Most likely running mates for Hilary and Rubio?

[justfollowingtheelections]

I'm asking about these two because they're leading in the most recent poll.  To be honest I'm not sure Rubio can win the nomination, but stranger things have happened.

For Hilary I would say the ideal running mate would be someone younger and/or a minority.  She really has no reason to pick an old white guy like Obama did and the country will be a lot different in 2016 than it was in 2008.  At the same time she would have to avoid picking a lightweight, which was the mistake John McCain did.  This would certainly eliminate some popular congressmen or mayors.  With all that in mind I would say that Deval Patrick would be a good running mate for her.  He's not that young (he will be 60 in '16), but he's not geriatric either, and he has been tested as the governor of Massachusetts.  I think he would actually be a very strong candidate to win the nomination if Hilary for whatever reason doesn't run or her popularity wanes.  She might also need to GOTBV which has proven to be very important in some swing states (I think one could make a case based on statistical evidence that the main factor in Obama's victory was increased voter turnout in African-American communities in places such as Florida or Virginia).

Now if Hilary is really confident and her polling numbers high she might even pick a woman as her running mate, someone such as Elizabeth Warren for example.

Regarding Rubio, I have no clue who would be a good running mate.  Normally a candidate like him would go with someone experienced who can balance the ticket.  Then again, if that is the case he might be in danger of being overshadowed by his own running mate.  And there is also the issue of the Republicans being the party where 98% of the delegates at their national convention were white.  Rubio would bring some diversity to the ticket with his ethnic background, but he's still a white guy and adding another white guy to the ticket as his running mate might not look good.  On the other hand picking a minority or a woman might be too much for the party base who might become vocal about the party betraying traditional WASP America.
A lot will depend on how good his chances are of course, because if it looks like the Democrat is the clear favorite many prominent Republicans might wait until 2020.  I honestly have a hard time seeing the Republicans picking Rubio as their nominee, and I think they will go with an establishment candidate and then go with a female minority as the VP candidate and pretend their party is diverse.
But I would love to hear what you think!

[© tweed]

Julian Castro would be an easy answer for Clinton.

[Blue3]

Deval Patrick, Brian Schweitzer, and Mark Warner would probably be Hillary's short list.

[© tweed]

I really really doubt she would pick Warner, and I also doubt he'll ever get involved in a national campaign if he hasn't already

[opebo]

Julian Castro would be an easy answer for Clinton.

Wow, good answer.  I think it makes sense.

[Blue3]

I really really doubt she would pick Warner, and I also doubt he'll ever get involved in a national campaign if he hasn't already

I wouldn't support him for President (in the primaries), but there are numerous benefits to him being the eventual nominee's running mate. He underlines experience, he's popular in a swing state, he's wouldn't steal attention from the top of the ticket, and he's not young so he wouldn't cause problems in the administration if they were to win.

Julian Castro would be an easy answer for Clinton.

Wow, good answer.  I think it makes sense.

Castro needs to win statewide first. He probably won't be ready in time for '16, but maybe '20 or '24.

[ShadowRocket]

Deval Patrick, Brian Schweitzer, and Mark Warner would probably be Hillary's short list.

I'd probably swap out Schweitzer and Warner with Tester and Kaine.

Rubio would need to find his own equivalant of Dick Chenney or Joe Biden. 

[Frodo]

Gov. Deval Patrick would be an easy pick for her.

Julian Castro would be an easy answer for Clinton.

Too soon -Republicans will be eager to Palinize him.  Maybe once he wins two terms as governor, or serves at least one term as senator from Texas, would he be considered.  As of yet, he hasn't done much of anything to distinguish himself as mayor. 

[Mr. Morden]

Rubio would need to find his own equivalant of Dick Chenney or Joe Biden. 

The problem is that the GOP is kind of lacking in elder statesman who would be good options at the moment.  Who is the equivalent of Biden of Cheney now?

I guess two names that come to mind at the moment are Daniels and Huntsman.  But I'm not sure Daniels would be interested, since his wife seemed to veto his potential 2012 presidential campaign, and she might well veto a VP campaign as well.  And Huntsman comes with his own baggage within the party.

