I know you are all starved for commentary on the coronavirus situation, as hardly anyone is talking about it, but I’m afraid you’ll have to go elsewhere to find reporting on that challenge. Instead, I want to share with you some thoughts I’m thinking about sending to Joe Biden, regarding his choice for the vice-presidential slot on his ticket. With the top of the ticket set for both parties, the only candidate variable still out there is whom Biden will pick as his running mate. Like most political columnists, I have a few thoughts…

First off, let’s talk about what a VP pick is supposed to do. First, and most importantly, the VP choice should be someone capable of actually running the country, should tragedy strike. The current vice president is an example of that: for all the massive and intense differences I have with Mr. Pence, I don’t doubt his intellectual ability to actually conduct governance, unlike his current boss.

Secondly and only a wee bit less important than governance is what any potential VP nominee brings to the ticket politically. How does said candidate help win in November? Ultimately, assuming competence, the selection will be a result of pure politics, and the first part of my discussion will be pure Colorado politics, which works out well, given the name of this publication.

Back in February 2019, I was boldly suggesting that Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar might well end up as the Democratic Party’s nominee. I also thought the Broncos were heading back to the Super Bowl, so maybe take what I say with a grain or two of salt.

Given Klobuchar as the nominee, I offered up Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and former Gov. John Hickenlooper as very solid VP choices. And given recent events, let me add one more Coloradan’s name to my short list for VP: current Gov. Jared Polis. All three have distinguished records of service to state and nation, and a western candidate could be a big win as well. 

But…

As you know, Biden has announced he will be picking a woman running mate, who will join Geraldine Ferraro (1984) and Sarah Palin (2008) as the only major party female VP candidates in the modern era. Happily, for Democrats there are many highly qualified potential candidates out there. So let’s explore, from a purely partisan point of view, whom we might see on the Democratic Party’s ticket come November.

The favorite for many on the more liberal side of the Democratic Party is Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. I personally am a big fan, and I think she would make a great VP. But unfortunately, while she would shore up Biden’s support on the left, at least to some degree, she doesn’t bring any geographic benefit to the ticket. Biden is going to win Massachusetts regardless of whether Warren is on the ticket or not. So, sorry Warren fans, she is brilliant but not the best choice.

Which brings me to California U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, whom I also hold in high esteem. She has a solid “law and order” background as a former district attorney, and she would bring a great deal to the ticket, except for one stubborn factor: Biden is going to win California already. 

So how about Minnesota’s Klobuchar? I am a huge Klobuchar fan, and she’d be a great VP. She could help deliver her state’s Electoral College votes for Biden, but Minnesota is already fairly blue, and Biden is likely to win there anyway. Plus, and far more importantly, there is a small risk that if Klobuchar became the VP, her replacement in the Senate could, possibly, end up being a Republican, though that is not terribly likely. But unfortunately, since taking the Senate back is absolutely vital for the Dems, any chance that a Dem senator might be replaced by a GOPer must be reduced to near zero. 

Which brings us to… Stacey Abrams.

You may recall that Abrams was the Dems’ nominee for governor in Georgia in 2018. She lost by a whisker, in an election that was, in my view, rife with voter suppression and other sneaky things done by the state Republican Party. For example, her opponent, now-Gov. Brian Kemp, was then the state’s chief election officer (as secretary of state), overseeing his own election campaign. Not surprisingly, he didn’t find any of the complaints about voter irregularities significant, and he certified his own “win.” 

Abrams went to law school at Yale and served in the Georgia state House with distinction, ultimately becoming the minority leader. And with the deck rigged against her, she still almost pulled off an amazing election upset. 

As the VP choice, Abrams puts Georgia, and perhaps a larger swath of the South, into play. Even if the Dems can’t win in some of those states, her star power might force the GOP to spend big bucks there to defend what they thought were safe elections. And as a woman of color, Abrams might help encourage turnout in populations where voting has proved more problematic due to suppression and other factors.

So, there you have it. A Biden-Abrams team is the best bet for the Dems in 2020, unless there might be a governor in New Mexico I should have included? Hmm…

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.