2020 Democrats on Their Vice President Picks
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The Questions
1. How would you handle a general-election debate against Trump?
2. Do you think the United States is a racist country?
3. Do you think the next administration will need to investigate President Trump or members of his family?
4. What attributes would you look for in a running mate?
5. Who is one foreign leader you admire?
6. What is the most important thing foreign leaders should know about you?
7. Do you see Saudi Arabia as a U.S. ally?
8. Does the United States have a role to play in Hong Kong?
9. What is the most urgent economic challenge facing the United States today?
10. By what year do you think the U.S. needs to cut its carbon emissions to zero?
11. Should vaping products be legal?
12. Would it be important to you to get Republican support for your agenda?
13. How would you judge whether your presidency was a success or a failure?
14. How would you make sure no one in your family tries to profit off your administration?
15. What is the last book you read?
16. Do you have a celebrity crush?
17. Do you have a bad habit?
18. What do you think your 18-year-old self would think of you now?
19. What has been the most memorable moment of the campaign for you, so far?
20. Do you think Barack Obama made any mistakes as president?
The Candidates We Interviewed Former vice president Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont declined to participate.
4. What attributes would you look for in a running mate?
Next Question
The Context
Presidential nominees describe it as the most important decision they make in a campaign: the selection of a vice president. While only one of these candidates will actually get to make that decision in 2020, we wanted to hear how all of them would approach that defining choice.
Michael R. Bloomberg
Former mayor of New York City, 77
“You want somebody who if you drop dead, they could run the country.”
Pete Buttigieg
Former mayor of South Bend, Ind., 38
“I want to make sure that there is the diversity there in terms of background, racial and gender diversity.”
Amy Klobuchar
Senator from Minnesota, 59
“I would also try to have someone that would complement me, both personality-wise, their skills, their backgrounds.”
Elizabeth Warren
Senator from Massachusetts, 70
”I want someone else who wants to get out there and make change — someone who feels it from the heart.”
Andrew Yang
Former tech executive, 45
“I would prefer to have a female running mate because, in my experience, organizations run better with men and women in leadership roles at the very top.”
Tom Steyer
Former hedge fund executive, 62
“I’m a huge believer that people from different backgrounds make better decisions together.”