Clinton VP news LATEST: Podesta now calling the losers to tell them its not them

[Mr. Morden]

Please post info here that you find on news sites or blogs that is supposedly coming from either the campaigns or the potential VP candidates themselves.  You know, actual VP news.  It’s OK if that info generates some speculation here, but this is primarily a news thread.  Don’t fill it up with free-floating speculation, disconnected from the news we have.  That’s for other threads.


-------
Some denials:

Cory Booker, when asked about running for veep, wouldn’t rule it out:

http://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/sen-booker-becoming-clintons-vp-hypothetical/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Ben Carson says that he’d be willing to be Trump’s running mate:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/03/12/ben-carson-says-he-would-be-willing-to-be-trumps-vp-2/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I’m not aware of Julian Castro being asked about the vice presidency recently.  But when he was asked in August, he certainly didn’t rule it out:

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/28/politics/julian-castro-hillary-clinton-running-mate-vp-emails/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Shortly after endorsing Trump, Christie wouldn’t rule out running for VP under Trump:

link

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Carly Fiorina, when asked about serving as Cruz’s running mate, wouldn’t rule it out:

http://www.inquisitr.com/2983858/carly-fiorina-to-be-ted-cruzs-running-mate-she-says-never-say-never/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Al Franken doesn’t rule out being veep:

http://www.alfrankenvpwatch.com/?p=34

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Nikki Haley, when asked about being veep in January, sounded open to it:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/rising-star-nikki-haley-says-she-is-open-to-160906818.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Tim Kaine says that he “loves his job” and is not looking for another one, but dodges the question of whether he’d accept the running mate job if picked:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/tim-kaine-possible-vice-president-221879

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Kasich says he will not be anyone’s running mate:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/kasich-rules-out-vice-president-role-is-open-to-dem-running-mate/article/2586662

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Of course, what do you expect him to say?  He’s still running for president himself, so ruling out the vice presidency is a given.  Doesn’t mean we should believe him yet.

Top Perez doesn’t rule it out:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/18/politics/tom-perez-vice-president-hillary-clinton-chatter-donald-trump/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

When Rubio dropped out of the presidential race, he said that he “wasn’t interested” in being anyone’s running mate:

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2016/03/17/marco-rubio-rules-out-being-anyone-vp-running-mate/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Elizabeth Warren, when asked the veep question, deflected it by saying that it was too early to talk about:

http://wwlp.com/2016/03/14/senator-elizabeth-warren-not-ruling-out-a-run-for-vice-president/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So, bottom line: Hardly anyone is ruling it out.  In fact, on the Democratic side, none of the most frequently mentioned names are ruling it out.

[Mr. Morden]

So only Rubio has ruled it out completely (not counting Kasich because, as you said, he's still running for President)?

Pretty much.  And even in the case of Rubio, his denial isn’t quite Shermanesque.  He says “I’m not going to be anybody’s vice president.”  Is that a promise or a prediction?  And then he says “I’m not interested in being vice president.”  There’ve been cases in the past where prospective veeps sounded reluctant, but then said something like “If the nominee said that they needed me, I’d consider it.”  Rubio has stopped just short of a Shermanesque denial.  He hasn’t said that he’d refuse to be vetted, or anything like that.

Looks like another person who says he’s not interested (though again, I guess there’s still a little wiggle room) is Hickenlooper:

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2015/05/29/colorado-hickenlooper-vice-president-cabinet-hillary-clinton/120698/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

That same story, however, notes that a different publication said (without attribution) that Hickenlooper had privately indicated that he was interested after all.

[Mr. Morden]

Perez did some campaigning for Clinton in Buffalo on Sunday:

http://wivb.com/2016/04/17/u-s-labor-secretary-perez-visits-buffalo-to-support-hillary-ahead-of-ny-primary/

Joni Ernst said last year that she’d be open to being veep:

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/244240-gop-senator-keeps-door-open-to-being-vp-pick

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Huckabee has said that “no one” turns down the chance to be veep:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2016/03/16/huckabee-no-one-turns-down-v-p-position.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

McAuliffe was asked in February about becoming Hillary Clinton’s veep, and wouldn’t answer the question:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/22/terry-mcauliffe-doesnt-shut-door-becoming-hillary-/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Walker deflects the veep question with “I just love being governor.”  In fact, not only does he not rule out being veep.  He doesn’t rule out being nominated for president at a contested convention:

http://www.wxow.com/story/31739486/2016/04/15/walker-addresses-a-potential-vice-president-nomination

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Unsurprisingly, Huckabee seems very ignorant of history. Didn't like 5 different people turn down being McGovern's VP?

