General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI think Klobuchar's announcement wasn't a concession - it was part of a strategic rollout
Amy didn't climb out on a limb that can be easily sawed off under her if Biden doesn't pick a woman if color, thereby making her look like she has no influence. I think her comments were part of a carefully planned rollout by the Biden campaign of an announcement of Harris or another black woman as his running mate.
She's not actually telling Biden what he should do. She's helping to lay the groundwork, frame the narrative, and inoculating him from criticism from white Democrats who might go after him for "playing identity politics" if he picks someone of color.
She's a team player.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,270 posts)In any event, naysayers notwithstanding, it was a classy announcement. I'm glad she said what she said.
stopdiggin
(11,089 posts)in it's entirety .. save some ink.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)Link to tweet
If Amy was going rogue, she wouldn't have tweeted this. She would be doing some type of damage control because it not only makes Amy look bad if Biden picks, say, Warren, it also makes Biden look bad that someone who was on his short list dropped out and told him to pick a woman of color ... and he picks a white woman.
I don't buy that.
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)Good catch!
Cha
(295,899 posts)Response to Drunken Irishman (Reply #2)
morillon This message was self-deleted by its author.
skylucy
(3,734 posts)FM123
(10,050 posts)tells me that this was a team decision. Thank you Amy!
Cha
(295,899 posts)Cha
(295,899 posts)She dropped out of the Presidential Primary along with Pete Buttigieg, and it changed Everything.
TEAM Players! That's how we Get Somewhere!
JI7
(89,173 posts)people are and that some moments are bigger than the self. Good elected officials are ones that will work to make this happen instead of trying to make it about them only.
Response to StarfishSaver (Original post)
maximusveritas This message was self-deleted by its author.
brer cat
(24,401 posts)K&R
Music Man
(1,181 posts)And if so, it's a brilliant idea. Good observation.
It's certainly seemed to excite people
Hekate
(90,189 posts)BComplex
(7,979 posts)I missed it.
Hekate
(90,189 posts)Team player stuff.
When asked by Judy Woodruff about whether she would take the VP slot she was suitably modest (I think Judy asked that, they all do).
But when challenged (and it was a challenge) about her achievements and legislative experience, Stacy was robustly forthright, which I thought was excellent.
BComplex
(7,979 posts)Hekate
(90,189 posts)...when asked. Knowledgable and experienced in her own right -- which she is.
Personally, as a woman of the older generation, let me say that women are taught from birth to be deferential. I find it so unbelievably refreshing to come upon a woman in public life like Stacy Abrams or Kamala Harris, someone who has no problem stating her qualifications without a shred of apology or false modesty.
Hillary Clinton (my age) spent her entire life swimming upstream, dodging all the barbed crap thrown at her -- and part of her honorable legacy is that there are now women who can do it another way.
BComplex
(7,979 posts)I think she's really strong and smart.
Hekate
(90,189 posts)Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)could give us Florida.
marybourg
(12,540 posts)to choose from.
BadGimp
(4,009 posts)Since the release of the video of George Floyds death, everything has changed. EVERYTHING!
lunatica
(53,410 posts)is no longer being ignored. Americans of every race and color are seeing and saying the truth. And it turns out that 75% of us agree that this time we want it to end. I frankly dont give a shit what MAGATs think or want. They never lifted a finger to make this country function. On the contrary, theyve been rabid about spreading hate. Trump just gave them permission to ooze out of this countrys underbelly.
In the long run thats a good thing. The disease is exposed.
SiliconValley_Dem
(1,656 posts)to bow out gracefully ahead of any "official" decision.
Gore1FL
(21,030 posts)Not because of this, but because she can competently do the job.
spooky3
(34,302 posts)luvtheGWN
(1,336 posts)Who would replace her as a Democratic Senator from Minnesota?
Likewise, is there a Democrat in California who could be counted on to replace Kamala Harris?
Seems to me that its extremely important to regain the Senate majority.
That's why I (the outsider) think Susan Rice might be the best choice for VP. In fact, I have the suspicion that the reason she chose not to run for the Senate in Maine was because she believed she might be Joe Biden's top pick for VP.
Then again, what the hell do I know?
Gore1FL
(21,030 posts)Al Franken might be viable in MN. Imagine Senator Adam Schiff. I'm just throwing out names I can think of from both states--don't consider these predictions. I am sure there are many talented people from both states. CA has a Democratic governor. MN's governor is Democratic Farm League. The immediate replace would still be Democratic in each case.
Susan Rice is a great choice too! The field of women is so full of talent for VP and cabinet positions. They are all-stars.
moonscape
(4,664 posts)Gore1FL
(21,030 posts)SiliconValley_Dem
(1,656 posts)as a way to be part of the roll out. shouls he win, she could be sec of state or other cabinet official
tblue37
(64,979 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)Amy is legendary for working across boundaries and suppressing her own ego to get things done-- and we are probably seeing some of that here.
Hitting the road with Harris, if that's the choice, will be a sight to see.
Budi
(15,325 posts)@tomwatson
"This is what's known as setting the table, folks".
