16 is that we can't be over confident or complacent. We were in 16 and look what happened. In 20, we need to put forth the best ticket to win possible and can't afford to 'put electoral politics aside'. That is a fool's errand. Benghazi gives the GOP an issue to attack on. If Rice is the VP candidate there will be endless GOP ads of her on the Sunday shows claiming it was all because of the video accusing her of lying to the American people. Why hand them the issue? Especially when Rice doesn't enhance the ticket by helping in any swing state or attracting more progressives.

[Martin Eden]

32. "we can't be over confident or complacent"

I agree 100% with your quote in the subject title of this post.

I disagree with most of the rest of what you posted, and let's get something clear: I did not say we should put electoral politics aside; I was simply stating that Susan Rice is the most qualified to be head of state. For rational voters, that is a serious consideration.

There will be endless GOP attack ads against our VP selection no matter who it is. If BENGHAZI is the best they can come up with against Susan Rice, that's probably a lot better at what they will drum up against Warren or Harris.

The only other thing you wrote I partially agree with is that Rice won't "attract more progressives" -- but I think she does indeed "enhance the ticket" among swing voters who might be scared off by some of the other possible VP selections.

As I stated in my first post in this thread, the question is which half of that equation -- GOTV on the left or attract swing voters -- will be most crucial in winning the key battleground states.

I don't think we can truly be certain about the answer to that question, but I will state that attack ads featuring BENGHAZI will be less effective with swing voters than the likely ads against Harris or Warren -- and that it will have zero effect on Democratic voters.

And, as others have argued in this thread, the VP choice may have minimal effect on the outcome.

Given all those uncertainties, I prefer a VP who is best prepared to be head of state if called upon -- and I'd bet I'm not alone in that regard.

[Trumpocalypse]

35. Most voters don't vote based on rationality

They don't vote based on qualifications either. They vote based on emotions. How a candidate makes them feels. Trust in a candidate being one of the most important

And if you can't see all the damage that could be done by attack ads with Rice claiming that the Benghazi attack was caused by a video, you probably never will. But if she is the VP candidate, those ads will be running every day, undermining the public's trust in her and Biden by association.

[Martin Eden]

43. "Most"

Most voters do not support Trump, whereas Most Trump voters are irrational and beyond reach anyway.

I can see the GOP running daily attack ads against every one of the possible VP selections. Decrying Warren's "radical leftwing agenda" with a "$30 trillion healthcare bill" would be more effective on swing voters than drumming up BENGHAZI, and I think they can make Harris look a lot scarier than Rice.

None of those ads against any VP will affect voters who've already made up their minds to flush the turd on November third.

Your concerns with these ads are all about the swing voters, and I believe Rice will be viewed as a much safer choice in an office which has little impact aside from the possibility of stepping in as Head of State.

[Trumpocalypse]

47. My concern is about winning the election

and don’t think we can be complacent about it.

The problem with Rice and Benghazi is not just a difference on issues, it would be to undermine trust in her, and by extension Biden. That is far more devastating to a candidate than any difference on issues. Like it or not Rice went on national television several times and said something that was proved to be untrue to the American people.

And the danger is not people changing their vote to Trump but just staying home or voting third party.

[Martin Eden]

49. Why bother stating that in your subject title?

The overriding goal to win the election is a given.

What we've been debating here is how the VP choice might affect the outcome.

We happen to disagree on whether or not Susan Rice is the best choice.

I see no point in the two of us continuing to re-hash and re-phrase the same points already articulated.

Have a nice day.

[Trumpocalypse]

50. Yes winning the election is the goal

Everything else is irrelevant if they don’t win.

You have a nice day too.

[StevieM]

34. James Comey is what happened in 2016.

And I think whoever the Democratic nominee was would have found themselves under FBI investigation for some reason or another.

[Trumpocalypse]

36. True

but it all started with Benghazi.

[Martin Eden]

44. Comey's October surprise had nothing to do with BENGHAZI

It was Her Emails, remember?

[Trumpocalypse]

45. And the issue of Clinton's emails

started with the Benghazi investigation.

[LanternWaste]

61. Giving a cost/benefit analysis, can you provide the numbers of voters she would cost?

And the objective measure upon which that analysis is predicated on?

