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Talks Heat up around Andrew Gillum as a Running Mate, Exposing Dems' Narrow Bench

October 15, 2019 - 6:00am
Andrew Gillum and Elizabeth Warren
Andrew Gillum and Elizabeth Warren

With the latest Democratic presidential debate taking place tonight in Ohio, there is growing focus on the leaders, and with that some forward-thinking speculation. There are parlor games in politics right now on establishing the tickets, and one name frequently brought forward is former Tallahassee Mayor and CNN personality Andrew Gillum. 

That Gillum is even a consideration is a sign of the unimpressive list of names being considered.

The expansive Democratic Party field of presidential candidates is winnowing down gradually. There are signs the national party has already placed its bets. Tonight's debate field is set at twelve, down from the first debate in Miami that sported nearly two dozen, and required two evenings of posturing. Tulsi Gabbard has made the cut, despite the DNC deciding to rely on hand-selected poll numbers to keep her out of the last meeting. (Gabbard has already been delisted from next month’s debate.)

Meanwhile, the interest lies at the top, where once-sure-thing Joe Biden has been sliding down, now trailing Elizabeth Warren. This is a significant sign of Biden’s consistent verbal gaffes and the potential problems in his past regarding Ukrainian and Chinese business involvements. His has been an overall unimpressive performance, given he was leading the Dem field in polls before he even announced as a candidate.

So Warren has moved forward in the lead, and she is clearly being backed by the media. Her latest snag has followed an attempt to underscore female challenges in this country. She has become embroiled in controversy after claiming that in the early 1970s she had been fired from a teaching position once she became pregnant. This however defies both the record, and her own comments on the job years ago. 

Notes from the school records indicate that Warren had resigned, not been let go by the administration. This was supported by Warren herself in an interview in 2007. But now her claims of convenience are not looked at with too much curiosity by the press, which is content to describe this as “changes to her account”, and describe not the details but how conservatives have latched onto these inaccuracies -- as if THAT is the central aspect of the story.

So with the press having chosen its winner already it becomes interesting that reports have been surfacing of Warren seemingly courting Andrew Gillum. To many this makes perfect sense, given Florida’s swing state status in general elections, and the built-in favor she would receive from black voters. Yet a neutral look at things shows this may also be a sign of the weak pool to select from for the frontrunners.

Another name frequently brought up as a potential running mate for the eventual leaders is Stacey Abrams. This makes two prominent names that are candidates who have never held a national office, and both recently lost elections. This adds to the depleted status of others in contention, such as Pete Buttigieg, who is a mayor, and Andrew Yang, who is a businessman. The political heft is, shall we say, lacking. So maybe what we are seeing is not so much a ploy to build the most sound political leadership but to try appealing to the most demographic categories in order to curry votes.

  • Two sources said the talks between Warren and Gillum resemble the kind of courtship that happens when a leading presidential candidate is exploring potential vice presidential contenders. One source briefed on the communications said the two Democrats have been in contact over the course of the campaign and that there is a “strong impression” that Gillum is a possible vice presidential contender for Warren, who has risen in recent months to become a frontrunner in the 2020 primary.

But you have to question the pull a candidate may have in the general election when they could not win in a statewide race. Even Gillum’s cachet as a television presence is not too impressive. He is a part-time guest, on a network that consistently is beaten in the ratings by SpongeBob Squarepants and the Food Network, in a position he would have to relinquish due to election laws.

This does not even factor in the political dynamite that is Gillum still being investigated by the FBI in two separate cases. So for all of those strikes against his name to have Andrew’s name still occupying a spot near the top of candidate short-lists it seems to indicate a paucity of political choices within the party. Of course, Democrats do not need to look far to see an example of a lack of political heft leading to success.

They need only to look at the White House to see the opportunity that holds. 

Brad Slager, a Fort Lauderdale freelance writer, wrote this story exclusively for Sunshine State News. He writes on politics and the industry and his stories appear in such publications as RedState and The Federalist.

