Biden VP news megathread (pg 286 - been selected, announcement could be today)

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/JTHVerhovek/status/1290719796217208833

[brucejoel99]

Joe Biden bundlers plot fundraising blitz to follow running mate announcement:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/04/biden-bundlers-plot-fundraising-blitz-to-follow-vp-announcement.html

• Joe Biden's bundlers are preparing a fundraising blitz that will follow the announcement of his running mate.
• Some of the expected co-hosts who are privately being mentioned are Hollywood movie executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, Wall Street executive Jim Chanos, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and movie star George Clooney.
• Many of these events would feature Biden and his eventual running mate. Others will feature the running mate appearing solo to give the pick a chance to connect with big money donors.

My bolded emphasis above stuck out to my eye, given that I'm pretty sure Harris is more-or-less well-connected with the type of donors you'd expect at these things(?) I know dried-up funds ended up killing her campaign by December but in the summer of 2019, I could've sworn there were a bunch of fundraisers she held in places like the Hamptons & Greenwich? IIRC Spike Lee hosted a big one for her, too.

[brucejoel99]

Well that fundraising thing certainly doesn’t point to Warren lol. Although I guess it’s possible

Warren has embraced big-money donors before (for her Senate campaigns, as well as earlier this summer when she hosted a big-dollar fundraiser for Biden), though I guess this could nevertheless mean "connecting" in the sense of "here's how VP Warren won't mean you all lose all of your net worths."

At the same time, this could just as easily be for somebody like Rice, who hasn't had to raise money on any (let alone this) level before.

[brucejoel99]

From WaPo's Matt Bai:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/08/04/one-thing-joe-biden-should-think-about-running-mate/

There's really only one question you need to ask yourself as you sit with all these aspirants for your old job. It's not a pleasant question, but it is a necessary one. Who has the emotional intelligence and humility to unite a leaderless country, should it come to that?

This is the one enormous thing we ask of a vice president, in rare moments, that we ask of no other leader in government. Should the worst occur, should the chair behind that big oak desk suddenly be vacant, the nation turns its gaze to someone it has barely considered before and asks that person to get us through.

This has nothing to do with knowing which foreign leaders to call or which bases to put on alert. This is about grace and warmth and political instinct. It's about an understudy's innate ability to be firm and decisive, while also understanding that the moment isn't solely about her.

I think this could very well be the biggest deciding factor for Biden, regardless of any of the political factors.

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/jameshohmann/status/1291024453200224257

[brucejoel99]

Yeah, Rice makes no sense.

POLITICO: ‘She is absolutely our No. 1 draft pick’: GOP pines for Rice as Biden VP'

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/05/republicans-susan-rice-vice-president-391480

She doesn't make sense in the "do no harm" aspect

Who gives a damn what Trump cultists are saying? They will demonize any of the potential picks, regardless who Joe Biden's choice is going to be. They have no credibility to smear Susan Rice for doing anything wrong on something that happened eight years ago, when there is zero evidence for wrongdoings on her part. Their God Emperor however has refused to stand up to autocrats who are undermining the US wherever they can, including potential incentives from Russia to kill American service personell in the Middle East. I really doubt people care more about Benghazi than this, let alone we're in the middle of an economic crash and a pandemic. If anything is needed now, it's competence.

Yeah, let's be real: the Benghazi stuff is pretty overrated as a liability in this environment (a literal pandemic & an economic downturn), so if Biden thinks he'd be better off picking Rice because of their personal dynamics, then honestly, more power to him.

And the other major concern with regards to Rice - national political experience - is also pretty far down the list of concerns when it comes to Rice because if the strategy to win in November is "do no harm," then there won't be a lot of media appearances for her anyway. Not to mention, no rallies or town halls for her to somehow screw up because of campaigning inexperience.

