At the risk of offending, I find I must comment on the Democratic Vice-Presidential selection process.
Setting COVID concerns aside momentarily, I find myself troubled by a process -- any process -- which would automatically eliminate a person of either gender from serving as either President or Vice-President. While Mr. Biden's intentions appear admirable, I am less sure about the soundness of his decision to pick a woman and only a woman.
No matter how chivalrous his position may seem, no matter how just the cause, his approach could be seen as the 2020 version of the special-interest politics Hillary Clinton was criticized for in 2016.
In the past, the first criterion for Presidential candidates' choice of a Vice-Presidential candidate has always been to find the best person who was qualified to be President..
Now, though, an additional requirement has been added. The candidate must be qualified to be President and a woman. No man need even apply. There is something about this that smacks of -- well -- special-interest politics.
Again, I am all for women being given a real shot at being elected to any office. And I can even go along with some sort of gender version of affirmative action. But when it comes to being a heart-beat away from the Presidency, something as petty as gender or special-interest politics seems beneath the dignity of the office.
Setting COVID concerns aside momentarily, I find myself troubled by a process -- any process -- which would automatically eliminate a person of either gender from serving as either President or Vice-President. While Mr. Biden's intentions appear admirable, I am less sure about the soundness of his decision to pick a woman and only a woman.
No matter how chivalrous his position may seem, no matter how just the cause, his approach could be seen as the 2020 version of the special-interest politics Hillary Clinton was criticized for in 2016.
In the past, the first criterion for Presidential candidates' choice of a Vice-Presidential candidate has always been to find the best person who was qualified to be President..
Now, though, an additional requirement has been added. The candidate must be qualified to be President and a woman. No man need even apply. There is something about this that smacks of -- well -- special-interest politics.
Again, I am all for women being given a real shot at being elected to any office. And I can even go along with some sort of gender version of affirmative action. But when it comes to being a heart-beat away from the Presidency, something as petty as gender or special-interest politics seems beneath the dignity of the office.
No comments:
Post a Comment