His phrasing also kind of misses the point, given how modern day VP selection works.  Webb and Strickland, for example, both refused to be vetted by Obama's campaign for the vice presidency, effectively telling him that they weren't interested in the job.  Doing that insures that they're not going to be offered the job.  Huck says, well, if you're offered the job you're going to take it.  But lots of people pre-emptively refuse it and thereby insure that no offer will come, so I'm not sure what his point is.

[Mr. Morden]

Kasich says that Erin Burnett is more likely to become vice president than him:

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/kasich-burnett-trump-veep-222243

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Christie sounds like he’s open to being anyone’s VP:

http://nj1015.com/christie-its-time-for-me-to-make-some-money/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Meanwhile, at Team Clinton, John Podesta indicates that HRC’s veep list will include women:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/04/20/women-will-clinton-list-what-about-elizabeth-warren/OkjhdprEAehh8y2wTW70tL/story.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Carson seems to have changed his mind on the vice presidency.  Now says he won’t be vetted:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-veepstakes-begin-candidates-start-building-lists-and-vetting-prospects/2016/04/21/d50168f4-07d7-11e6-a12f-ea5aed7958dc_story.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Also, from that same story:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign says that they’re not going to start the vetting process until the primaries are over.

[Mr. Morden]

Don’t expect Susana Martinez to end up on Trump’s VP short list….and probably not Nikki Haley either:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/04/19/new-mexico-gov-susana-martinez-makes-sharp-critique-of-trump-at-rga-donor-event/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

I would expect Trump to pick either Kasich or Rubio, I would lean Kasich.

I would expect Hillary to pick warner/Kaine or Castro, I would lean Warner/Kaine since Trump will probably be the Republican nominee.

Rubio is more likely. He's young and a latino. The Trumpster will either pick a minority or a woman. If not both (Haley, Martinez for example).

As I noted just a few posts ago, Martinez just slammed Trump at an RGA donor event, saying that, as a Latina, she's offended by his comments about immigrants.  Haley was also quite critical of him.  I don't see either of them accepting a VP offer from him.  And Ayotte's busy with her reelection campaign, so I don't see her accepting a VP offer from anyone this year.  If Trump wants to pick a woman, his options will be limited.  Maybe Ernst?

[Mr. Morden]

So to summarize things on the Republican side:

Doesn’t rule out being VP for Cruz (not asked about Trump or Kasich):
Fiorina
Walker

Didn’t rule out being VP for anyone when asked, but this was months ago, before the primaries started, so it was unclear back then who the presidential nominee might be:
Ernst
Haley

Doesn’t rule out being VP for anyone:
Christie
Huckabee

Says he wouldn’t do it, but his denial isn’t quite Shermanesque:
Rubio

Says he’s not interested, and he’d refuse to be vetted:
Carson

Says he’s not interested, and he’d refuse to be vetted, but I’m not sure I believe him, since he’s still running for prez:
Kasich

On the Democratic side, only Hickenlooper has ruled it out, and his denial isn’t quite airtight, so he could change his mind.  The others who’ve been asked and sounded like they were open to being VP, or else dodged the question are:

Booker
Castro
Franken
Kaine
McAuliffe
Perez
Warren

Has anyone else been asked?

[Mr. Morden]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Rooting for Kaine. Not that I want him but Sanders should be on the list.

He really should, her challenge is to choose an ultra left winger from a swing state who can attract Sanders supporters. The only somewhat logical selection is Sherrod Brown.

If he becomes vice president, Kasich would fill Brown’s Senate seat.

Yes.  If you cross off people who either would give a Senate seat to the GOP, have something in their voting record that would anger the Sanders crowd, or are too green (like Castro or Perez), then the only option left is Al Franken: 

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/2016-elections-al-franken-vice-president-213756

[Mr. Morden]

Why would Tim Kaine be objectionable to the Sanders crowd?

I guess he's not left enough on trade.  He supported fast track trade promotion authority.

[Mr. Morden]

Article said she doesn't feel a need to placate Sanders supporters...

There might actually be a political logic to *avoiding* someone who's too popular with Sanders supporters.  Such a person would have their own political base, separate from Clinton.  Thus their political interests might diverge at times, and the VP could end up undermining Clinton once in office every now and then.  OTOH, someone like a Tim Kaine would have no real anti-Clinton constituency, so his only option for continued political relevance (and a shot at the White House in 2024) would be to make sure that Clinton is as successful as possible.