[brucejoel99]

YouGov

Who should Biden pick for VP? (Among Biden voters)

Kamala Harris 22%
Elizabeth Warren 21%
Susan Rice 11%
Tammy Duckworth 8%
Stacey Abrams 6%
Everyone else 5% or lower

Among 18-29
Warren 28%
Harris 21%
Susan Rice 10%

Among 65+
Harris 20%
Rice 13%
Warren 12%

Among Whites
Harris 22%
Warren 19%
Rice 12%

Among Blacks
Harris 22%
Warren 19%
Rice 10%
Abrams 10%

Among Hispanics
Harris 32%
Warren 23%
Duckworth 18%

https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/t0qsgk3wcg/econTabReport.pdf

Just saw this: interesting to note that Warren has the highest favorables across multiple categories, including voters under 45 & Black voters, & is also the most popular VP choice for voters not yet sold on Biden.

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1291111736167211008

[brucejoel99]

Does anyone actually know Susan Rice's views outside of foreign policy?

I can't imagine her domestic positions are any different than those of a generic Democrat (given that, once upon a time, she was inclined to challenge Susan Collins).

[brucejoel99]

Soon.

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1291146968136323073

[brucejoel99]

MSNBC is reporting that it's definitely not down to Harris & Rice but more than that, including "candidates who have not gotten as much attention in the media."

W A R R E N   G A N G   R I S E   U P   

[brucejoel99]

MSNBC is reporting that it's definitely not down to Harris & Rice but more than that, including "candidates who have not gotten as much attention in the media."

W A R R E N   G A N G   R I S E   U P   

Biden's running a good campaign staying low and letting Trump destroy himself-last thing we need is somebody who's going to fall for every piece of bait Trump puts out there.

The fact that Biden's running a good campaign should lead him to select the candidate who's been shown by the multiple polls which have measured the net effect on electability to have the least voters discouraged by her selection & the most (including lean-Trump, undecided, & lean-Biden voters) galvanized by it.

[brucejoel99]

Stop! Stop! She’s already dead!

https://twitter.com/pringlelatimes/status/1291240014039244800?s=21

Chris Dodd is a horrible person & should've never floated Karen Bass without having so much as actually vetted her first.

[brucejoel99]

Just got one of the automated texted from the Biden campaign and they talked abt holding a fundraiser with her as soon as she is announced and that donations to be there would be accepted now. I think it is coming very soon like this week

Hmmm, Elizabeth Warren is the only potential running mate who's currently scheduled to appear at an upcoming Biden fundraiser (on Tues., Aug. 11th)

👀👀

[brucejoel99]

Just got one of the automated texted from the Biden campaign and they talked abt holding a fundraiser with her as soon as she is announced and that donations to be there would be accepted now. I think it is coming very soon like this week

Hmmm, Elizabeth Warren is the only potential running mate who's currently scheduled to appear at an upcoming Biden fundraiser (on Tues., Aug. 11th)

👀👀

Between this and the "our plan to win in November" email gaffe, I'm starting to think Warren stands a real chance.

Oh, how I'd love the rage of a certain Hive if he picked Warren, lmao.

And not to mention, Warren has been his best grassroots fundraiser.

[brucejoel99]

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/510936-biden-vp-race-is-highly-fluid-days-before-expected-pick

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was seen as a front-runner in the spring but seemed to fade from the spotlight, is still very much in the race, said several sources.

“Joe has always liked her,” one source close to Biden said of Whitmer. “They’re very similar. He can relate to her. It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that she’s still very much in the mix.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is also not out of the running and has taken part in the final stages of the process, sources say, and several Democrats say a surprise from Biden is possible. 

Another article mentioning Whitmer. It sounds like she is probably in the final 3 or 4 and if you really believe Biden wanted Klobuchar first, Whitmer is the perfect substitute and unlike Amy has no problem with African-American groups.

Also in that article:

Harris has been making rounds of last-minute phone calls to make the case for herself privately, sources say.

"She really, really wants it," one source said. "And she wonders what the delay means for her."

She's still my 2nd choice, so this isn't a knock against her or anything, but I don't get why Harris is fighting that hard for the job. There's no guarantee Biden steps down in 2024 & it's not like Democrats have a great track record of winning 3rd-terms for the party or, in any event, it's not like VP's generally have a great track record of winning the Presidency. If the Democrats take back the Senate, then she could definitely have a powerfully good career there from which to seek the Presidency again.

[brucejoel99]

It's not going to be Warren just give it up already lol

Didn't realize I said anything about Warren? (Presuming you were responding to me because your reply came right after my comment; apologies if I misinterpreted.)

