Posted on April 17, 2020

Joe Biden Must Pick a Progressive Black Woman as VP if He Wants to Win

Debbie Hines, The Hill, April 16, 2020

{snip} Biden should select a running mate who will bridge the Sanders’ progressive movement with the Biden campaign. Biden must pick a progressive black woman as his running mate — if he is to have any chance of winning the election.

During the final debate between Biden and Sanders, Joe Biden promised to select a woman as his running mate. Sanders upped him by saying he would select a progressive. {snip}

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While Biden may consider Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) he would be ill-advised to do so. Klobuchar, a white woman, midwesterner and centrist will do little, if anything, to capture some of the Sanders’ support. {snip}

Staying home is not an option if Democrats want to take back the White House. Klobuchar states she has “the receipts” to win over white moderate Republican Midwesterners who may have left the Democratic party to vote for Trump. She has no appeal to attract progressives and African American women.

In order to win in November, Biden must appeal to the Democratic base. Many white voters will still vote for Donald Trump in November. The passion of the Democratic party is with progressives and blacks.

There were early rumors before Biden’s announcement of his run for president that he considered Stacy Abrams for his running mate. Later Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), after suspending her campaign, endorsed Joe Biden. {snip}

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African American women are the demographic group with “one of the largest voter turnouts.” In 2018’s midterm elections, black women’s turnout was 6 points above the national turnout. The heart of the Democratic party is people of color. For Joe Biden to win in November, he must select a well-known progressive African American woman as his running mate.