Joe Biden’s only choice for his running mate is a black woman, according to two top Democrats who have been key fixtures in recent presidential campaigns.
Former Obama campaign aide Patti Solis Doyle and former Clinton aide Karen Finney both said that the current political, economic, and health situation of the nation demands a black woman as vice president because she can best empathize and lead with those seeking a new direction.
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“This country, for lack of a better word, is in the shitter right now,” said Solis Doyle, who was Biden’s chief of staff during his 2008 vice presidential bid on the Obama ticket.
— Georgetown Politics (@GUPolitics) July 1, 2020
“African Americans brought Joe Biden back from the dead basically in the nominating process,” she said, adding that it has led to “enormous pressure” for him to pick a black running mate.
Finney, who is part of the effort to push Biden into choosing a black woman, said, “A black woman represents the future.”
Both participated in a Zoom conference sponsored by Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. Executive Director Mo Elleithee, a former Democratic Party spokesman, hosted the Wednesday evening online event.
The purpose was to talk about how vice presidential candidates are picked and for the two experts to suggest the best candidates for Biden.
Both praised Biden for committing to picking a woman. And both said they hoped a black woman would be chosen.
Key, they said, was for Biden to pick a strong leader who can be given major jobs.
“He’s only one man, and there is so much to do,” said Solis Doyle. “In this moment, we need somebody who can actually help bring the country back.”
Finney added that a black woman can help Biden win some states. And she said that black people want to see more than promises of higher office, though President Barack Obama did serve eight years as the first black president.
In calling for a black woman to be Biden’s vice presidential candidate, Finney said, “If not now, when? We cannot keep saying to black voters, ‘We need you. We love you,’ and then not deliver.”
Asked for their prediction on who Biden would pick, Doyle chose California Sen. Kamala Harris, and Finney chose Harris, Rep. Val Demings of Florida, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
“I think it needs to be a woman of color. I think it needs to be a black woman,” said Solis Doyle.
