It is floating around out there somewhere that Governor John Hickenlooper is on a list (short list?) to be Secretary Hillary Clinton’s  running mate; but so is Senator Elizabeth Warren.  Should he be her running mate or should Senator Warren (or someone else) fill that slot?  What are the things that suggest that Governor Hickenlooper should be that person and what are those that suggest otherwise?  For now, let’s ignore the ‘someone else’ scenario and focus on Governor Hickenlooper and Senator Warren.

First, let’s explore the reasons that suggest that Governor Hickenlooper should be that person.  Number one, Colorado is a purple state and, from the perspective of the Clinton supporters, it would be great if Secretary Clinton could win Colorado.  Number two, Governor Hickenlooper is well accepted in Colorado by both Democrats and Republicans.  Still, many Democrats feel that he is not as solid a Democrat as he should be so do not fully trust him.  But on the flipside of the coin, which brings me to my third and final reason, many Republicans find him acceptable as a reasonable Democrat who will at least listen to the collective voice of Republicans even if they are not completely willing to accept him into their fold as someone who they can trust as they would a fellow Republican.  A perfect fit for a purple state, right?

If Governor Hickenlooper were Secretary Clinton’s running mate he would likely attract disaffected Republicans who just cannot stomach voting for Donald Trump.  While doing this, he would still be attractive to those Democrats who do not feel that he is as solid a Democrat as he should be because, despite their limited trust of him, their first priority is to unite the Democratic Party and defeat Donald Trump.  That means that the odds would be that he would tilt the scale in this purple state in Secretary Clinton’s favor.

He would also likely draw into the Clinton camp – although they would never publicly admit to voting for her – other Republicans who closely follow politics, are well informed on political nuances and are concerned about the survival of the Republican Party who cannot stomach supporting Donald Trump.  These Republicans could also heavily influence and otherwise impact upon other Republicans who are straddling the fence and still in a decision-making mode as to whether or not they are going to vote for Mr. Trump.  Although Colorado might not have a large amount of electoral votes to offer compared to some other purple states, these electoral votes and Governor Hickenlooper’s potential ability to draw other Republican voters who might otherwise not vote for a Democrat could prove to be a tempting prize.

The negative side of Secretary Clinton choosing Governor Hickenlooper as a running mate would be that he would not attract the Bernie Sanders supporters as effectively as would Senator Warren.  The tough task comes in comparing and measuring the negatives and the positives presented by these two potential running mates, correctly sifting through them, and then arriving at the right conclusion that will help catapult Secretary Clinton to victory and seal her place in history as the first woman to occupy the White House and claim the title as the President of the United States of America.

Now, let’s talk about what Senator Elizabeth Warren has to offer.  First and foremost, Senator Warren already has high visibility nationally and she is the darling of progressives.  All of those who support Senator Bernie Sanders would likely quickly acquiesce to the will and leadership of Senator Warren.

Senator Sanders and Senator Warren were close before he became a presidential candidate and they remain that way now even though she recently endorsed Secretary Clinton.  Although Senator Sanders has not yet suspended his campaign, he has noticeably toned down his attacks on Secretary Clinton.  He has refocused his rhetoric from her to that of the economy with emphasis on addressing wealth inequity, securing a 15 dollar per hour minimum wage, taking big money out of the election process, better regulating Wall Street and placing a greater emphasis on reinvigorating Main Street and the middle class.

There is no doubt that Senator Warren would be able to help unite the Democratic base and stoke their enthusiasm, but she would likely be unable to draw disaffected Republicans to the Democratic ticket as effectively as would Governor Hickenlooper.  Many of those Republicans that might be drawn to the Democratic ticket because of Governor Hickenlooper would likely find it totally unacceptable – and therefore repulsive, if Senator Warren were Secretary Clinton’s running mate.

Other Republicans throughout the United States would likely dismiss even the thought of voting for Secretary Clinton if Senator Warren was on the ticket because they consider her to be too far to the left and, therefore, less likely to hear the voice of Republicans and – even occasionally – advocate for them even when she felt that their ideas were better than those of her fellow Democrats.  They might feel that she would not urge the president to give reasonable consideration to their input and concerns and press her to give meaningful consideration to their points of view.

Should Secretary Clinton pick Governor Hickenlooper who would likely be able to pull the base together, although not as assuredly so as would Senator Warren but would likely attract disaffected Republican voters?   Or, should she pick Senator Warren who would certainly pull the base together but would likely repulse disaffected Republican voters because those Republicans consider her to be too liberal and therefore tone-deaf to Republicans and their ideas?  For all intents and purposes – with these two candidates, these are the only two choices available to her.

Secretary Clinton can take the input from all of those in her campaign under advisement.  But in the end, the choice as to which option she will choose is hers, and hers alone, to make.  The stakes are extremely high because the choice that she makes will ultimately impact on not only her but on all of us as Americans.  Let’s hope that she makes the right choice.  Of course, the ‘right choice’ depends on which side of the ledger you stand on.  I am absolutely sure about which side I stand on; how about you?  Stay informed and always vote.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line