A generic problem for the GOP in 2016 is that many potential VP candidates are Senators who'll be running for reelection: Rubio himself, Ayotte, Portman, Thune.  How many of them could actually pull off running for VP and Senate at the same time?  Thune maybe, since he'll likely only face a token opponent for reelection, but the others probably can't.

[Holmes]

Er, why is everyone in this thread acting like every statewide office in Texas would just be handed to Castro?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Not Warner; I think Patrick is the most likely choice.

[Frodo]

Er, why is everyone in this thread acting like every statewide office in Texas would just be handed to Castro?

We're not -we're just stating what he has to do make himself viable as either a VP or Presidential candidate.  Being a mayor of a Texas city (however major within the state) simply doesn't cut it.  

[Mister Mets]

Keeping in mind the possibility that the next Veep may not have been elected to office yet (see Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew and Sarah Palin), or may not have risen to prominence yet (see Paul Ryan).

Hillary's qualifications are impressive enough that she doesn't need to make up for any shortcomings. And she can have her pick of middle-aged to old white guys. I don't think she'd choose a woman, or anyone from New York/ Arkansas.

The long list would include...
Mark Warner- Because of his combination of business/ executive and legislative experience, as well as his help in a crucial swing state.
Tim Kaine- Same reason. He's also slightly younger than Warner.
Charlie Crist- May help in Florida. Will allow Clinton to depict the Republicans as a group of crazy radicals.
Julian Castro- Can excite Latinos and younger voters. Executive of a city with a population greater than New Hampshire.
John Hickenlooper- Swing state Governor.
Martin O'Malley- Does no harm. Currently under Fifty.
Brian Schweitzer- Politically talented.
Jon Tester- Survived two close elections. Appeal to rural white voters.
Gavin Newsom- The most prominent white guy under fifty (in 2016) the Democrats seem to have. Possible Governor of California.

Rubio could also have his pick of Veeps, since he doesn't have much downside from the optics and can choose among Senators, Governors, Congressmen, etc.
Potential choices include...
John Thune- Generic Washington insider.
Rob Portman- Generic Washington insider from crucial swing state. Expert on financial matters.
Paul Ryan- The similarities to Rubio could be appealing. He handled himself well the first time around. And he seems to be the go-to guy on financial matters.
Jon Huntsman- His background matches well with Rubio's (Southern Senator+ Western Governor). He has credibility with Independents, as well as foreign policy and business experience.
Chris Christie- Hell of an attack dog.
Scott Brown- Appeal to moderates. Unlikely to embarrass the campaign. Familiar with national glare.
Condoleeza Rice- Foreign policy experience and high approval ratings.
John Boehner- Head of a major legislative body. Comes from a swing state. Possibly the most popular Speaker in decades (the competition is weak, though).
Tim Pawlenty- Two-time also ran. Unlikely to embarrass the campaign. Appeal to midwestern voters. Qualified for national office.
Susanna Martinez- Qualified woman with a different background. May help with western swing states.

[Liberalrocks]

In Rubio's case it would likely be someone of an elder statesman quality to balance out the lack of experience perception.

For Hillary, Yes it may be too soon for Castro but then again look at Obama's rise to fame. The Clinton's tend to keep a "list" of people who have wronged or pissed them off in the past. I doubt she would select someone who chose to endorse Obama over her early on in the 08 primaries. Unless she really truly thought she needed them to win. With that said I think she goes with someone quite a bit younger and energetic without overlooking the too wet behind the ears qualities.

[Link]

Gov. Deval Patrick would be an easy pick for her.

Julian Castro would be an easy answer for Clinton.

Too soon -Republicans will be eager to Palinize him.  Maybe once he wins two terms as governor, or serves at least one term as senator from Texas, would he be considered.  As of yet, he hasn't done much of anything to distinguish himself as mayor. 

Population wise San Antonio is almost twice as big as Alaska.  So that comparison is a bit unfair... sadly.   It's only when you put it in proper context do you realize how laughable the Palin candidacy truly was.

[Vosem]

Gov. Deval Patrick would be an easy pick for her.

Julian Castro would be an easy answer for Clinton.

