Democrats are pushing Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE to select his running mate sooner rather than later, saying this would give him more time to raise funds and unite the Democratic Party ahead of the general election fight against President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE.
Presumptive Democratic nominees typically announce their pick before the party’s convention. But with the coronavirus pandemic sidelining the campaign and pushing back the Democratic convention from July to August, Democrats say an early pick could boost Biden.
Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo said he’s all for an early announcement because it would “give the Biden campaign an infusion of campaign donations” and double the campaign team’s power.
ADVERTISEMENT
“She can help raise more money, get activists engaged, do one-on-one interviews in key media markets and build more enthusiasm for the ticket immediately,” Trujillo said of Biden’s potential running mate, who the former vice president has said will be a woman.
Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko, who served as an aide on Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE’s 2016 presidential campaign, said “it makes a lot of sense to go earlier than later.”
“People keep saying they’re not hearing from the Biden campaign lately,” Parkhomenko said. “This is something they could do to help break through.”
He stressed that the Biden campaign is “going to have to be creative” in how they roll out a vice presidential pick to make sure it does provide a needed boost to his campaign.
In an appearance on CBS’s “The Late Late Show with James Corden” early Wednesday morning, Biden predicted the selection process for his running mate will “take until sometime in July” to winnow the process down to “the one, two, three people.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Sources close to the campaign say the process is in the early stages, noting that advisers are not in the same room and that people are working remotely to set up a secure vetting process.
Not every Democrat thinks Biden needs to worry about moving fast with a VP pick.
“The Vice President is doing pretty damn well under the circumstances, so what needs to be fixed?” asked Philippe Reines, a longtime adviser to Clinton.
If Biden were to pick “a superstar online fundraiser” such as Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (Mass.), that would be a reason to go early with the pick, Reines said. Trump has a big fundraising edge on Biden as things stand, and many do not believe the former vice president can catch up.
“He needs money,” one Democratic bundler said. “And he needs a lot of it. Anything that helps move the needle is valuable. And the more time, the more money.”
Democratic strategist Eddie Vale said he would lean toward a traditional approach. But he conceded that if the coronavirus pandemic stretches into the summer or pushes the convention online, it would be a reason for Biden to go early with the VP selection.
“[It] could be worth thinking about trying to do a slightly earlier and different digital VP rollout to try and get some more coverage to make up for a lack of convention,” he said.
Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, who served as a campaign aide to both Al GoreAlbert (Al) Arnold GoreCNN coronavirus town hall to feature science author David Quammen, ‘Empire’ actress Taraji Henson Top Democratic pollster advised Biden campaign to pick Warren as VP Melania Trump to appear on CNN coronavirus town hall Thursday night MORE and John KerryJohn Forbes KerryThe Memo: Trump’s troubles deepen as voters see country on wrong path The continuous whipsawing of climate change policy Budowsky: United Democrats and Biden’s New Deal MORE during their presidential bids, said he would be pushing to announce the pick sooner.
For starters, he said, it moves the dial because “this is going to be a time where voters will value the ‘presidential decision making’ differently by discerning whether this is a pick who makes the team materially better in terms of dealing with a historic crisis.”
Lehane also said it would be a way for Biden to get media coverage.
“I would produce this like it was a 10 episode Netflix series with surround sound on social media that allows Biden to really occupy media real estate and drive the message, create momentum [and] generate interest,” said Lehane, who referenced ESPN’s 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
“In a world devoid of live entertainment where people are shut in their homes and desperate for information, there is a huge opportunity to take something and rethink about how it could be adapted and deployed for the current times,” he said. “If there was ever a time to rethink the approach so as to help define and animate the candidacy, electorally position the campaign, and own the conversation by generating ratings, it is now.
“Biden could even call this The First Dance,” he quipped.
Click Here: collingwood magpies 2019 training guernsey