Comments

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She would have better luck if she ran with Ron DeSantis.

Yes, but Ron DeSantis wouldn't accept her offer.

The only bigger joke of a choice would be Hillary herself. I'm gonna place my order for one of those "Make Them Cry Again" hats! This is gonna be a fun election once again!

Cant Elizabeth Warren find a bible-toting, kiss your backside no matter how corrupt and immoral you are, yes man like Mike Pence?????

Maybe you can loan them your copy of Mein Kampf.

It makes sense. Gillum has been proven to be corrupt enough to be VP ala Biden and Gore.

Run Gollum Run!!! If this is all the Democrat party has, it'll be a pleasure re-electing the President!

Actually the democRAT party does have other circus clowns, but they're even bigger jokes.

You're way out in left field, Slager. Whomever wins the Democratic nomination for President in 2020 will almost undoubtedly select one of the other primary candidates as their running mate. You ought to be writing about which Republican would make a better President than Humpty Trumpty - Bill Weld, John Kasich, Marco Rubio - and peddling your Republican propaganda to Republicans. On the 2020 election front - if Trump remains the Republican candidate - ANY Democrat - with ANY running mate - will beat him - handily - probably in record-breaking fashion!

Bwahahahahahaha!! Election night is going to be SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

Bwaaa ha ha ha ha ha! You so nutty!

Dems “last hope” is to pick a strong Republican as a “running mate”. I suggest John McCain (he won’t turn them down...)

And at the least, we can be sure McCain will now vote Democrat from this election forward.

Wait, let me get this straight, Lieawatha and Andy Killum? Talk about a Republican dream ticket.

Again Brad is making things up he knows are false repub lies, proven at any fact checker, because they are scared to death Trump is going to implode and they are right...…...…….So they make up stories about Dems like here on Warren and Biden , just like his lying role model of a disgusting scumbag that just let ISIS out to kill again in Syria, Iraq, and he told Europe they were coming for them is unbelievably incompetent for a US president and against near everything the US stands for, at least before Trump...……......I just hope he doesn't get impeached by the Senate so he still runs so to see how badly Trump, repubs get beaten...…….

Um bah ga doi

Let them kill each other,... God will sort them out!

Slager peddles Republican bunkum - and when he says "it appears in the press", he's undoubtedly referring to publications like The Washington Examiner, The New York Post, etc. He's just another of the rightwing propagandists.

...says the “left wing dolt” still clutching his “Hillary Towel”!

The items discussed here have been reported in the press - note the link in the article. You simply calling them “lies” does not dispute the proof.

You actually think these Trolls read anything other than “SSN online” Brad?!?!? (Never Happen !!!!)

jerry - Remind me again about how America is responsible for creating World Peace and stopping all wars - I forgot when that was decided.ISIS and the entire Middle East has been at war after war for a thousand years. Again, remind me how sending our Troops to fight and die for these Blood-Enemies will do good. Shouldn't "Europe be responsible" for their own Health? Yes sell them weapons to destroy each other. That would probably work very well. PS- ISIS will never be stopped!

Well is was big oil corporate welfare is the correct answer why we are there and only that...……...That we did we are responsible for trying to correct it, No?...……….But on Syria backing th Kurds kept Russia, Iran from taking over and ISIS locked up but now escaping. …….........……..That is about as stupid as you get for US interests that cost us little as the Kurds did most of the work...………...They were the only true democratic, secular government and women had full rights in the ME...…...……...And Trump destroyed that for no good reason except maybe the Trump Towers Instanbul recently opened.

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Andy "Take me on a trip" Gillum?!?.. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA THAT'S SOOO FUNNY.... DEMS DON'T HAVE MANY FEET LEFT TO "SHOOT THEMSELVES" IN...

And Republicans can't get ahold of enough traitors it seems!

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