Too soon -Republicans will be eager to Palinize him.  Maybe once he wins two terms as governor, or serves at least one term as senator from Texas, would he be considered.  As of yet, he hasn't done much of anything to distinguish himself as mayor. 

Population wise San Antonio is almost twice as big as Alaska.  So that comparison is a bit unfair... sadly.   It's only when you put it in proper context do you realize how laughable the Palin candidacy truly was.

But, when considering territory/natural resources/any of a million other equally valid things, Alaska is many, many (hundreds of times) times bigger than San Antonio.

[Frodo]

Keeping in mind the possibility that the next Veep may not have been elected to office yet (see Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew and Sarah Palin), or may not have risen to prominence yet (see Paul Ryan).

Hillary's qualifications are impressive enough that she doesn't need to make up for any shortcomings. And she can have her pick of middle-aged to old white guys. I don't think she'd choose a woman, or anyone from New York/ Arkansas.

The long list would include...
Mark Warner- Because of his combination of business/ executive and legislative experience, as well as his help in a crucial swing state.
Tim Kaine- Same reason. He's also slightly younger than Warner.
Charlie Crist- May help in Florida. Will allow Clinton to depict the Republicans as a group of crazy radicals.
Julian Castro- Can excite Latinos and younger voters. Executive of a city with a population greater than New Hampshire.
John Hickenlooper- Swing state Governor.
Martin O'Malley- Does no harm. Currently under Fifty.
Brian Schweitzer- Politically talented.
Jon Tester- Survived two close elections. Appeal to rural white voters.
Gavin Newsom- The most prominent white guy under fifty (in 2016) the Democrats seem to have. Possible Governor of California.

So why are you excluding Gov. Deval Patrick? 

[Landslide Lyndon]

Keeping in mind the possibility that the next Veep may not have been elected to office yet (see Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew and Sarah Palin), or may not have risen to prominence yet (see Paul Ryan).

Hillary's qualifications are impressive enough that she doesn't need to make up for any shortcomings. And she can have her pick of middle-aged to old white guys. I don't think she'd choose a woman, or anyone from New York/ Arkansas.

The long list would include...
Mark Warner- Because of his combination of business/ executive and legislative experience, as well as his help in a crucial swing state.
Tim Kaine- Same reason. He's also slightly younger than Warner.
Charlie Crist- May help in Florida. Will allow Clinton to depict the Republicans as a group of crazy radicals.
Julian Castro- Can excite Latinos and younger voters. Executive of a city with a population greater than New Hampshire.
John Hickenlooper- Swing state Governor.
Martin O'Malley- Does no harm. Currently under Fifty.
Brian Schweitzer- Politically talented.
Jon Tester- Survived two close elections. Appeal to rural white voters.
Gavin Newsom- The most prominent white guy under fifty (in 2016) the Democrats seem to have. Possible Governor of California.

So why are you excluding Gov. Deval Patrick? 

Tim Kaine too. She held him in rather low regard back in 2008.

[HAnnA MArin County]

In Rubio's case it would likely be someone of an elder statesman quality to balance out the lack of experience perception.

For Hillary, Yes it may be too soon for Castro but then again look at Obama's rise to fame. The Clinton's tend to keep a "list" of people who have wronged or pissed them off in the past. I doubt she would select someone who chose to endorse Obama over her early on in the 08 primaries. Unless she really truly thought she needed them to win. With that said I think she goes with someone quite a bit younger and energetic without overlooking the too wet behind the ears qualities.

This.

The Clintons are loyalists, and she would more than likely select someone who endorsed her over Obama in 2008. I don't think she would go with a Latino, seeing as how she was (and is) extremely popular with them in 2008 (I think she won them by a 2-to-1 margin over Obama). I say she would probably have to choose an African American because I'm sure several in the African American community will remember her as the one who dared to challenge the first African American candidate (how dare she do something like that!). Having said that, there weren't many prominent elected African Americans who supported her in 2008; the only ones I can think of (who still hold offices) are Maxine Waters, Emanuel Cleaver, Ron Dellums (Mayor of Oakland), Michael Nutter (Mayor of Philadelphia), Charlie Rangel (and I believe all of New York's black delegation - Gregory Meeks, Yvette Clarke and Edolphus Towns were for her as well), and Sheila Jackson Lee. I don't see any of these as VP material, though I do agree that she would more than likely choose one of her first candidacy's endorsers.

