By Emdad Swapan
Former Vice President and presumptive 2020 Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden is expected to choose his running mate the first week of August. We know it will be a woman, making it the 3rd time in history there will be a female Vice Presidential Candidate. Let’s take some time to look back and remember which two women made history as a VP Candidate.
In 1984, Walter Mondale, the 42nd Vice President of the US and Democratic Presidential nominee, chose Geraldine Ferraro as his Vice President, making it the 1st time in history there was a female Vice Presidential Candidate. They would go on to be defeated by Incumbent Republican
President Ronald Reagan and VP George H.W. Bush. Even though they lost by a huge margin in both votes, Mondale’s campaign seemed to motivate future candidates on who to pick and consider as their running mate.
Twenty-four years later, Republican Senator and Presidential Nominee John McCain chose former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as his VP, a choice that surprised a lot of people. They would go on to be defeated by Illinois Senator Barack Obama and Delaware Senator Joe Biden. History was still made in this election, Obama becoming the 1st ever African-American President.
Joe Biden has gained a lot of support after he announced he would choose not only a woman as his running mate, but that she will also be a person of color. Many names have been put out but one person has gained a ton of momentum: California Senator and former California Attorney General Kamala Harris. She gained popularity during the 2019 Democratic Debate, in which she was a passionate opponent, often clashing with Biden on several issues. Another woman who has been mentioned is Susan Rice. She served as the 27th US Ambassador to the United Nations under President Obama. Later, she took the role of National Security Advisor. Rice worked with the Obama administration for his entire presidency. Biden’s work experience with Rice could make her a comfortable choice as his running mate.
Update 8/11/20- Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his running mate.
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