Conventional wisdom states that Joe will not only pick a woman, which he promised, but also now pick a woman "of color."  How else could Biden possibly convince others that his commitment to minorities exceeds his commitment to racist gaffes?

While sidestepping the obvious insult to women, and especially non-white women, Joe Biden's handlers face a conundrum of their own making.  Although merit-based selections always trump identity-based decisions, the Democrat party's platform is founded on identity politics — so Democrats' path is well defined.

Picking the most qualified for the Democrat party means someone who is constructed in back rooms, who fulfills an ideology agenda.  Whether the candidate is a person of competence remains irrelevant.  Consider President Obama's selection.

Yet the candidates currently bandied about for the nod seem less than desirable — or fraught with baggage.  As each name is mentioned, there always seems to be a "but" clause to her résumé — not from conservative media, but from their ranks.

If only there were a woman who brought unimpeachable identity politics to the discussion.  The dream candidate would be someone who could meet the need for a non-white woman without angering those clamoring for such a pick who really mean "black."

Waiting in the wings is such a person: Senator Tammy Duckworth.  A non-white woman (her mother is Thai), she brings the added benefit of decorated military service.  Sen. Duckworth is also the first double-amputee woman wounded in the war on terror.

Aside from that pesky item of not being born in the United States, Senator Duckworth checks all the boxes for the left.  Born overseas, however, will not be much of a deterrent to a fake impeachment group that also seeks to abolish the Electoral College.

While Senator Duckworth brings an impressive résumé and strong academic accomplishments, she also strictly adheres to the leftist march of the Democrat party.  For a party consumed with identity politics, Senator Duckworth eclipses all the competition.  She also serves as the Biden campaign's best choice to help ease the discomfort of the unlucky soul tasked with breaking the news to Sen. Kamala Harris. 

Senator Duckworth has some fight in her.  Fox News's Tucker Carlson chose to take on Senator Duckworth's political views and love of country on his show when he posited, "Can you really lead a country you despise?"

Carlson said, "You're not supposed to criticize Tammy Duckworth in any way because she once served in the military. Most people just ignore her," he said.  "It's long been considered out of bounds to question a person's patriotism.  It's a very strong charge, and we try not ever to make it."

Sen. Duckworth fired back at Carlson with a well prepared and perfectly executed line that lower-limb amputees have used for years: "Does @TuckerCarlson want to walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America?"

Recognizing that being wounded in the service of one's country does not automatically instill a sense of patriotism, Tucker Carlson retorted:

"This is the person lecturing the rest of us about her moral authority as a veteran.  Spare us.  Tammy Duckworth is a callous hack who ignored the suffering of actual veterans when it actually mattered.  She has no moral authority, she is just a politician like the rest of them," Carlson said after he called her a "moron" (Washington Examiner, 7/22/20).

Duckworth's responses proved why she is the perfect candidate for an identity-based party — she fired back with race.  "I think he singled me out because I'm Asian American and I look different.  Asian Americans have always been the other in our society," she later shared with CNN.

Opting for the race card was the perfect choice for her. Had she called Carlson on just being rude and returned to discussing ideas, she would have disqualified herself from being viable candidate for the Democrat ticket.  

The "people of color who really only mean African-American" crowd might not like Biden's choice of Duckworth, but her selection would render their objections petty and small.  Such is the price for clinging to identity politics — you run the risk of someone having more "minority points."

While the god of identity politics basks in pandering, it appears to shrug off equality.

Peter Rosenberger hosts the nationally syndicated radio program Hope for the Caregiver. For more than thirty-four years, he's cared for his wife, Gracie, who's endured more than 80 surgeries and the loss of both legs.

Image: U.S. Army photo / Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy.