By Aaron Miller-
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has officially launched its running-mate selection committee, charged with vetting the third woman in U.S. history to seek the vice presidency on a major party ticket.
The four-member search committee includes Biden’s longtime friend and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd; the congresswoman from his home-state of Delaware, Lisa Blunt Rochester; Los Angeles Mayor and campaign co-chair Eric Garcetti; and former White House and Senate counsel Cynthia Hogan. The formal launch comes in the face of continuing pressure for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is facing growing pressure to publicly address an allegation of sexual assault made by Tara Reade, a former aide to his Senate office. The former vice-president has remained silent about the accusation.
The complainant, Tara Reid, was one of eight women who came forward last year accusing Buden of historical unwanted touching or displays of affection by Biden. The presidential candidate is currently in promotional mood and doing his best to highlight his his vision for his campaign. He said;
“These four co-chairs reflect the strength and diversity of our party, and will provide tremendous insight and expertise to what will be a rigorous selection and vetting process,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a written statement. Biden said he wants a governing partner he can trust who will be a partner with him as he was with President Obama.
“I need someone who’s going to be, as Barack said, ‘simpatico with me,’ who is a real partner in progress and is ready to be president on a moment’s notice,” Biden said Wednesday during a virtual fundraiser, according to a pool report. “There are a lot of women out there with the experience to do that job.” Empowering the search committee is former White House Counsel Bob Bauer, the husband of Biden adviser Anita Dunn, campaign General Counsel Dana Remus ,and former Homeland Security Adviser Lisa Monaco.
Biden’s dozen-person veep shortlist includes former primary election opponents, members of Congress, governors and a former gubernatorial candidate. At 77, Biden would be the oldest president ever to be sworn in if elected and he said it’s a must his running mate be ready to run the country on the first day.
The selection of a female candidate is particularly significant because Bidden has been accused of sexual assault from a former Senate staff. Biden told donors he wants to make “sure I appoint smart, courageous people of both parties eager to serve something bigger than themselves.”
He added that that “if someone were a Republican, if they’re the best qualified person to do it.”
“There are people who are of such consequence that I already know that I would like to have major Cabinet positions that I think about maybe announcing not the whole Cabinet, but some before we started, even before, God-willing, we’re able to win so people will have a better idea of what my administration will look like,” he said. “But I promise you, it’s going to look like the country.”
Pressure
Biden is under pressure to pick a black woman as a running mate to show a diverse team, but is also conscious of the the demand to cater for the votes of working class white voters. An earlier declaration he made to doners that a black woman will definitely be appointed to the Supreme Court if he becomes president may be an indication he may want to go with a white woman for his running mate in his strategy to pick his cards right.
“Presidents come and go, Supreme Courts last for generations,” he said. It is not likely he would want to pick a black woman as both his running mate and nominate one for the Supreme Court too, but heh, nothing is impossible in politics.
A recent poll gave Biden a 10-point lead over Trump among Independent voters, with 30% stating they would vote for the ex-vice president while 20% supported the incumbent president. Seven percent of all U.S. registered voters told pollsters they would be voting for a third party nominee, while the same number said they were undecided on how they would vote.