[Landslide Lyndon]

In Rubio's case it would likely be someone of an elder statesman quality to balance out the lack of experience perception.

For Hillary, Yes it may be too soon for Castro but then again look at Obama's rise to fame. The Clinton's tend to keep a "list" of people who have wronged or pissed them off in the past. I doubt she would select someone who chose to endorse Obama over her early on in the 08 primaries. Unless she really truly thought she needed them to win. With that said I think she goes with someone quite a bit younger and energetic without overlooking the too wet behind the ears qualities.

This.

The Clintons are loyalists, and she would more than likely select someone who endorsed her over Obama in 2008. I don't think she would go with a Latino, seeing as how she was (and is) extremely popular with them in 2008 (I think she won them by a 2-to-1 margin over Obama). I say she would probably have to choose an African American because I'm sure several in the African American community will remember her as the one who dared to challenge the first African American candidate (how dare she do something like that!). Having said that, there weren't many prominent elected African Americans who supported her in 2008; the only ones I can think of (who still hold offices) are Maxine Waters, Emanuel Cleaver, Ron Dellums (Mayor of Oakland), Michael Nutter (Mayor of Philadelphia), Charlie Rangel (and I believe all of New York's black delegation - Gregory Meeks, Yvette Clarke and Edolphus Towns were for her as well), and Sheila Jackson Lee. I don't see any of these as VP material, though I do agree that she would more than likely choose one of her first candidacy's endorsers.

According to the latest polls, black voters hold no animosity towards the Clintons. So there is no reason for her to pick an African-American running mate. 

[Phony Moderate]

Hillary:

A male youngster. By 2016, the Hillary (and Bill) will have been a major force in U.S. politics for about two-and-a-half decades. She needs a running mate who has an air of "newness", and who is male too. Someone like Julian Castro would be a very good choice - Latino, plenty of charisma, inoffensive views (presumably).

Rubio:

Someone inoffensive who is older, more experienced and more moderate than him. Rob Portman perhaps?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Crist no switcharoo Dem
Kaine no cause he is pro-lifer
Patrick no cause he has the Barack Obama fatigue factor

Down to Warner, O'Malley, and Sweizer

O'Malley personnally close to O'Malley
As far as Rubio probable a boring white male, Ryan.

[Mr. Morden]

Kaine no cause he is pro-lifer

No he isn't.

[Link]

Gov. Deval Patrick would be an easy pick for her.

Julian Castro would be an easy answer for Clinton.

Too soon -Republicans will be eager to Palinize him.  Maybe once he wins two terms as governor, or serves at least one term as senator from Texas, would he be considered.  As of yet, he hasn't done much of anything to distinguish himself as mayor.  

Population wise San Antonio is almost twice as big as Alaska.  So that comparison is a bit unfair... sadly.   It's only when you put it in proper context do you realize how laughable the Palin candidacy truly was.

But, when considering territory/natural resources/any of a million other equally valid things, Alaska is many, many (hundreds of times) times bigger than San Antonio.

I value people more than things... that's why I am a Democrat and you are a Republican.

BEHOLD!!! Republicans, rulers of trees and rocks!!!!

[ShadowRocket]

Rubio would need to find his own equivalant of Dick Chenney or Joe Biden. 

The problem is that the GOP is kind of lacking in elder statesman who would be good options at the moment.  Who is the equivalent of Biden of Cheney now?

I guess two names that come to mind at the moment are Daniels and Huntsman.  But I'm not sure Daniels would be interested, since his wife seemed to veto his potential 2012 presidential campaign, and she might well veto a VP campaign as well.  And Huntsman comes with his own baggage within the party.

Yeah, that's why I was at a lost to name anybody. I just don't see how Rubio wouldn't face the 'is he experienced enough?' like GWB and Obama in both did. Though Daniels and Huntsman would make sense to me. I agree with whoever it was that said Huntsman seems like a good fit, espcially if Rubio was trying to moderate his image somewhat. Though I'm not sure the base would allow it.

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Thune is the only name you mentioned here whose name I really see being tossed around for that reason.