[brucejoel99]

I hope y'all do realize this guy isn't credible.....lmfao he said he had "multiple sources" tell him a few weeks ago Biden had made his choice and would announce it for sure on Aug 1st lmfao.

In his defense, that was Biden's original deadline.

Not in his defense, this guy was still saying on like July 31st (i.e. a day by which we definitely knew that it wasn't gonna be August 1st) that it was August 1st.

[brucejoel99]

Rice is an untested gamble and there‘s no need for that this cycle, plus what does she even bring to the table electorally?  Duckworth, Whitmer, or even Harris are much safer (and thus, smarter) plays.

Yeah, Rice is untested which I think maybe her ultimate red flag. No electoral experience, and no experience with the gruel of a campaign. Not to mention, she excites nobody, objectively turns off more voters than most of the candidates, and her strengths are already Bidens strengths. The literal only things she has for her is that shes the closet to Biden, which I know means a lot, but you still need more than that.

Not to mention, doesn't really set up Biden's calling of wanting to elevate "the future of the democratic party" with him being the Bridge. The Bridge to... Rice?

Pretty much how I feel. If you're willing to sacrifice the "moderate" voters, might as well go with Elizabeth Warren and get some extra progressive support.

The ironic thing about this statement is that all of the polling shows that going with Warren wouldn't even sacrifice moderate voters (in fact, she'd actually help gain among independents, including moderates), all the while still getting extra progressive support.

[brucejoel99]

What state is Susan Rice from? Is she well-liked there?

ETA: She's from the hotly contested swing state of the Douglass Commonwealth.

Her & her family have been most associated with Maine, I think she split her time growing up between DC & there.

[brucejoel99]

For the love of God, can someone tell Ed Rendell to STFU?

https://twitter.com/smerconish/status/1291739393087152128

Welp, given Rendell's track record thus far, let's get ready to see VP Warren

[brucejoel99]

Whitmer would be much better than Warren. Everybody knows who Warren is already and she would not be very popular among moderates/conservatives, a key portion of Biden’s base. He already has huge leads, he doesn’t need to risk it on Warren to appeal to progressives.

On the other hand, Whitmer is less known, and Biden/Whitmer can use that to by their advantage.

People need to stop saying this. The polling has shown time & time again that it just isn't true.

[brucejoel99]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/07/us/politics/joe-biden-vice-presidential-search.html (https://archive.vn/cfgj6):

Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s campaign staff is making plans to introduce his eventual vice-presidential choice to key party constituencies. Donors are readying finance events featuring the still-unnamed running mate - "date and time to be announced." An in-person reveal is being discussed.

But as the political world awaits his announcement, Mr. Biden himself has not appeared to be in a big rush - no surprise to those who know him well.

[...]

Mr. Biden is now determining his personal degree of comfort with a narrowed group of candidates, according to people in touch with the campaign.

Asked in an interview last week if Mr. Biden had ideas about who fit that bill, former Senator Harry Reid of Nevada said: "My knowledge is, I think he knows within two or three people who he feels comfortable with. He'll have to narrow it down to number one. He's the only one who can do that."

Names frequently discussed in Biden circles over the last week, according to interviews with top Biden allies, include Ms. Harris, Ms. Rice and Ms. Bass, along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. Some supporters also remain enthusiastic about Ms. Demings and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth among others, but acknowledge that there is a fluid process that only Mr. Biden, his wife, his sister and a few close longtime aides probably have full visibility into.

[...]

[brucejoel99]

Oof:

https://twitter.com/davidaxelrod/status/1291853198496542720

[brucejoel99]

Sorry not sorry, but if (the operative word here being *if*) Harris is indeed dumping oppo on Bass for her own gain, then that's totally fair to call out because it shows that she's willing to throw other allied Democrats under the bus for her own gain, & that's just not a good quality for somebody who - as VP - is supposed to be a team player.

And don't give me any of that "it's just politics" crap: purposefully leaking info to the press to hurt a colleague's chances just isn't a good look, plain & simple. And Biden doesn't strike me as cutthroat, so I doubt he wants a cutthroat running mate.

Moreover, it's neither racist nor sexist to call that out, & anybody who implies (let alone outright states) that it is is either being disingenuous at best or willfully obtuse at worst.