Biden Says He Is Open To Naming Republican as Running Mate
Former vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told New Hampshire voters Monday he would consider choosing a Republican as a running mate if he were to win the nomination, but he couldn’t “think of one now.”
The suggestion came after a woman told Biden he would “have to pull out all the stops” if he was nominated, CNN reported.
“Our 21-year-old son said the other night, ‘I wonder if Joe Biden would consider choosing a Republican as a running mate,’” she said.
“The answer is I would, but I can’t think of one now,” Biden replied.
“Let me explain that. You know, there’s some really decent Republicans that are out there still, but here’s the problem right now,” he added. “They’ve got to step up.”
Twitter users weighed in on the possibility, with some saying the former vice president was ignorant.
If u still support Biden after he said he would consider a Republican VP, I have no words…this is insanity. It is based on ignorance about what motivates voters and why they voted for Trump. It was NOT for bipartisanship. They will not reward you for this Joe…retire now
— Tim Wise (@timjacobwise) December 30, 2019
Why in the world would a Democrat even be open to picking a Republican VP when potential running mates like Andrew Gillum, Julian Castro and Stacey Abrams are available? The only answer is hell no. Biden is addicted to catering to the GOP and it plays directly into their hands.
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) December 30, 2019
The last person to consider a running mate from the opposite party was the late Sen. John McCain, who considered former Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman as his vice presidential pick before choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2008.
Biden has previously dropped hints about his running mate considerations, saying he would prefer to have some diversity on his ticket.
“Whomever I pick, preferably it will be someone who was of color and/or a different gender, but I’m not making that commitment until I know that the person I’m dealing with I can completely and thoroughly trust as authentic and on the same page [as me],” he told The Washington Post in August.
Following a campaign event in Ames, Iowa, on Dec. 4, Biden was asked by a reporter whether he’d consider California Sen. Kamala Harris as his pick for vice president if he wins the nomination.
“Of course I would,” Biden told reporters. “Senator Harris has the capacity to be anything she wants to be. I mean it sincerely.”
Biden noted that he spoke to Harris the previous day after she dropped out of the race.
“She is solid. She can be president someday herself,” he said.
“She can be the vice president. She can go on to be a Supreme Court justice. She can be attorney general. She has enormous capability.”
Before Biden announced his candidacy, there were rumors that he would choose Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who lost the state’s 2018 gubernatorial election, as his running mate.
According to a March BuzzFeed News article, two sources said that “the idea was brought up to attract high-level operatives and donors.”
“What makes it particularly exploitative is that Biden couldn’t be bothered to endorse Stacey in the gubernatorial primary,” an Abrams adviser said at the time. “Now he wants her to save his a–. That’s some serious entitlement.”
Biden is currently leading the pack of Democratic presidential contenders with 28.4 percent support nationwide, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
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