[Mr. Morden]

So South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer suggested Mary Fallin as Trump’s running mate on CNN, and Trump later tweeted that this was “great advice”:

http://newsok.com/article/5494016

Fallin has given a non-denial response to this suggestion:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

I think Sherrod Brown has ruled out being Clinton's veep.

Yes, I was just about to post that:

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2016/04/23/brown-shoots-down-vp-chatter/83433974/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Though again, not to be a stickler about this, but that still stops short of Shermanesque.  Other candidates have said “I have no interest”, but then you ask them “Does that mean that if offered the job, you would turn it down?”, and the answer changes.  These journalists need to do better at interrogating potential veeps for denials.

[Mr. Morden]

So I’ve been thinking that, since there’s a good chance that many of the more high profile VP possibilities would refuse to run on a ticket with Trump, he might end up going to the House for his running mate.  So maybe it’s worth mentioning that, last month at CPAC, Marsha Blackburn sounded very open to running on a ticket with Trump:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/4/marsha-blackburn-says-shed-considered-being-donald/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

I guess this happened a few weeks ago, but Jeff Sessions was asked if he’d be willing to run on a ticket with Trump.  He played down the prospect, but didn’t say anything that would rule it out:

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/275502-trumps-senate-backer-dont-bet-money-on-me-being-vp

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Again, the media is terrible at this.  Politico calls this a “rejection” by Kaine of the VP chatter surrounding him, but it seems like anything but:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/tim-kaine-no-vice-president-222625

You must be logged in to read this quote.

“I love my job and I’m not looking for another one.”  “I have a great feeling that…I’m going to be sitting with the other senators.”

That sounds like a prediction, not a promise.  He is absolutely not ruling out the possibility that he’ll be vice president.  Why can’t the media just ask a direct question like “If Hillary Clinton offered to make her your running mate, would you accept?” or “If Hillary Clinton wants to put you on her short list, would you participate in the vetting process?”?

[Mr. Morden]

So, to summarize the NYT story:

Not interested in being Trump’s running mate, either based on their own public comments or their comments to advisors:
Flake
Graham
Haley
Kasich
Martinez
Rubio
Walker

The New York Times said he was “circumspect” about it, yet he’s previously ruled it out
Joe Scarborough

Have indicated that they’d consider it:
Carson (which means that he’s flip-flopped on this question a second time)
Christie
Fallin
Gingrich
Sessions (has gone as far as saying that if Trump asked him to participate in the vetting process, he’d agree to do so)

Really tried to dodge the question, but apparently wouldn’t rule it out:
Tim Scott

[Mr. Morden]

but Rubio has been warming up to the idea of Trump, and probably would accept a VP spot. He only said that stuff after he dropped out because he had just dropped out.

Rubio has been “warming up to Trump” only in the sense that he’s backed away from the option of refusing to endorse him in the GE.  Rubio will endorse the party nominee in the general election, even if it’s Trump, because that’s the path of least resistance for someone looking to run for president again in 2020.  (Read the Tea Leaves thread, and you’ll see that Rubio is very much interested in running for president again next time.)  But Rubio’s preference for who wins the nomination this time is still Cruz over Trump, as Politico notes in a new story.

But while Rubio will endorse whoever the GOP nominee is, that doesn’t mean he’s going to go as far as agreeing to run on a ticket with Trump.  That would be a huge political roll of the dice, for very little likely gain.  Rubio already has a national profile, so he doesn’t need any further setup for 2020.  I don’t see Rubio saying yes to a VP offer from Trump.

[Mr. Morden]

Apparently back in January, John Thune said that he might be open to running on a ticket with any of the leading candidates, including Trump:

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/john-thune-consider-vice-president-offer/2016/01/28/id/711739/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The thing is, even though Thune isn’t the greatest choice in the world, he has DC experience, knows the issues, doesn’t sound like an idiot when interviewed, and isn’t a clown.  With the very real possibility that most/all the A-list options will turn Trump down, Thune might actually be worth considering.

His seat is up for reelection this year though.  Does South Dakota law allow him to run for Senate and Vice President at the same time?

[Mr. Morden]

Rick Scott says he’s “not interested” in the vice presidency, but his denial is hardly Shermanesque:

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article75350562.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Trump says he’s already started the vetting:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/trump-vice-president-pick-222781

On the Dem. side, Kaine says he’s in the dark as to whether he’s being looked at:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/03/politics/tim-kaine-vice-president-hillary-clinton/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Trump's search committee will be headed by Ben Carson.

This story just says that the committee doing the VP search will include Carson, not that he’ll necessarily be leading it:

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/04/donald-trump-discusses-how-hell-select-a-running-mate/

You must be logged in to read this quote.