No doubt about it. This is strategy
blm
(112,919 posts)She got to create the best headline for herself instead of her detractors whove been poring over every case file in Minnesota. Sharp, and the right thing to do.
Grasswire2
(13,564 posts)Perhaps, with all due respect to you, she just sees that she's not going to be the nominee and is tired.
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)blm
(112,919 posts)still_one
(91,945 posts)I think that is unlikely
I believe Joe will choose Harris, Rice, or Val Demings, because they seem to be a good ideological match
krawhitham
(4,634 posts)Not a team player
Chemisse
(30,793 posts)I didn't realize she had spoken to Biden first, thus laying out the possibility that this was part of a group strategy.
brush
(53,467 posts)A black woman veep choice is just about a no-brainer now to mobilize all the potential young voters who've been in the streets for weeks now protesting the killings of black men by police. Frankly, having an all-white ticket now would be incredibly tone deaf.
mcar
(42,208 posts)PunkinPi
(4,870 posts)I think you're correct about the strategic rollout.
Response to PunkinPi (Reply #40)
onetexan This message was self-deleted by its author.
Cha
(295,899 posts)Team Players!
I thought a WOC should be Biden's VP candidate even before the tragic murder of George Floyd & Everything changed
PunkinPi
(4,870 posts)Stronger together.
Sunsky
(1,737 posts)She would not have made that statement without the blessing of team Biden. I'm now sure that Biden will choose a person of color for his running mate.
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)She wouldn't get out in front of him like that and she's not the sort to try to publicly shame someone she can pick up the phone and call.
MaryMagdaline
(6,849 posts)Its a trial balloon and way to break it to her supporters and warrens supporters that the VP will be Kamala Harris (I hope).
Kashkakat v.2.0
(1,752 posts)consider her MN voting record re: racial justice to be a problem... she was actually my fav out of all of them - the only one I heard use "coalition building" in a sentence. But the times they are a changing. She could probably explain it away quite well but why. Not when there are other qualified individuals.
Baked Potato
(7,733 posts)pazzyanne
(6,518 posts)Yes, she is and why I love her as my Senator. Thank you for posting this.
Kingofalldems
(38,360 posts)StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)She knows she won't be picked because of her record of hiding behind GJs when it came to holding police accountable when she was DA in Minn.
I think the real reason is to block Warren from the ticket and keep progressive ideas firmly on the sidelines.
BluesRunTheGame
(1,586 posts)I think certain people are getting worried that Warren will end up on the ticket and Amy volunteered to make things complicated for Liz.
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)Personally, I think the time is ripe to "go big" for change and with a Dem House and Senate, Biden could go down in history with FDR, TR, LBJ.
BluesRunTheGame
(1,586 posts)And it wouldnt surprise me if Obama was encouraging Joe to go big.
At this point Warren has the best resume and the least baggage.
With Harris or Deming things will be found with their previous work in law enforcement/justice and well be playing defense all the way to November.
Rice has a great resume for foreign policy but so does Joe. He was chair of the foreign relations committee. We dont need to double down on that. Shes untested as as far as campaigning goes and her positions on domestic issues are unknown. Also, her son is a RWNJ and that could cause us some problems.
The others who are mentioned are either obscure western Senators and Governors or southerners whove never won a statewide race.
Everyone knows who Warren is. She doesnt need to be introduced. And shes good at staying on message.
kcr
(15,300 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)And went for a graceful exit in order to avoid some embarrassment. I dont buy into anything else beyond that.
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)but she could've just taken her name out of consideration without making any advice on who Biden should select. That she did, tells me there was an additional motive, but ymmv.
ashredux
(2,593 posts)JonLP24
(29,322 posts)I say this as a Progressive Democrat.
I think it was pretty obvious she wasn't going to being picked.
----
The third-term senator had to cancel one of the final rallies of her campaign after Black Lives Matter and other activists took the stage in Minnesota to protest against her handling of a murder case when she was the prosecutor that sent a Black teen to prison for life.
US Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, a close Biden ally and Congress's highest-ranking Black lawmaker, said in the days after Floyd's death that he believed it made Klobuchar a less likely pick for vice president, though he said she is "absolutely" qualified for the job.
"This is very tough timing for her," Clyburn said.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/amy-klobuchar-bows-vp-race-urges-woman-colour-200619144939048.html
cstanleytech
(26,080 posts)besides the VP for the most part matters very little.
What does matter though is making sure Trump is defeated and then hopefully put on trial and sentenced to life in prison.
KPN
(15,585 posts)she knew she wasnt going to be it and wanted to take advantage of the situation to better her standing with African Americans while she could. Bowing out in this way also makes her look magnanimous and is actually a wily intraparty political move.
On the other hand, you could be right. It could be a coordinated strategy initiated by the Biden camp. It would certainly help to condition Democratic Party voters for a black woman VP announcement, and also softens the blow to Warren at announcement time. I just think Klibuchars pretty wily and saw this as an opportunity to improve her standing with black voters in the future.