Joe Biden is reportedly considering launching his 2020 presidential run with Stacey Abrams, whose Georgia gubernatorial bid was foiled by voter suppression tactics, as his running mate.
Writes Axios: ‘The popular Georgia Democrat, who at age 45 is 31 years younger than Biden, would bring diversity and excitement to the ticket — showing voters, in the words of a close source, that Biden “isn’t just another old white guy.” But the decision poses considerable risk, and some advisers are flatly opposed. Some have pointed out that in a Democratic debate, he could be asked why no one on the stage would be a worthy running mate. Advisers also know that the move would be perceived as a gimmick.’
NY Magazine writes that Biden met with Abrams recently, adding some reasons why the choice would make sense: “Biden has been subjected to a barrage of criticism about his record on racially sensitive issues, from his anti-busing activism in the 1970s to his key role in the passage of anti-crime legislation in the 1990s associated with mass incarceration. This line of attack has endangered a key Biden political asset: his popularity among African-American voters, mostly attributable to his two-term partnership with Barack Obama. Biden’s already vulnerable to a loss of black support with two African-American rivals (Kamala Harris and Cory Booker) in the field. So without question, being closely associated with a celebrity African-American pol would be helpful, if not necessarily a silver bullet.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also wrote about the Biden-Abrams meeting: “The 76-year-old Biden is a veteran Washington lawmaker and well-connected politico comfortable in the party’s establishment. Abrams, 45, is an unapologetic liberal with little national experience and a soaring profile that heightened even after her defeat. The news of the meeting triggered a wave of speculation that their political fortunes could intertwine next year. Biden, who is nearing his decision to run for president, would seem likely to select a running mate who brings gender, geographic and racial balance to the ticket.”
