Gay Out And Proud U.S. Vice Presidential Candidate? It Was A Possibility.

Oooooohhh,  this is a good WikiLeak.  Finally!  I don't pay much attention to them when they come out.  Namely because I don't want someone paying attention to my deleted emails either. I'd have a little less friends and coworkers right about now.  But anyway! 

Do we like Tim Kaine as Hillary's running mate?  What if we could have had an openly gay V.P.?  I'll stick to my opinion that the best candidate is the best for many reasons, and his/her/their sexual orientation should not have a play in that matter.  But Tim Cook?  Why the hell not!

It’s not just Republicans who saw the allure of elevating a prominent business leader to the executive branch in 2016. A leaked email from Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, released by the group WikiLeaks on Tuesday, shows that her team mentioned the names of Tim Cook, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, in the early stages of her running mate selection process.

In a March email, campaign chairman John Podesta told Clinton that the vetting process for her running mate had started and he offered a rough list of possible options.

The list was sent March 17, just two days after the March 15 primaries where Clinton swept all five states, though Missouri remained too close to call until the 17th. 

"Ok, I can breathe again! Congrats on a fabulous night. I am feeling like it's possible to get back to the longer term again," Podesta said before launching into the selection process for her running mate. – usatoday.com

Was he asked?  Did he say no?  Would he say no?  Is running Apple more important that being second in command if the United States?  We want answers!

What about another out and proud person on the list?   Most news sites were focused on Tim Cook and other businessMEN, but thanks to our readers Ryan and Jody, we were reminded to highlight another possible out and proud V.P. candidate.

Tammy Baldwin made history [in November 2012] — twice. She became the first openly gay politician, and first Wisconsin woman, elected to the U.S. Senate.

 

The seven-term Democratic congresswoman edged past former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson in a win that advocacy groups hailed as a significant stride toward bringing diversity to the Senate.

Baldwin said she ran "to make a difference" and not to make history. But she said she hopes the Senate will be more reflective of America and the "life experience" of women.

"Having a seat at the table matters and I think we will see a Senate that is more reflective of America. We're certainly not there yet, but this will be a change that moves us forward," she told CNN. – cnn.com (9/2012)

Hillary's moved on with another choice and we're stuck with him for better or for worse, but what if there was a little out and proud rainbow in the White House?  How different would we be?  Or would it be business as usual?

Also shared via WikiLeaks and usatoday.com is the entire list of possibilities Podesta sent Clinton.  Who put Bernie last on the list?

Xavier Becerra
Julian Castro
Eric Garcetti
Tom Perez
Ken Salazar
Tammy Baldwin
Kirsten Gillibrand
Amy Klobuchar
Claire McCaskill
Jeanne Shaheen
Debbie Stabenow
Elizabeth Warren
Michael Bennet
Sherrod Brown

Martin Heinrich
Tim Kaine
Terry McAuliffe
Chris Murphy
Tom Vilsack
Steve Benjamin
Cory Booker
Andrew Gillum
Eric Holder
Deval Patrick
Kasim Reed
Anthony Foxx
John Allen
Bill McRaven
Mike Mullen
Mary Barra
Michael Bloomberg
Ursula Burns
Tim Cook
Bill Gates
Melinda Gates
Muhtar Kent
Judith Rodin
Howard Schultz
Bernie Sanders

h/t: usatoday.com