Take either one....but would prefer Kolbacher….with harris to replace barr!
As Biden veep search ramps up, Harris and Klobuchar get a close look
Joe Biden is conducting an unusually open and public search for a running mate,
promising to pick a woman, disclosing that he is looking at about a dozen choices and even confirming specific names — all as contenders jockey for the job in plain sight.
But behind the scenes, two prospects with national experience who are significantly younger than Biden are emerging as the early leaders in the eyes of top Biden allies, according to interviews with a half-dozen people in frequent contact with the campaign: Sens.
Amy Klobuchar and
Kamala D. Harris.
Although Biden’s search is just getting underway in earnest and there are no strong internal front-runners, according to a person familiar with the campaign’s selection process, many Biden friends, donors and other associates have privately and publicly expressed a preference for the two senators. And they said much of the talk around the campaign focuses on them.
“I would like to see it be Klobuchar or Harris,” said Michael Kempner, a public relations executive and Democratic donor, in a sentiment shared by other Biden allies.
For all the confidentiality of the vetting process, several glimpses have emerged. Among those Biden is consulting, beyond his formal vetting committee, are his wife, Jill, and former president Barack Obama.
Biden has confirmed that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) are on his list, and he has hosted Whitmer and Klobuchar on his podcast. Another prospect,
former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, is slated to appear with Biden in a joint interview on MSNBC on Thursday night; she formally endorsed him this week.
Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Harris (D-Calif.) are seen as tested politicians who experienced the rigors of a national campaign alongside Biden during the Democratic primaries, understand the inner workings of Congress and are ideologically similar to the presumptive nominee.
Biden, 77, would be the oldest person elected to the presidency, increasing the scrutiny of his potential vice president. And the pandemic has put an additional premium on political experience and familiarity with the workings of government.
Klobuchar and Harris represent starkly different political paths that have stoked considerable Democratic debate during the Trump presidency. Harris, the ******* of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, could
excite nonwhite voters in urban areas who did not turn out four years ago. Klobuchar, a moderate who campaigns as a homespun Midwesterner, has become a beacon for Democrats hoping to reclaim some white working-class voters and Republicans who cast ballots for President Trump
Biden has offered few hints on his thinking, leaving even some longtime confidants in the dark about his views. Those who know him best say that personal rapport will be a crucial factor and that his decision will be informed heavily by his experience serving as vice president to Obama, whom he faced in a presidential primary contest before the two forged a strong friendship
“Klobuchar or Harris would fit right in with where Joe Biden was with Barack Obama in ‘08,” said Dick Harpootlian, a South Carolina state senator who has known Biden for three decades but has not discussed the pick with him. The eventual choice, he said, has “got to be somebody he’s got some chemistry with.”
Biden said Wednesday on “Good Luck America,” a political show on Snapchat, that he is looking for someone who complements him, and he suggested he is consulting with Obama. “As Barack and I talk about it, I’m looking for someone who has strengths that I don’t have as much,” Biden told host Peter Hamby. “I’m not afraid to go out and find someone who knows more than I know about a subject.”
He added, “I’m looking for someone who I can feel comfortable having as the last person in the room giving me advice.”
Still, Harris and Klobuchar have vulnerabilities. Biden’s team was bruised by Harris’s sharp attacks on him over ****** school busing in a debate last year, according to three people familiar with the dynamic who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide a candid account of conversations with top aides. As recently as March, Jill Biden noted the attacks during a public discussion of potential running mates.
At the same time, Klobuchar’s inability to win many African American supporters in the primaries has drawn notice from Biden’s team. And news reports about her poor treatment of staff members have circulated widely in the party, raising questions about her management style.
Compounding their challenges are the other boldface names believed to be in the mix. They include
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has a loyal liberal following and has been speaking on the phone with Biden more frequently over the past few weeks, according to two people familiar with their conversations.
Abrams, an African American woman from Georgia who is seen as a longer shot, has frequently expressed interest in the job in media interviews.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who has received praise from former Senate majority leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), is not to be overlooked, Democrats with an eye on the process said. Neither is New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who like Cortez Masto is Latina.
Biden recently announced four co-chairs of his selection committee, which he said is organizing background checks. “It’s going to take six to eight weeks to get that moving and to get through it,” Biden said.
But prominent Democrats are not waiting to make their preferences known. During a recent phone call, the Rev. Al Sharpton said he told Biden that he would prefer if he chose a black woman to be his running mate, a move he recalled telling Biden would “mean a lot” since it has not been done and would “drive out a lot of voters for you.”