I’ve all but stopped playing NPR in the car; I need a break from constant news about the current state of things, and the audiobooks of Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle give me plenty to work with when I’m making my twice-weekly retail/beer runs and when I take walks around the neighborhood. The constant shit-show of the last 18 months or so (especially) is a guaranteed downer when considering the state of hte world.

I do, however, scan the headlines on a personally-curated list of websites throughout the day and listen to my friend’s excellent political podcast weekly, just to keep abreast of the latest flames from the Dumpster fire; being aware of what’s happening out there is only what ought to be expected of a responsible citizen; doesn’t mean I have to be ever-vigilant to the point of obsession.

Although given the state of things, the Presidential campaign is kind of in a holding pattern beyond the near-constant fundraising emails and naval-gazing pieces about early polling. However, there’s also plenty of somewhat interesting speculation about who Joe Biden’s running mate is going to be, and there’s plenty of grist from the various potentials’ camps and from so-called experts looking to be relevant; and the media has really bitten into Biden’s promise to nominate a woman as his Number Two.

Which means we get somewhat unfortunate headlines like last evening’s post on Jezebel comparing the selection and vetting process to The Bachelor.

It’s kind of an easy, if lazy go-to comparison (exactly like every piece about the Hamilton film coming to Disney + announced today includes some variation of “not throwing away it’s shot”), which I guess is fine, though Jezebel’s editorial position about Biden more of a “fine, we’ll vote for him, I guess” thing and includes more than a little Bernie-bro energy. I’d definitely rather have had any several of the other candidates, though he’s a damn-sight better than the alternative, and from a policy perspective, it’s the most progressive platform we’ve ever seen get this far, though I wouldn’t say no to a little youthful (and by youthful I mean someone within spitting distance of my age – Gen X, although comparatively smaller than the bordering cohorts, ought to get at least one President…), especially given Biden’s age.

I am a student of history (and was once a teacher of government), and from that experience, I can say that the Vice President is exactly as powerful and influential as the President lets them be; historically, the primary role is to shore up weaknesses in the ticket at election time, and to wait around to take over if the boss is incapacitated. That said, I think it’s a little different this time; Joe Biden is 77 years old; which is, I believe, the oldest of any candidate in history to be the presumptive nominee. He’s unofficially indicated that he’s only going to seek one term. Given those conditions, who’s in the number two slot becomes VERY significant; this candidate has a greater-than-average shot of ascending to the Oval Office.

Most of the names being tossed around are many of his former rivals for the nomination; Warren, Harris, Klobuchar. Also in the mix is Georgia’s Stacy Abrams (who’s been actively campaigning for the role), as well as Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer, as well as others. Feel free to Google, there are plenty of speculative Top 10 lists.

As for my thoughts, I like several, though I worry that Warren’s (who you know I’m a huge fan of in general) age is a concern (she’s a very young 70, but she’s still 70), and honestly, I like the sound of Senate Majority Leader Warren better. Klobuchar is bland, but effective as a Senator; I don’t see much fire there. I like Abrams, think she got robbed of the Georgia Governorship, but think she needs some seasoning. Whitmer might be cool, but again, she’s kind of busy.

I’m honestly ready to throw my insignificant clout behind Senator Kamala Harris. There’s no doubt she’s dynamic, charismatic, and makes a good face for the immediate future of the party. She’s only 55, planting her right in the generational sweet spot, has an interesting backstory, and brings some diversity to the ticket. She’s got experience at the state and national level, and frankly, isn’t afraid to mix it up with the competition (see her debate actions with Biden). She’s relatively moderate, but still a bit to the left of Biden, and provides some geographic balance, and maybe more importantly, is in a Senate seat that’s safe to leave and keep in Democratic hands.

But that’s just my opinion. This week, the chattering class agrees with me, though next week, who knows. She was one of my favorites of the early pack, and given the information I have, however, I think she’d be pretty much ideal.