Veepstakes 2020: Patti Solis Doyle and Karen Finney on Biden's Running Mate

SHELBY BENZ: Political strategist Patti Solis Doyle and consultant Karen Finney joined GU Politics to discuss the Democratic vice-presidential race in a virtual forum last Wednesday.

In a tumultuous year of civil unrest and the coronavirus, the 2020 presidential election cycle remains a touchstone for issues of leadership and cultural change in America. “There is a lot going on in the world, and there is a lot of anxiety right now. But one thing we know is happening is a presidential election,” said Mo Elleithee, GU Politics Executive Director.

While Joe Biden has secured the Democratic nomination, there is growing anticipation surrounding who will be named as the vice presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket. Doyle, who served as chief of staff for Joe Biden’s 2008 vice-presidential campaign, emphasized the historic importance of Joe Biden’s decision to choose a female running mate. “I don’t think we should take that for granted. I think that it is a big, big deal,” she said. “If Joe Biden should win, we are going to cross one more hurdle to, as Hillary Clinton likes to say, the greatest glass ceiling of all time.”

Finney, who acted as senior advisor and spokeswoman for the 2016 Clinton campaign and vice-presidential campaign, noted that there are numerous considerations that are used to determine the running mate, such as avoiding forfeiting valuable seats in battleground states, as well as the prospect of delivering “a population of voters that perhaps the candidate has had trouble with.” 

“[The vice-presidency] is such an isolating job. There are not a lot of people you can talk turkey with and will tell you the truth. If you choose to pick someone who does that, you want to know that person, when the door is closed, will give you their unvarnished opinion,” said Finney.

Adding to the Biden campaign’s considerations, Doyle emphasized the role of the pandemic in exacerbating key issues such as trade, immigration, healthcare, and education. “This pandemic has really impacted so many things in such a pivotal way that I think what Joe Biden is looking for is someone who can actually govern and take some things off his plate.”

With the underpinnings of systemic inequalities exposed in the backdrop of the murder of George Floyd, both Finney and Doyle agreed that it would be in the best interest of the campaign and the country to select a Black female running mate, “A Black woman represents the future. A woman of color. The truth is we are going to be a minority-majority country. Part of what 2016 was about was people who felt uncomfortable with that,” said Finney. In addition to this decision being relevant, Doyle added that it would be politically expedient to choose a Black woman due to the droves of Black supporters that secured Joe Biden’s victory in the primary.

“Joe Biden was so prescient because he started out talking about healing the soul of this country, and boy, people made fun of him for that. And it was so right on because that is at the heart of it and what's at stake,” said Finney, “That has been dramatically playing itself out on our streets all across the country — that we need to heal and come together.”

Reflecting on their individual work experiences, Doyle and Finney emphasized the intricacies of vice-presidential campaigns. In a rapid change of pace,“There is no room for error... They really have to hit the ground firing on all cylinders, working, as I say many times, with new people, and make no mistake. It is just a sprint to the end,” said Finney. 

Doyle added that in joining an already established operation, “There is a level of trust that needs to be almost immediate,” between the campaign staffers and the nominee.

Although there is a circulated list of qualified female candidates for the position, Doyle stated that she believed the likely candidate to be Sen. Kamala Harris. “Given this moment, she probably has the most experience to really do the actual hard work of recovery from this pandemic.” She also named Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin as a potential “dark horse” nominee.

Finney made her prediction for the nominee by stating, “Because I am part of this movement that says Black and female, I am not going to pick one specifically, but just as a strategist, I would say it appears Val Demmings and Kamala Harris, and Keisha Lance Bottoms seem to be around the top.”

Shelby Benz is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service passionate about learning how to tackle systemic injustices through public policy and diplomacy.