VP Pick Illustrates Democrats' Big 2020 Question

Politico: Should Democrats focus on white, working class voters or push for minority vote?
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 20, 2020 8:41 AM CDT
Updated Apr 25, 2020 10:31 AM CDT
Biden's New Podcast Guest Raises VP Speculation
Joe Biden speaks in Wilmington, Del., in March.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

For those still keeping track, chalk up another state victory for Joe Biden. The presumptive nominee won Wyoming's mail-in Democratic primary, the party said Sunday. Biden got 72% of the vote to Bernie Sanders' 28%, giving him 10 of the state's pledged delegates to Sanders' four, reports the Washington Post. The state typically holds a caucus, but it switched to an all-mail primary this year because of the coronavirus. Related coverage:

  • Interesting guest: The next guest on Biden's "Here's the Deal" podcast is Sen. Amy Klobuchar, seen as a leading candidate to be Biden's running mate, reports Axios. The 20-minute episode is now available. They don't talk about a potential 2020 ticket, but hit a wide range of other topics, including Klobuchar's life before politics and her husband's diagnosis with COVID-19. Over the weekend, Klobuchar declined to answer whether she would accept a VP offer, but she made a point to praise Biden as a "great vice president."

  • The VP search: The Los Angeles Times has an overarching look at the search for a running mate, and it notes that one vocal camp is fearful Biden will repeat what it sees as Hillary Clinton's mistake—picking a moderate, white candidate (in her case, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine) and losing black votes. That's why the push for Sen. Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams is active. Biden has pledged to pick a woman, and, beyond that, he says his main criteria is finding someone able to step in as president.
  • Fault lines: Politico reports that Biden's campaign has not begun any formal vetting of contenders yet. Its story is a look at how the selection process is "taking shape along familiar fault lines" for the party—should it try to win back white, working class voters or focus on the minority-led coalition that propelled Barack Obama to two terms? In the first camp, Klobuchar, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin could work. The latter camp includes Harris, Abrams, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Masto and Grisham are Latina.
  • One year: Last Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of Biden's campaign, notes CNN. His campaign will mark it by coordinating a series of volunteer actions in communities across the US—organizing food drives, sewing masks, hanging thank-you signs for essential workers, etc.
  • Not going away: Decades-old allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against Biden by former staffer Tara Reade continue to make headlines. Over the weekend, NPR had a lengthy recap, including Reade's own descriptions in interviews.
(More Joe Biden 2020 stories.)

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