For perhaps the first time ever, a U.S. Senator may follow his immediate predecessor in being nominated for Vice President. I’m talking, of course, about rumors that Richard Burr may in SAT language be to Donald Trump as John Edwards was to John Kerry. The selection of Burr is usually framed in the same terms on which Kerry chose Edwards: Contrast, balance, differential appeal. But Burr shares more with the Donald than meets the eye.
Contrary to the claim that Burr would stabilize Trump, both men have lips so loose they make Biden look disciplined. We needn’t recount Trump’s many gaffes. Burr gives him a run for his money, however. As the Daily Haymaker wickedly put it, “Richard Burr…is Mr. Bean with a Southern accent. You don’t know what the man is going to say or do next.” Pairing Mr. Burr with Mr. Trump could create the most SNL-friendly ticket ever.
The comedians would not be lampooning a duo of titans, exactly. In fact both prospective nominees are men of mediocre accomplishments. Trump has a long history of failed, eponymous business ventures and his net worth may be much smaller than claimed. Burr’s time in the private sector was unremarkable; he ran for Congress because he wanted something else to do. And his career selling lawn mowers has been followed by two decades of proud irrelevance. So the Donald would not feel threatened by Burr’s “real” accomplishments.
These two goofy, unimpressive men share an aggressive disdain for civil liberties. One-upping Trump, Burr is pushing a bill to let law enforcement read everyone’s emails. This comes on the heels of Trump-style jocularity regarding torture. A Trump-Burr campaign would not be a shining moment for the Fourth Amendment, or even the Eighth.
All these commonalities could either raise the probability of a Burr pick or lower it. Regardless, let’s hope Mr. Burr’s story doesn’t become the low farce that is his predecessor’s post-veep life.
Alexander Jones is an original contributor to PoliticsNC.
Any chance that technology may come to the rescue?
Whether Burr runs for veep or tries to re-up for Senate, I think he ought to debate Edward Snowden’s “Snowbot,” an interactive robot, recently described by Stephen Colbert as “an Ipad on a Segue,” which will allow Snowden to converse with anyone, anywhere in the world. I look forward to a grass-roots “Debate ‘da Bot” campaign promoting a face-to-face debate on national security between Burr and Snowden.
Surely “national security expert” Richard Burr will feel secure enough to use his “communications” degree from Wake Forest (which included formal training in debate) to explain national security to a kid without any degree, and to Burr’s constituents.
And hey, if Burr treats us all to that, maybe we can ask Thom TIllis to have a “one-on-one” with the Snowbot, to get its “unique perspective” on Iraq. And Thom wouldn’t even have to “play hooky” from a committee meeting, since the Snowbot is available anytime, anywhere.
More liberal fantasies–Burr is up by ten over whatshername in the latest statewide poll. And there is little chance he will be Trump’s running mate. There is no indication that he’s even being vetted by the Trump campaign. Of course, liberals like Alex Jones love to spread such false rumors in a transparent attempt to damage the Senator’s reelection chances. But only the most gullible Democrats will buy this sort of partisan BS.
Conservative radio pundit Hugh Hewitt was the one who first proposed the Burr-as-VP rumor back in mid-June. He said on air that he had heard Burr’s name as a short-listed name by “someone close to the Trump campaign.”
So don’t blame that rumor on liberals; it came from your own right wing, Ebrun. And if it’s a false rumor, it’s a false rumor propounded by your own right-wing conservative tin hats.
What AD Reed said. It’s also gotten extensive play in MSM outlets. I wonder why Ebrun gets so angry everytime a PoliticsNC blogger writes something he disagrees with. Get it through your head: THIS IS A LIBERAL BLOG. What do you expect them to do, support Republicans?
Of Course it’s a liberal blog. That’s what makes this fun, I am not angry, I am loving it. Challenge liberal ideology and conventional wisdom and watch their over-the-top reaction. Intolerance, invective and personal insults.
Hewitt may have started the rumor, maybe to try to embarrass Sen. Burr, who knows? But NC Democrats are trying to SPREAD the rumor in a obvious attempt to damage Burr’s reelection campaign.
Why would Senator Burr, who is a heavy favorite to be reelected to the Senate for a six year term, want the VP nomination with a candidate who is a big underdog? I know liberals can’t stand him, but Burr is politically very savvy.
“Richard Burr…is Mr. Bean with a Southern accent. ”
Wasn’t most of the comedic conceit that Mr. Bean rarely talked?
Trump has a lock on the Southern racist vote, the Klan vote and anti-Mexican vote together with his commitment to rid the nation of Muslims. You would think that the selection of Burr would only duplicate those areas, but selecting Burr would give him credibility with those who favor the spread of nuclear weapons, as Trump does, and those who are uncomfortable with the president’s attempt to disarm Iran.
Burr signed the letter to the Iranian leadership encouraging the leadership of an enemy state to break off negotiations to reduce nuclear weaponry with the United States and its president. Normally, partisan differences end at the border, but President Obama is a unique case. It has become a core Republican value that hatred of the black president is more important than any policy that could advance the welfare or strategic interests of American people. In such unusual times, treason by a U.S. Senator and his colleagues has become acceptable.
Also, Burr might say yes.