This article arose from disbelief at South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn’s awkward response to one of President Trump’s ridiculous and mendacious tweets. The Democratic Party is engaged in "déjà vu," committed to getting Trump elected again.

Vice-president selection.
What are the qualifications for this vice-president?

1. Should be able to replace the president.

Contrary to the accepted notion that the vice-president candidate plays no role in voter decisions, in this election the vice-president candidate has amplified importance. Voters for a shaky 77-year old Biden want assurance that he will receive direct assistance from his vice-president and want insurance that a suitable replacement will be available. Being a likely one-term president, Biden owes it to the public to choose a suitable heir for the 2024 election, in which the incumbent vice-president will have a commanding lead.

2. Should have national governing experience, direct links to congress and knowledge of legislative actions.

Polarization has become the norm. A vice-president that assists the president in communicating with congress is essential.

3. Should be well known to the electorate.

Outsiders have been welcome to run for most political offices. Since Trump, the ultimate unknown outsider, became elected, voters are aware of the perils in electing an unknown who could obtain the highest office.

4. Should attract independents and disaffected voters without harming the ticket.

The more independent part of the Democratic Party deserted Hillary Clinton and indirectly contributed to Trump’s election. Biden needs those votes and the votes of the more radicalized new generation of voters.

5. Should be a woman.

Women and many men are expecting a female vice-president. Not selecting a woman will lose votes. Color of skin does not dictate choice.

From this listing, three politicos meet most qualifications -- Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Minnesota Senator Amy Kloubachar. All of them have well-accepted years of political and legislative experience, Senator Duckworth much less than her fellow senators. Each is magnitudes more suitable than anyone else mentioned as a VP candidate. Democrat centrists and moderate Republicans do not approve of Warren; the more leftist wing of the Democratic Party abhors Kloubachar and moderate Republicans are lukewarm toward her; Duckworth has her critics, but none is vehemently opposed to the military veteran, not as much as critics are opposed to the other candidates.

Senator Duckworth wins the contest among those who would least harm the ticket and misses name recognition and most capable in performing presidential duties. The primary battle resolves the choice. Independents and the expanded left wing of the Democratic Party highly favor Elizabeth. Primary vote had Bernie Sanders, an ardent Warren supporter, gaining 1073 electors before the primary had been decided; Warren had 67, and Kloubachar had only seven. Duckworth did not enter the primaries, and did not get tested by the voting public. The people have spoken -- Elizabeth Warren for Democrat Vice-President. She adds needed strength, which is the continually increasing independent left, to a weak Biden.

Dems are mistakenly focusing on a Black woman.
Selecting an African-American woman for the position serves no purpose. The Dems already have the African-American vote and need no more support from that electorate. Perceived as a contrived and politically correct exercise, the selection will alienate those who reject a political Party that tries to make itself look good for political purposes. Selection of an insufficiently experienced African-American woman will alienate those on the margin. Of the mentioned women for vice-president, all highly competent, no one seems sufficiently experienced, at the present time, for highest office.

California Senator Kamala Harris has limited national experience and unlimited fakery. The U.S. senator from California has intelligence, grit, command, and ideas, all of which has enabled her to rise to a possible candidate. Her fraudulent attitude comes from consistent attempts to portray herself as a marginalized member of the African American community. Other than growing up in a deprived community, she grew up in a privileged household, with a father who was a Stanford University economics professor and a mother who was a breast-cancer scientist and daughter of an Indian diplomat. She misrepresented the desegregation-busing program, describing it as an effort to enable children from Black communities to receive better education when the program actually attempted to transform “separate but equal” to “together and equal.” Although she did not completely grow up in the United States, during the primary debates, Harris frequently mentioned her life in an African community in the United States.  After her mother’s divorce, a 12-year-old Kamala Harris moved to Montreal, Canada, where her mother did research at Jewish General Hospital and taught at McGill University. She returned to the United States to attend college.

Kamala Harris had a moment of rising popularity during the debates, and, then due to her duplicity, sank quickly. Quoting the New York Times, Nov 29, 2019,  “She (Kamala Harris) has proved to be an uneven campaigner who changes her message and tactics to little effect and has a staff torn into factions." The same will occur in the presidential campaign. Nominating Senator Harris is a sure vote loser.

Ambassador Susan Rice comes off as an expanded Hillary Clinton look-alike -- lots of commotion, holding exalted positions, abrasive attitude, and no real accomplishments. Unlike Senator Clinton, she has not held elected office, has no legislative experience, and no firm leadership experience. From the appointed positions she has held, she seemed confused in what she should be doing, provided opinions that generated conflict, and alienated those close to her. One example of her Trump like behavior:

Reuters, NOVEMBER 24, 2012, Backed by Obama, sharp-tongued Susan Rice battles critics, Louis Charbonneau, Susan Cornwell.

Diplomats on the 15-nation U.N. Security Council privately complain of Rice’s aggressive negotiating tactics, describing her with terms like “undiplomatic” and “sometimes rather rude.” They attributed some blunt language to Rice - “this is crap,” “let’s kill this” or “this is bullshit.”

Ms. Rice makes a weak Biden look weaker; an electorate that refused Hillary will not be amenable to Susan.

Other mentioned African-American women are exceptional in their fields, but have little or no national experience, no name recognition, and carry unnecessary baggage.

Dems have not adequately exposed Trump failure in containing SARS CoV-2.
Assembling a Corona Virus Task Force that has been unable to contain SARS CoV-2, demonstrates the ineptness of Trump and his administration; where most needed, they have harmed the nation. The lack of a well-coordinated national effort has resulted in the United States having 25 percent of the world’s cases and 25 percent of the world’s deaths. Political expediency -- placing economy and profits ahead of life and survival have guided Trump’s actions. The Dems have not adequately exposed Trump’s malfeasance, or motivated the electorate to protest Trump's damaging behavior.

An example.
South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn’s endorsement of Joe Biden reinvigorated the Democratic nominee’s campaign. Representative Clyburn could have taken an opportunity to invigorate Biden’s election. As chair of the House's Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, minority whip, and third ranking Democrat in Congress, Rep. Clyburn had an opportunity to dump Trump. After Clyburn mentioned that the U.S. has had the highest number of COVID-19 cases, week after week, Trump twittered the Committee to inform the chair that this was only because the U.S. had the highest number of testing.

Asked to respond to Trump’s tweet, Rep. Clyburn, chair of the House's Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, showed inadequate understanding of the epidemic and gave Trump a free pass. Clyburn said, “Testing is not the only thing, wearing masks and practicing safe distance are also important,” a trivial and incompetent remark. He should have emphatically countered Trump’s ignorance by emphasizing that

1. The important figure is number of positives divided by the number of tests. Whereas, almost all nations have seen this ratio decline to nil three months after peaking, the U.S. had a decline and then an abrupt increase for several weeks, bringing the contagion back to where it was six weeks previously.
2. The number of deaths and its trend are the most important statistics. Most nations have had declines to single digits three months after peak;  U.S. deaths are at the same level as three months previously.
3. Contrary to Trump’s statement that the U.S. has the lowest death rate per capita, the U.S. has  a higher death rate than 210  other nations, and only five nations have a worse statistic.
4. One reason the U.S. has more testing is because it has more cases; many nations have few cases, and, for this reason, their testing has slowed.

South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn’s mental lapse is a type of behavior that assists Trump.

Failures in demonstrations.
The demonstrations for African-American equality have struck a responsive chord in the American system. Well-intentioned and well impacted, they failed to recognize that if Trump were re-elected, their efforts would be worthless. Walking a fine line between adequate expression and not giving Trump ammunition to refute their efforts and presenting himself as savior of American security was not a simple task. In this case, it was better to play it safe than be sorry. Unfortunately, some of the demonstrations, even if their actions were exaggerated served to give Trump the position he most needs -- protector of citizen safety. Those who find nemeses behind every lamppost will gravitate to Trump if they feel insecure. Some demonstrations contributed to that feeling. Big mistake,

Biden’s lackluster campaign.
Some of many of Trump’s negatives are not delegating authority, not absorbing information, and not having a well-coordinated cabinet to advise him. Good opportunity for Biden. By mentioning, that, unlike Trump, he will not make unilateral and impulsive decisions, will have a “brain trust" of highly competent individuals with diverse opinions, and will delegate authority, Biden can subtly assuage a belief of a portion of the electorate’s belief -- he may not be able to govern. He has not countered this important electorate doubt, and, as a result, Trump benefits from his negligence.

Trump cannot win unless the Democrats lose. Democrat campaign behavior enables the possibility of a Trump victory.

alternative insight
august 3, 2020

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