Women in Joe Biden deck for vice president 3:05
(CNN) –– Joe Biden will begin the weekend evaluating the biggest decision of his presidential campaign so far: choosing who will be his aspiring vice president. People close to the process have told CNN that the Democratic candidate is believed to have begun narrowing his list of potential running partners to a handful of women.
In more than two dozen interviews with CNN over the past few days, members of Congress, top Democratic donors, Biden's allies, and others close to the vice-presidential investigation process noted that Karen Bass, California representative and chair of the Black Legislators Group of the Congress has gained ground in the final stage of the search. Amid intense last-minute lobbying and speculation about Biden's landmark decision, California Senator Kamala Harris and former President of Barack Obama's former National Security Adviser Susan Rice are also believed to be among the strongest contenders.
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The search continues under extreme reserve, with many top campaign aides still unaware of details of the investigative process. Several other women have also undergone extensive scrutiny by Biden's team, including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Florida Rep. Val Demings, and Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth. Others, such as Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham have also been subject to various levels of scrutiny by the investigative team.
Biden's team has not yet informed any of the women seriously considered for the vice presidential aspiration that they are officially out of the race, people familiar with the process said, and a source noted that 11 women are still being formally evaluated.
Karen bass
Bass's new rise as a top contender has been fueled by intense lobbying on his behalf by some of his colleagues in the House, including influential California Democrats, and top donors. Her presence has increased after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recommended weeks ago that Bass should not be overlooked.
Karen bass
Bass supporters have reached out to members of Biden's inner circle to come up with passionate arguments about why the congresswoman should not be ignored in the search process. Her sponsors have described her as a member of the House who is universally appreciated and respected, someone who knows how to work as a team with project experience alongside Republicans and leading a state legislature, a black woman with a compelling biography based on humble beginnings, and especially, a safe political option that would not affect the campaign.
"I think Karen has been underrated from day one," said Steve Westly, a former California state intervener and chief fundraiser for Biden, adding that he is pleased to see Bass and Harris on Biden's short list.
Trump and Biden tie for Georgia polls 1:37"Everyone likes Karen Bass. People scratch their heads and say, "Who is this woman?" Added Westly. “When you have been the leader of a legislature for a state that has twice the population of New York and is the fifth largest economy in the world, you know how to handle the media, you understand the economy. I think she is stronger than people think ", he completed.
Pelosi, who is close to several of the candidates, still does not have a preferred figure in the race, assistants insist.
What happened to Kamala Harris?
Another unmistakable dynamic that has emerged in recent days: an intense effort by some of Biden's allies to hamper Harris's chances of being elected.
Although Biden has praised Harris publicly in recent months, some of his supporters - both privately and publicly - have consistently raised questions through the press, sometimes using sexist language about whether Harris would be a reliable token on the team, and often recalling Harris' famous attack on Biden during a Democratic debate on the bus issue.
A Democratic aide with knowledge of the search process shared this compelling observation: "Biden's allies are laying the groundwork for him to have a reason not to choose her."
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In multiple press reports, Biden's allies have attacked Harris's motives. Florida donor John Morgan regretted that Harris “ran for president on launch day. For me, loyalty and friendship should mean something. " Chris Dodd, a member of Biden's vice president investigative team, reportedly complained to a donor that Harris "showed no remorse" when asked about his famous confrontation with Biden in the debate.
Former Pennsylvania governor and Biden supporter Ed Rendell, who said he does not currently have a favorite figure in the search, said in an interview that Bass is considered a "very safe option," in a way that Harris simply did not. it is.
"Kamala can annoy some people incorrectly. Karen Bass is not likely to do that, ”added Rendell. "Rule number one for choosing the vice president? Do no harm ”, he completed.
Biden clearly came prepared to defend Harris during a press conference Tuesday in Wilmington, Delaware. This was shown by the photograph of a note card of the former vice president that lists these points with the name of Harris: "You do not hold a grudge", "he campaigned with me and Jill", "talented", "great help for the campaign", " great respect for her. ”
Recent attacks on Harris have sparked claims of sexism.
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"This is not about complaining that we are not being treated fairly, although I would say that in the face of these women they are not," said Karen Finney, one of the top campaign assistants for Hillary Clinton in 2016. "We know that it is an old theme to say that you cannot trust an ambitious woman, "he added.
Harris herself told women in a broadcast of the Black Girls Lead 2020 conference this Friday: "There will be resistance to your ambition, there will be people who will tell you 'you are out of your way,'" when she first referred this week. to attacks on his honesty and ambition.
And he continued: “They are overwhelmed by having only the ability to see what has always been instead of what can become. But don't let that be a burden on you. " Later Harris mentioned that this has been his entire career.
The Biden campaign has largely refused to participate publicly in the criticism of Harris until this week, when campaign director Jen O'Malley Dillon responded to a report that she considered Harris to be too ambitious.
"Ambitious women make history, change the world and win," wrote Dillon on Twitter. “Our campaign is full of ambitious women who are betting everything on Joe Biden. He will make this decision, and this is clear: whoever he chooses among the highly qualified options to help him win and unite the country, she will also be one. ”
One of the reasons Harris is in the eye of the hurricane is because she has long been considered the favorite to be Biden's running mate. Her supporters say she has already been investigated on the national stage as a presidential candidate and is unlikely to surprise the campaign with last-minute unknowns. While her 2020 campaign ended long before Iowa's party assemblies, Harris' supporters argue that she won loyal supporters while running for the White House, and that she would also make history as the country's first black and Asian vice presidential candidate.
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For her part, Rice's emergence as a serious candidate has surprised some in the Biden world, given her limited campaign experience. But her close allies point to Rice's governance credentials for the time she worked in the executive branch and her deep baggage of foreign policy in a time of global turmoil. They also stress that Biden's working relationship with Rice should not be underestimated for years, especially given how the former vice president has emphasized her desire to have a partner who is "nice to me."
"If there was ever a time to choose someone inexperienced in the campaign, this would be the year," a member of the Obama administration cabinet, who knows Rice well, told CNN. "Susan would be the best partner in government," he added.
Biden's decision
With the months of intense investigations nearing their end, the final decision rests with Biden and his wife, Jill, who has become one of his closest advisers in the process. She has conducted virtual campaign events with almost all potential candidates, but has not participated in any of the interviews the search committee has done, according to people with knowledge of the process. Biden's campaign also began teaming up for the future running mate to be chosen, according to a source close to the campaign, but did not detail who will be involved.
When Biden said earlier this week that he would choose a running mate in the first week of August, two aides indicated to CNN that the announcement was more likely to be delayed until the week of August 10. But Biden's advisers gave him a maximum period of time until next week to make up his mind, said a person familiar with the process.
Biden enters the final leg of deliberations as the country faces a severe public health crisis and an economic recession. President Donald Trump's approval rating has been severely affected by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a scenario allies close to Biden say offers the Democrat the space to choose a running mate without evaluating both the political advantages and electoral that this decision would bring compared to any other cycle of elections.
“They don't need to aim for the highest; they don't need it to be a distraction. They don't need to go with someone who has not been tested or someone who is flashy or random, "said a follower of Biden in contact with his inner circle.
"If you've already decided, he hasn't told anyone," an old friend of Biden's told CNN. "But knowing him, he won't make a final decision until the last moment."
Arlette Saenz and Annie Grayer, both from CNN, contributed to this report.
2020 Elections United States Elections Joe Biden Kamala Harris Vice President