With fewer than 7 months until the presidential election, it seems that Joe Biden has already alienated a large chunk of Democratic voters. With his numerous verbal gaffes and allegations of sexual misconduct, there is a faction of liberals who are vowing not to cast their vote for the former vice president.
Moreover, many Bernie Sanders supporters are balking at carrying their support over to Biden and are concerned about his environmental policy and beliefs about other critical issues during this campaign.
To knock off President Trump and his impenetrable group of supporters, Biden will have to bring in every possible vote from dissatisfied moderates and super-progressives. So far, he has done a good job of reaching the former group, evident by his strong wins in moderate states such as Texas.
To get through to the latter group of voters, Biden has to knock his VP pick out of the park. While his running mate will not change him as a politician, it can quell the concerns of progressive voters who fear that they will not be represented by a President Biden.
In a poll by Morning Consult, 41% of democratic voters said that Biden’s running mate must have more liberal views than him. That is a huge group that he must appeal to, and the list of potential running mates who fit that criteria and have favorable support is slim.
Elizabeth Warren is a commonly floated name said she would join Biden if asked. Due to her personal battles with Sanders during the primaries, her support is slipping among progressives. Still, she would provide the more liberal voice that many former Sanders supporters are looking for.
Kamala Harris is currently the betting favorite, but she comes with red flags due to her past record as a prosecutor. In a time where pushes for reform to the criminal justice system are at an all time high, many view her as two-faced for previously supporting tough on crime policies. She also struggled during the primaries, dropping out after completely falling out of contention.
Amy Klobuchar is also a favorite among moderates, but she also fails to reach progressives. She would be quite controversial due to her past records on race issues, and her polling among African American voters was terribly low. Klobuchar would be a dangerous pick for Biden.
Stacey Abrams has a lack of political experience. Gretchen Whitmer is unknown compared to others. Biden doesn’t have a clear cut pick, which has to be concerning for his campaign and him.
This pick could make or break the next election for former Vice President Biden. Most of his potential choices have red flags, but to defeat President Trump, it is critical for Biden to pick the right one.