Or is yours merely a guess?

I'm guessing it's merely more guesswork on your part, but I'd be happy to view the data analysis if you in fact, have something more to provide other than a simple hunch

[Trumpocalypse]

62. ...

[gainesvillenole]

14. Agreed

I like Susan Rice and think if the choice was PURELY based on qualifications and “simpatico” with the Presidential nominee she would be hands down #1....
But unfortunately the political aspects can not be ignored. After all, you have to first BE elected before you can govern.
I would add to the points above, her son is apparently a bat shit crazy right wing trumper..... and you KNOW the Republicans will put him front and center while the media will play it up big time just to stir the “horse race” pot. This and rehashing the whole Benghazi Bullshit is a distraction the Democrats simply do not need. She would be fantastic as Secretary of Stte, however!
Pick Val Demings from Florida (the Congresswoman is from Orlando and the infamous I-4 Corridor that always seems to decide close elections in this purple state). As a former Orlando police chief and excellent spokesperson for the articles of impeachment she has shown she’s tough and smart enough for the challenge. Besides, she’s a proud graduate of Florida State University so I’m naturally a little prejudiced! 😎
Harris would be great as well... but politically she’s from California, a state that’s already in the bag.

[Trumpocalypse]

26. Demings could help in Florida

I'm just not sure if her time as Police Chief is a liability or an asset.

[CTyankee]

31. I dunno but I did think of her in terms of her experience.

Frankly, I don't see it at all except that it doesn't qualify her to be President should something (god forbid) happen to Joe. Simple as that.

Susan Rice has working knowledge of how the presidency operates. We can expect her to act accordingly in a VP slot and god forbid as President.

I don't know about you but in my estimation that's a pretty big card she holds in her hand...

[Trumpocalypse]

33. Experience doesn't matter

The goal is to win the election. And Demings has as much time in Congress as Harris does.

[CTyankee]

37. I don't agree with your first two sentences. I agree that in past elections experience was

not the winning card.

That was then. This is now. We have learned a lesson about the importance of experience and judgment. They go hand in hand.

Trump's inexperience (and a lot more) has been frightening to a lot of voters. His base is his base and will vote for him no matter what. But to persuade normal voters, experience looms larger than in past elections. A lot of Americans are scared shitless by this guy.

[Trumpocalypse]

38. No it doesn't

And please don't kid yourself that it does.

Experience has never mattered in presidential elections. There are numerous examples throughout American history of the less experienced candidate winning, from Trump to Obama to W to Bill Clinton to JFK to Lincoln.

[CTyankee]

39. Clinton had been a governor, JFK had been a congressperson, Lincoln had been elected to the

Ill. legislature repeatedly from 1834 to 1844.

[Trumpocalypse]

40. So?

Everyone still was less experienced than their opponent in the election. Experience doesn't matter.

[CTyankee]

41. "less" versus "not at all and unwilling to learn."

trump's lack of experience is frightening at a whole new level which surprises me every day (altho I am getting numb).

[Trumpocalypse]

42. And if it really mattered to people

his approval rating would be 0%. But it isn't.

The argument against Trump shouldn't be experience but competence. And yes they are two different things. If someone it competent, they will gain experience over time. If someone is incompetent, no amount of experience will change that.

[CTyankee]

56. that is true, obviously. Trump had no idea, however, of what to do as president.

I guess some people thought that was a good thing. Sure. Hire some guy to fix your plumbing who has never fixed a toilet. Hire a person to fix your car who never looked under the hood of a car.

Sounds right to me.

[Trumpocalypse]

58. Problem is people don't vote

as if they were hiring someone to do a job. People vote with their heart, not their head.

[CTyankee]

60. Evidently.

[CTyankee]

23. This election is an outlier in a major way: it shows the need for experience in governing.

That is Joe Biden's strongest point. That and reminding people of what competency in goverment once meant.

At one time helping in swing states was the biggie. Now, while not unimportant, it pales when you think of how competent Obama and his teams were and how important that was when we think of restoring leadership in our government.

And, if something happens to Joe's health, hell yes I'd welcome Susan Rice to take over in a heartbeat.

