During a video-call with Democratic donors Sunday evening, former Vice President Joe Biden admitted to discussing potential running mates with former President Obama, and informed the donors his campaign will begin vetting between six or seven people “relatively soon,” according to The New York Post.
“It’s going to be important that whomever I pick is completely comfortable with my policy prescriptions as to how we move forward,” Biden said on the video call, reports the news agency. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want, as Barack asked for, someone questioning me, challenging me, I do want that.”
The 77-year-old former vice president also informed the donors that his running-mate will be fully prepared to take over the responsibilities of the presidency from the first day of Biden’s prospective term, NBC News reported
“The most important thing — and I’ve actually talked to Barack about this — the most important thing is that there has to be someone who, the day after they’re picked, is prepared to be president of the United States of America if something happened,” said Biden, reports the news agency.
As The Daily Wire reported, Biden had previously highlighted the importance of choosing a more youthful running mate because he is “an old guy.”
“I’m an old guy,” Biden told a laughing crowd after mentioning the importance of selecting a running mate who is already prepared for the presidency. “No, I’m serious. Look, thank God I’m in great health, I work out, no I’m serious, you know I work-out every morning. I’m in good shape.”
During the call, Biden emphasized that his running mate should share, in particular, his policy views on foreign relations, education and healthcare, reported Politico,
This criteria would effectively eliminate from consideration Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), who holds strongly isolationist foreign policy views and also puts into doubt the prospects of running with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), who once supported Medicare For All.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, during the March 15 Democratic primary debate with Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Biden once again reaffirmed his decision to select a woman running mate, but also mentioned that he would have a gender-diverse administration and appoint a black woman to the Supreme Court.
“If I am elected president, my cabinet, my administration will look like the country, and I commit that I will, in fact, pick a woman to be vice president,” said Biden. “There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow. I would pick a woman to be my vice president.”
“I committed that if I’m elected president [and] have an opportunity to appoint someone to the courts, I’ll appoint the first black woman to the courts. It’s required that they have representation now. It’s long overdue,” said the former vice president.
While Biden has not yet reached the delegate threshold for becoming the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, the only major candidate left remaining in the race is Sanders. According to FiveThirtyEight, Biden is ahead of the self-described democratic socialist by a “nearly insurmountable lead.”