# So why did Biden announce he's picking a woman VP? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 5, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188 "2020-05-05T16:11:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/21 "2020-05-05T19:11:31Z")
Of course there’s pushback from Bernie or Busters. That’s what their boss has been paying them to do. Their goal is to throw America into chaos to strengthen Russia’s position. If Sanders had somehow gotten the nomination, they’d have turned on him, too. Most of Sanders’ actual supporters, however, will vote for whoever the Democrat is over Trump. Back on topic, I strongly suspect that Biden already knew who, specifically, he wanted as VP, when he said that. He’s a good enough politician to know not to come out and say that explicitly, but I think he could still have phrased his statement a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![Organism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Organism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Organism)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/22 "2020-05-05T19:17:41Z")
If you have any info on how me and most of the people I know can get hooked up with this mysterious benefactor money let me know. Do I have to talk to “Q” or take a jet to Little Saint James or what? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/23 "2020-05-05T19:25:42Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Two, and more importantly: he failed to take into account the fact that the tide of current events in the months leading up to the election could potentially shape a stellar VP choice who would then be locked out because it might be a man. There’s already enough great VP choices among women that I’m not too worried that some man is going to suddenly elevate to Undisputed Best Pick Ever and be shut out. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/24 "2020-05-05T19:32:18Z")
Possible he already picked someone and they said yes so they are just going through the motions to look at other women. On the other hand I don’t think he could keep a choice from leaking out. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/25 "2020-05-05T19:33:07Z")
Identity is part of VP selection – always has been and always will be. And perception and symbolism is part of the VP (and president, and all public offices, for that matter) job. It’s not some robot who makes decisions – it’s an American representing all Americans. When there hasn’t ever been a person of X or Y category, especially if that category is ~50% of the population, then that demonstrates a serious problem with how leaders are chosen. That demonstrates to that 50% that they really aren’t considered equal. Having a woman VP and Prez is only a small part of fixing that, but it’s still an important and necessary part. Identity is part of the qualification. It always has been – and we can see this with pretty much every selection, in some way. I have no problem with the possibility of acknowledging this. Anyone who does just doesn’t realize that it’s always been like this. It’s not a coincidence that almost every VP and Prez were white men – being a white man was considered part of the qualification for most of our history, even if this wasn’t formally acknowledged. Maybe one day we’ll have an actual equal and fair society in which these kinds of things don’t matter. But we’re very, very far from that society. In the meantime, it’s a positive good to include identity in these decisions in a way that improves these sorts of symbols of diversity. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/26 "2020-05-05T19:34:27Z")
I imagine that most of them were working for Putin long before this, but I’ll admit that I’m not privy to his hiring techniques. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/27 "2020-05-05T19:39:36Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Just copied and pasted from the last damn time we talked about this: > > At the time (of the debate), it was my judgment that his proclamation was an impulsive spur of the moment statement because he was under the pressure of a question from the moderator about his record on women’s rights. Others here have disagreed with this assessment, claiming that they think he planned to choose a female running mate well in advance of that debate, and that he simply chose that moment to announce this. I remain deeply skeptical of this viewpoint, and I think I can read Biden well enough now to know that he was put on the spot by the question, the wheels in his brain were spinning, and he said “fuck it” and popped the clutch. > > Again, just my opinion. > > I think Biden made a dumb call for two reasons, for the record. One: I’m against the idea of categorically excluding an entire gender from the position. It’s sexist. It smacks of pandering. It’s one thing to decide, privately, “I think a woman would help balance the ticket”, and then choose one. But to openly announce it just has bad optics. Just my opinion, others may see it differently. > > Two, and more importantly: he failed to take into account the fact that the tide of current events in the months leading up to the election could potentially shape a stellar VP choice who would then be locked out because it might be a man. Let’s say that in the next few months, one of the state governors does an absolutely amazing job of rising to the occasion, truly distinguishing that state’s mitigation efforts above all the others. Let’s say just hypothetically that Jay Inslee, for instance, in the course of governorship during this pandemic, comes