Kamala Doesn't Need to Run to the Right

September subscriber questions, also covering the VP debate, what a Kamala administration may look like, and who the next Bernie may be.

(Credit for the voiceover for this article goes to the great Samuel Lipson)

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our subscriber Q&A series. These questions came from comments on the last Q&A article and the discussion post from last week. As always, use the comments here if you’re interested in sending a question for the next edition to the series. Now, let’s start off with a quick question.

Cbdb asks: If he had been the nominee in 2016 or 2020, who would the best running mates for Bernie be? Also is the Art of Losing on Sanders 2020 still otw?

This was something I gave a lot of thought to during that brief period when Bernie was the frontrunner back in 2020. For me, the answer was overwhelmingly obvious: Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin. She had everything you could have possibly wanted. She supported Medicare-for-All throughout her entire career while easily winning elections in the state that appeared set to be—and, indeed, would be—the one to decide the election. Her record on foreign policy included early opposition to the Iraq War. She even supported impeaching Cheney as a member of the U.S. House. Since her state had recently elected a Democratic governor, her election to the Vice Presidency wouldn’t imperil a Democratic Senate majority, although it would necessitate an annoying special election. I will still defend it as something of a dream ticket to this day, even though his most likely choice may have actually been Kamala, who he reportedly preferred above all other contenders (including Warren) for Biden’s running mate.

For 2016, things are a bit trickier. Back then, Wisconsin had a Republican governor, which would have made Baldwin a far more problematic choice. But on the other hand, Bernie was on track to win in such a landslide that year that just one Senate seat probably wouldn’t have been that important. Adopting such a mindset would have opened up his world of opportunities tremendously. In this case, a smart pick could have been someone like Sherrod Brown. Like Baldwin, Brown would have helped Bernie double down on his central appeal of being a trustworthy outsider while providing a bit of an olive branch to the establishment. However, you’re really wary of giving up a seat in a competitive state, Elizabeth Warren could have been a simple pick that doubled down on his winning messaging. Amy Klobuchar could have also been a solid pick that made an overture to the center, but I’m not entirely sure that such overtures would have been needed, or even helpful, since Bernie’s strength was always his independence from systems people hated.

As for The Art of Losing: Bernie, I absolutely still plan to do it, and it will have a far more expansive range than just the 2020 election.

Jim Mason asks: Is it true that Dem politicians who pivot to the center in contested federal elections are more successful than Dem politicians who run from the left? Every time I complain about Kamala pivoting to the right on an issue, my friends tell me she's just doing what she needs to do.

Yes and no, but mainly no.