‘Women of color, particularly black women, are the strongest part of the Democratic Party…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said she is concerned that presidential candidate Joe Biden won’t choose a woman of color as his running mate.
Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, recently reaffirmed his pledge to choose a woman as his would-be vice president, but he refused to commit recently to choosing a woman of color.
This was a “slap in the face” to black women who helped to resuscitate Biden’s nearly dead campaign after early primary losses, suggested The View co-host Sunny Hostin.
Stacey Abrams tells @TheView she thinks that Vice President Biden is “going to make a smart choice” in picking a running mate, but adds that she does have “concerns” about Biden “not picking a woman of color.” https://t.co/53N8arecl2 pic.twitter.com/KNpe5yNBx3
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 22, 2020
“Do you think that not choosing a woman of color, a black woman actually, is a slap in the face to the black female voters who are credited, really, for reviving his candidacy?” Hostin asked Abrams.
Abrams agreed with Hostin’s characterization and said minority voters do have cause for concern.
“I appreciate the fact that he has lifted up women as being a necessary partner in this,” she continued. “But I would share your concern about not picking a woman of color because women of color, particularly black women, are the strongest part of the Democratic Party.”
Abrams’s concern likely stems from the fact that she’s long been discussed as a top contender for the job.
After rebuffing Biden’s initial advances, Abrams eventually embraced the narrative, tacitly offering her de facto endorsement as Southern blacks helped catapult the former vice president back into front-runner status.
But Biden’s list of options has grown over the past few weeks, and other high-profile leftists, such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., have reportedly risen to the top of that list. Both represent must-win battleground states, while historically red Georgia likely remains out of play for the cash-strapped Biden campaign.
Moreover, Abrams’s lack of experience could be an issue. Due to Biden’s advanced age and apparent cognitive decline, much is riding on his selection of a viable leader with executive experience. Abrams’s highest political office was serving as the minority leader of Georgia’s state legislature.
Despite Biden’s wandering eye, though, Abrams has been aggressively campaigning for a spot on the ticket over the past few weeks.
Last week, she told Elle magazine that she would be an “excellent” running mate, and now she’s indirectly warning Biden that he needs to pick “a ticket that reflects the diversity of America.”