(I acknowledge the pukes will trot out Bengazi but nobody will care except a few wackos).

It's gotten so bad that one of the big issues for this election is the SANITY of the chief executive...

[Trumpocalypse]

27. This country doesn't always vote for what it needs

And experience doesn't matter in elections, never has.

Helping is swing states is still a biggie, that we ignore at our own risk.

Plus, Biden's health is fine. Any talk that it isn't just feeds into GOP talking points.

[left-of-center2012]

12. I don't expect Biden to pick ...

I don't expect Biden to pick any of the frequently mentioned candidates.
Voters looked them over in the primaries.

I look for him to pick someone else.

[HotTeaBag]

13. Just pick someone already.

There's going to come a point where it's going to morph into a Vice Presidential primary where everyone has their 'favorite, must pick this person' thing, which will then lead to some of the same acerbic arguments that graced the Presidential primary.

My own feeling is that he's already picked someone and they're holding onto it just to keep the horserace in the news cycle.

Either way it's getting super old.

[left-of-center2012]

16. He said early August

"it's going to morph into a Vice Presidential primary where everyone has their 'favorite, must pick this person' thing"

It already has.

[helpisontheway]

15. Unfortunately she raised a Trump bot and the relentless Benghazi.nt

[left-of-center2012]

17. Mentioning her name ...

Mentioning her name always brings out a few attackers.

Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi

[SMC22307]

46. Yep. We'll be Benghazi'd to death - AGAIN.

And Brad Parscale, Trump's idiot sons, et al. will have a field day with her son.

Besides, didn't Biden say his VP pick MUST have campaigning experience? She doesn't, does she? Why do people keep pushing her as a candidate considering what Biden said?

[oasis]

18. Rice's role in overblown Benghazi story: tiny. Trumps role in Bountygate:

HUGE. "President" never read bounty PDB, or "President" did read it and chose not to protect troops. "President" never told Putin to shut down bounty program.

Bountygate dwarfs anything GOP has to say about Benghazi.

[SMC22307]

48. In a sane world, yes. But they are much LOUDER than we are...

and what will be heard by many Americans is Benghazi!!!!! not Bountygate.

[oasis]

51. Benghazi mesmerized dipshits would never vote for a Democrat

no matter who was running for VP. We don't need them.

[SMC22307]

52. And some of the dipshits in the middle.

We do need them.

[oasis]

54. Voters easily swayed by bullshit aren't worth us giving up on a

throughly qualified candidate. The Trumpified GOP could come up with any ridiculous charge on any one of Biden's picks.

[Mme. Defarge]

19. Oui!

S’il vous plaît.

[MarcA]

53. Will some swing voters think he is choosing Condoleezza Rice? n/t

[CTyankee]

57. OH, NO! I never thought about THAT!

Well, I guess we can cross her off the list...

[Awsi Dooger]

55. Listen to Rice speak one time and she blows away Kamala Harris

Not remotely the same caliber. This should not be a difficult choice at all. I'll be very disappointed in Biden if he succumbs to irrational fear and flimsy conventional wisdom by choosing Kamala Harris.

Last night I attended a small July 4th dinner hosted by a neighbor. She is a strong Democrat but doesn't follow closely other than during presidential years. When we began talking about the vice presidential choices the only name who brought a scrunched up frown to her face and immediate negative summary was Kamala Harris. She said, "I don't like her. When she started to attack Biden during the debates that really turned me off."

It fit everything I learned while hosting those debate watching parties in Las Vegas. Female candidates really have it tough. Women in particular will jump all over a first impression of a fellow female, and not let go of it. We are making a huge mistake if we don't understand how poorly Kamala Harris would fare among swing voters, especially if asked to top the ticket some day. As soon as I watched Harris in the senate for 5 minutes I knew instantly she had the wrong personality. Incidentally, my neighbor loved Amy Klobuchar and wanted her as vice president. Again, that fit everything I learned from those parties. Klobuchar has the ideal swing vote personality.

My neighbor was not familiar with Susan Rice at all. Even after I described Rice she drew a blank. I think Rice introduced to voters like that would be a smash hit.