A significant part of the 2020 primary election is over.
Although Democrat candidates will continue campaigning into the New Year, they’re starting to openly discuss potential running mate prospects. The running mate that a candidate chooses, should they win their party’s nomination, significantly contributes to the trajectory of their campaign, the ability to reach different types of voters, and much more.
“Joe Biden” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Gage Skidmore
On Monday, former vice president Joe Biden openly declared that he would entertain the notion of selecting a Republican to be his running mate, if Democrats select him to be the party’s nominee. The Daily Caller News Foundation furthermore confirms that Biden didn’t list the names of precise Republicans who he’d consider.
Can Biden Convince a Republican to Join His Potential Ticket?
The vast majority of the Republican Party is supportive of President Trump. For this reason, finding a GOP member to join Biden’s ticket will be a tall order; of course, all of this is contingent upon Democrats nominating the former vice president to challenge Trump in the general election.
As it stands now, the types of Republicans who would join Biden as a running mate would be either Never-Trumpers or RINOs (Republicans in Name Only). These kinds of Republicans are not very popular amongst the right-wing; hence, having this type of GOP member as a running mate would defeat Biden’s clear agenda of trying to get votes from right-wing Americans.
Quite frankly, Biden may find it more difficult than he thinks to get a Republican on board with him as a running mate. The former vice president shouldn’t put the cart before the horse just yet.
Reactions from The Left
Biden’s admission of potentially selecting a Republican as his running mate certainly raised some leftist eyebrows. Several progressives censured the move and furthermore used it to collectively criticize moderate Democrats.
Overall, the general consensus on the left is that Democrats don’t need to do anything to appeal to or compromise with Republicans. Progressives tend to favor more radical policies and adhere to the belief that ramming their extremism through government and down people’s throats is preferable to working with the other side.
Of course, this strategy is not one that wins general elections, but it appears as though the left will continue having to learn that lesson the hard way…over and over and over again.
If Joe Biden wins the Democrat Party’s nomination, do you believe he will select a Republican running mate? Let us know your thoughts and predictions down in the comments section below!
