Susan E. Rice for VP – July 22, 2020
The selection of a Vice Presidential running mate is always one of high calculation and how the chosen person can strengthen the ticket. A strong track record, usually with extensive elected experience defines a candidate’s capabilities. Additionally, being from a state that may be ‘in play’ or that carries a high number of electoral votes in the election is often a reason to choose one person over another.
All Vice-Presidential choices are important. That person would assume the presidency if the president were to become incapacitated or die in office. Just look at the experience of Lyndon Johnson assuming the presidency after the assassination of President Kennedy or of Gerald Ford after the resignation of Richard Nixon.
In the coming election of 2020, the selection of a Vice Presidential running mate for Joe Biden is extremely important for a variety of reasons. First off he has stated he would only run for one term due to his advanced age. His running mate will have a high profile and a leg up to secure the presidential nomination on his retirement in 2024.
Secondly, Biden has already said he would choose a woman as running mate. Several high profile candidates have been floated and have gone through a strict vetting process. Some of these people represent important swing states, others are high profile leaders with extensive legislative experience, from Mayors, to Governors to Congress representatives & Senators. Some have senior policing experience, some are black and champions of the resurgent black rights movement. One has eight years of Presidential administration experience but has never been elected and lives in a district with no electoral votes!
All are capable, but it is the latter candidate who has what it takes to immediately assume the presidency if called to do so, even though she might seem an unlikely choice due to her lack of elected experience. She may not be able to deliver electoral votes, and she has never held elected office - two major reasons many would pass her over for this role. But she is best suited for the job. It is Susan E. Rice, a former national security adviser, diplomat and Ambassador to the UN who is the most able candidate to serve as Vice President on the Joe Biden ticket.
One only needs to see her administrative track record, her strong experience of high-level public service and to read her op-eds and other works to immediately see that Susan Rice is the best qualified person to assume the presidency since Hillary Clinton (the comparison between the two ends there). And yes, she is black and understands issues impacting black Americans – look no further than her NYT op-ed July 22, “Take the next Step to Racial Justice”.
During her time in the Obama administration she was not without her detractors, but her legacy is mainly intact. She deeply understands government, the democratic party and its diverse constituents. She understands international diplomacy and knows who Americas allies are and why they are important to a strong America. She is particularly articulate and would be a consummate professional in her approach to fairness in government to restore order after the disaster of the last four years of administrative chaos, government mismanagement and cronyism. Rice would help to guide and build a new America that reflects a more inclusive country to overcome its ingrained racial divide.
Vice President Susan E. Rice would be transformational in her role as Vice President of the United States of America and a great asset to President Joe Biden. And if required, or in 2024, Rice would make an inspiring choice for President. A woman. A mother. An intellectual. A diplomat. A hard worker. A black American. A voice of sensibility and reason. America needs her.
