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Dear reader:
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听Who will Joe Biden choose as his running mate? The guys at love that question, they say with a sigh. It鈥檚 so pre-pandemic, a carry-over from a simpler time 鈥� yet highly relevant today.
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听The former vice president has already told us he鈥檒l pick a woman, and he鈥檚 clearly been auditioning candidates, including Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren, who all ran against him for the Democratic nomination.
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听All three have been appearing enthusiastically at virtual Biden events, raising money, rallying supporters, joining him on his podcast. Also in the mix are Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, a crucial battleground state, and Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia House minority leader who came close to becoming the nation鈥檚 first black female governor.
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听In normal times, 鈥渧eepstakes鈥� chatter is mainly just a parlor game; it鈥檚 the top of the ticket that wins or loses elections. In recent cycles, presidential nominees have picked someone with whom they have a good rapport, personally and ideologically. Mr. Biden鈥檚 choice will be analyzed closely for what it means about his politics. Senator Warren or Ms. Abrams would please progressives. Senator Klobuchar of Minnesota, a centrist, could help Mr. Biden woo disgruntled Trump voters 鈥� of whom there may be more than a few, according to . Senator Harris, seen as a leading contender, would fall somewhere in between.
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听But there鈥檚 an added dimension: Mr. Biden鈥檚 advanced age means he鈥檒l need someone seen as having presidential chops on Day One, ready to address the new pandemic realities as well as operate on the world stage if need be.
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听Lately, Mr. Biden has been under pressure to choose a woman of color. Senator Harris and Ms. Abrams both fit that bill - and Ms. Abrams is raising eyebrows by for the job.
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听Governor Whitmer is playing the more traditional game, saying she鈥檚 focused on helping her state. Though she did reveal Tuesday that she鈥檚 had an with the Biden team.
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听Hispanic women are also being mooted, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.
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听Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, which aims to engage more than 1 million women of color in swing states, tells that Mr. Biden has to fire up the Democratic coalition.
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听"If he wants us to not just vote but bring our family and communities along in record numbers,鈥� she says, 鈥渉e's got to put a woman of color on the ticket."
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听Let us know what you鈥檙e thinking at csmpolitics@csmonitor.com