When I first drafted this article a week ago, Donald Trump selecting Mike Pence as his VP was still big news, and Hilary had not yet made her choice.
Flash forward to Saturday, when I saw a BuzzFeed article saying Hilary selected Virginia senator Tim Kaine for her running mate. To be honest, I felt some degree of disappointment. While I don't particularly like Hilary, I think the fact that she's gotten so far in the race says good things about the future of women in politics. In our "lesser of two evils" campaign year, she is pretty much the only one who has a good shot at saving us from suffering through a Trump presidency, unless one of her Independent contemporaries breaks through and wins by a landslide. Hilary has big names among her supporters — including feminist powerhouse Gloria Steinem and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright— but has not achieved as much success with the common people. Sanders supports her, but most of his supporters do not. But how to change their minds?
Maybe it's the radical feminist in me, but here's what I think: we've got to shake it up to break it down.
If the U.S. were a High School Musical song, it would be "Stick to the Status Quo."
#murica
Here in the good old U.S of A, we like to elect old, white men—and mostly only old, white men—to public office. Daddy complex much, America? But, in 2008, we took a risk and tried something new. Instead of electing yet another old, white man, we voted in a young(er), black man. And we got stuff done! While Obama was not a perfect president (but who is?) he did well enough on his first cycle to get another shot at the presidency.
Having a woman president would rock the country to its core—in a good way. I don't know if HIlary Clinton deserves to be our first, but she's certainly better than the opposition. If she wants to win the White House, she's got a long, hard road ahead of her, longer and harder than anything she's traveled on her journey so far. It surprises me that any woman would even think of voting for the DTs, considering what disregard and disrespect he has shown towards nearly all the women he has come across in his campaign, not to mention his life, but these same women might balk at voting for Hilary. Seeing another capable woman beside her at the podium—one not entangled in cyberscandal, or dragging an unfaithful husband like a forgotten ball and chain—might have assuaged them.
If I had a Time Turner and Charles Xavier's mutant abilities, here's who I would have suggested to our former First Lady....
Elizabeth Warren
Many hoped she and Bernie would run together. Her Twitter feed shows she can go toe to toe with the Orange Creamsicle currently trying to take the presidency. This takes lots of intelligence and patience—two invaluable qualities for the Vice President of our country which Donald Trump-icana lacks.
Michelle Obama
Mrs. Obama upgraded from FLOTUS to VPOTUS? Sounds like a dream come true for America. If her Harvard education and years of high-profile public service haven't prepared her well enough for the job, the past eight years have.
Nancy Pelosi
Having these two running on the same ticket would be like a big middle finger to the GOP and their unofficial corporate sponsor, Fox News. Conservative news anchors and talk-show hosts have mocked and slandered Clinton and Pelosi for years, and while their campaign would give these men more material, it would also show them up.
As the first female Speaker of the House, Pelosi has proved she's capable of—and happy to—break barriers. It would be all too fitting to have her as our first female VP.
Jill Stein
Currently running as an independent candidate representing the Green Party, Dr. Jill Stein is an ecofeminist warrior. She, too, was a possible Sanders VP candidate. Would she switch her allegiance—and give up her shot at Commander in Chief—to run with Clinton? In the words of Clinton devotee Madeline Albright, "there's a special place in Hell for women who don't help other women...."
Honorable Mention: Samantha Bee
Back when these were viable VP options, I wasn't going to include Sam Bee in my list. But now, what does it hurt? :p While I doubt she would leave her popular (and amazing) TBS show, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee for a career in politics, she would be a welcome change to the usual contestants battling it out in the political arena. I have no doubt this passionate, intelligent, hilarious woman would get things done as VP. However, since she cannot use her talents as the next VP of our great nation, she and her team created this to fill the void.
*drops mic*
