
Former vice president Joe Biden may - according to some - be trying to shed an "old, white guy" image by having Stacey Abrams as his 2020 presidential running mate.
Still, Biden has still not announced whether or not he is even choosing to run for president, but sources close to him say that he is leaning toward it.
In a resurfaced video from a 1983 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Biden blasted packing the Supreme Court as a "bonehead idea", The Washington Free Beacon first reported. Some have pointed out that in a Democratic debate, he could be asked why no one on the stage would be a worthy running mate.
Biden, 76, has led in early-state and national polls of primary voters, and could capture significant support from major Democratic donors, many of whom held off from backing other candidates while awaiting his decision. His office did not respond to a request for comment about whether he is working for Biden now.
NY Magazine writes that Biden met with Abrams recently, adding some reasons why the choice would make sense: "Biden has been subjected to a barrage of criticism about his record on racially sensitive issues, from his anti-busing activism in the 1970s to his key role in the passage of anti-crime legislation in the 1990s associated with mass incarceration". Abrams is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, and as an African American woman, she would bring diversity to the ticket.
Still, some advisers are reportedly opposed to the idea, recognizing that it would be seen as a gimmick, Axios reports.
An official bid by Biden could profoundly shake up the sprawling Democratic field, with more than a dozen candidates already seeking to challenge President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee.
"If Biden were to name his running mate long in advance of the Milwaukee convention, it might be very good politics", said Michael Beschloss, author of "Presidents of War".