Julián Castro could be VP next year — or out of a job. He’s ready either way.

[flowers]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/julian-castro-could-be-vp-next-year--or-out-of-a-job-hes-ready-either-way/2016/02/23/00fc904a-ce7c-11e5-b2bc-988409ee911b_story.html

Julián Castro cut into his overcooked brisket, dumped four artificial sweeteners into his iced tea and shifted in his seat. It’s not that he didn’t want to answer the question, it’s just that he couldn’t.

Sure, he’s thought about the possibility of being picked as Hillary Clinton’s running mate on the Democratic ticket. How could he not? What with the “Ready for Julián?” and “Castro is in VP Training Camp” headlines percolating out of the political press. Even Stephen Colbert tried to trick the 41-year-old secretary of housing and urban development into saying he wanted to be vice president in a recent late-night appearance.

And it’s not that he’s ashamed of his ambition. You don’t run for mayor of San Antonio at 30 or become the youngest member of President Obama’s Cabinet without having a healthy ego. But running for vice president, if it’s even possible for someone to run, is different. If Castro dares show too much interest, he looks desperate and his chances evaporate. Looking uninterested, however, is also not an option.

“What makes this different is that this position isn’t really yours to talk about,” Castro finally said, slipping into second-person. “It’s not my decision; it’s nobody’s to claim.”