2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumI want an anti-war person as Hillary's VP (no, not Bernie).
Hillary is not shy about using force. So for her VP pick, I'd like to see someone with strong anti-war credentials, someone who will push back against all the constant one-more-war advice Hillary is sure to get.
And make no mistake about it. She will get that more-war advice. Consider that memo that came out of State recently. Let's bomb Assad. And if that means tangling with Russian fighters, so what?
Two final points. One, I'm not advocating for Bernie here. I voted for him in the primaries, but for many reasons he'd be a poor fit for Hillary's VP. I'll leave it up to this forum to suggest suitable VP candidates.
And two, an anti-war VP is actually a must for Hillary to get my vote. Her past regarding the use of force scares me. No more wars, please.
Else You Are Mad
(3,040 posts)Will pick a more pro war person so that VP can go out and do the dirty work to get the public support for war and Hillary can keep her hands clean.
peace13
(11,076 posts)Bombs, war and blood on the hands....she has a diary full. She will care that her VP will answer to the machine, should anything happen to her because as she has said....things happen out there.
realmirage
(2,117 posts)Proud Public Servant
(2,097 posts)If you're anti-war, why would you want to take a leader who agrees with you and put them in the one place where they will be both powerless to act and powerless to speak out? And if you're convinced Hillary is a hawk, why would her pandering to the pacifists in the party with a veep pick sway you?
Shemp Howard
(889 posts)In some ways the VP is powerless, as you noted. But the VP does have a seat at the White house conference table, right at the center of power. That's where war discussions are held, and where war decisions are made. War decisions are no longer made in the Congress. Congress has, unfortunately, become just a rubber stamp.
As we all know, Cheney greatly influenced Bush II's decision to invade Iraq. How different things might have been if someone else had been VP.
Proud Public Servant
(2,097 posts)She's not a dimwit or a neophyte, and it's hard to imagine her mind being changed on an issue in which she's as deeply entrenched as foreign affairs. I take your point; I just think it's too optimistic, given Hillary's clear policy preferences.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)eastwestdem
(1,220 posts)Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Shemp Howard
(889 posts)cpwm17
(3,829 posts)Who isn't particularly anti-war
It's a mixed bag:
http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Elizabeth_Warren_War_+_Peace.htm
Asked about Afghanistan, Warren broke with Obama, saying U.S. troops should be brought home ahead of his 2014 withdrawal date. "We can't stay and rebuild Afghanistan forever," she said. "I think it is time to bring our troops home."
Take nothing off the table with Iran's nuclear weapon
Asked about the possibility that Iran could acquire a nuclear weapon, Brown criticized Warren for not adopting a tough enough response. "We cannot have a nuanced approach that Professor Warren wants," he said.
Warren said she also supports Israel and is opposed to allowing Iran to gain nuclear arms. She also praised Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Obama, saying he's "done a first-rate job. He's taking nothing off the table."
realmirage
(2,117 posts)I see a reasonable person saying smart things.
cpwm17
(3,829 posts)and supporting Israel, no matter what they do - screw that. She openly supported Israel's 2014 slaughter against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Her threats against Iran was her sucking up to Israel supporters. We have too much of that in Washington DC.
realmirage
(2,117 posts)cpwm17
(3,829 posts)Progressive - NOT
realmirage
(2,117 posts)hedgehog
(36,286 posts)while she was Sec'y. I'm guessing some of them are burrowed in. It's a funny thing, how doing something like this is a way to get the answers you want.
TwilightZone
(25,472 posts)What the hell was she thinking?
cali
(114,904 posts)Orsino
(37,428 posts)And to pick a veep accordingly.