Former vice president Joe Biden needs a running mate. He's going to choose a woman, but it almost certainly won't be Stacey Abrams, the self-declared governor of Georgia, now that the New York Times has published an op-ed endorsing her as the "obvious" choice.
Notwithstanding the fact that no one cares what the New York Times editorial board thinks about politics, the so-called paper of record endorsed two candidates in the Democratic primary—Senators Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.). Neither candidate came close to winning the nomination, which is a bad sign for Abrams.
In the Times op-ed touting Abrams as the "smartest move" for Biden's VP choice, one would expect the word "experience" to appear at least once. It does not. Biden is 77 years old and barely coherent at the best of times, which means his running mate should probably be someone who is ready to be president.
That's what Democratic voters seem to want, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll published Wednesday. Just 29 percent of Democrats said it was important that Biden choose a woman as a running mate, while 22 percent said it was important that he choose a non-white running mate. Meanwhile, nearly 80 percent said it was important that Biden choose a candidate with legislative and executive experience.
The op-ed's author, Center for American Progress fellow Steve Phillips, cites a number of female senators and governors as potential running mates for Biden, but settles on "Stacey Abrams of Georgia," the only candidate on his list without a political title—because she doesn't have one. Prior to losing her 2018 gubernatorial race, Abrams served in the Georgia General Assembly. Her most notable political accomplishment is refusing to concede that she lost.
Instead, the op-ed focuses on polling data about how Abrams could help Biden win younger voters and boost African-American turnout. Even in states Biden won in the primary, such as Michigan, he was absolutely trounced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) among voters under the age of 30.
Maybe having Abrams on the ticket would help. Is she ready to be one heartbeat away from the presidency? At least Sarah Palin actually served as governor. Abrams, for what it's worth, seems open to the idea of being the VP candidate on the Democratic ticket.
"I would be an excellent running mate," she said in an recent interview with Elle magazine. "If I am selected, I am prepared and excited to serve." Abrams cited her "strong history of executive and management experience" as well as her "25 years in independent study of foreign policy," whatever that means.
In any event, the point is moot. The Times has spoken.