up with some kind of amazingly creative and effective plan that leads to a situation when, after the initial dust has settled in a few months, the whole country is looking at Washington State and saying, “wow, they did something right - their response to the virus was head and shoulders above the rest of the country.” > > Imagine this is a poker game. It’s Hold 'em. Biden has his cards. The coronavirus is the flop. The mitigation efforts are the turn. The resolution is the river. But wait, none of that matters because Biden folded as soon as he got his cards. I agree with all of this, and in addition, I don’t even think it was smart politically. Anyone who would swing his or her vote to Biden because he picks a woman VP was already going to vote for him anyways. He is after the swing voter. Had he made a statement such as “I pledge to pick the best qualified person in the country regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation; however your question is well taken as it is high time that women achieve positions of national prominence, and I will pledge to fully consider every qualified woman and every other qualified person” your typical swing voter would have viewed that positively and also would have been assured that he hadn’t bought into the whole “woke” thing. IOW, he was pandering to people who already supported him. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/28 "2020-05-05T19:44:41Z")
My guess is that he already had a short list, and it was like mostly women anyway. They, put on the spot, he just said it would be. and of course- it’s time the USA stopped it’s sexist ways and elected a woman to the White house. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/29 "2020-05-05T19:47:13Z")
> [@Organism](#): > > I mean yeah aside from the entirety of the youth and left vote you’re good. Unfortunately, the youth vote doesn’t exist. They just don’t come out. Every candidate that relies on the youth vote to win — loses ---
**Author:** ![Organism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Organism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Organism)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/30 "2020-05-05T19:47:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I imagine that most of them were working for Putin long before this, but I’ll admit that I’m not privy to his hiring techniques. Vladimir Putin is not the reason your country and its politics are in shambles, and accusing anyone who points those things out of being in some way indebted to Today’s Boogeyman is both dismissive and unhelpful. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/31 "2020-05-05T19:48:42Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > … It smacks of pandering… Every Veep choice is 100% pandering. Pandering to some electorate or other. That’s the way it has been since 1804. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/32 "2020-05-05T19:49:04Z")
This election will be won by women. Women in every state in the country, of every political stripe. Anyone paying attention can see that women’s rights are under siege by this “administration.” Women are pissed, with good reason. Biden’s announcement was not off the cuff, nor was it unplanned. I suspect internal polling shows this advantage to Biden very clearly. It will be further cemented across the country by him naming a competent female running mate. ETA: \ ---
**Author:** ![Organism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Organism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Organism)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/33 "2020-05-05T19:49:21Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Unfortunately, the youth vote doesn’t exist. They just don’t come out. Every candidate that relies on the youth vote to win — loses Unfortunately, it does. Just not as much as I’d (and maybe? some of you?) would like. You’re proposing that an enormous # of people don’t exist. You’re also proposing that there are no structural reasons behind large parts of depressed youth turnout. ---
**Author:** ![Organism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Organism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Organism)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/34 "2020-05-05T19:50:21Z")
Amy Klobuchar would really be the cherry on this shit sundae of a candidacy. Just a human shudder. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/35 "2020-05-05T19:52:06Z")
> [@Organism](#): > > Vladimir Putin is not the reason your country and its politics are in shambles, and accusing anyone who points those things out of being in some way indebted to Today’s Boogeyman is both dismissive and unhelpful. Actually, since Putin got trump elected- yes, he is the reason. Now sure, Putins disinformation campaign was only like the 3rd most important reason Hillary lost, but the election was so damn close that leaving Putin out would have led to a Clinton win. Mind you, with \*Moscow \*Mitch in control of the senate, things would still be problematic, but note the nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/36 "2020-05-05T20:01:59Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Anyone who would swing his or her vote to Biden because he picks a woman VP was already going to vote for him anyways. He is after the swing voter. 2018 was won by white suburban women who shifted from leaning Republican to voting Democratic. Part of that was them being sick of Trump’s shit but a woman VP could help tip them in 2020. Especially if they’re sick of Trump’s shit but then wary of the Reade allegations. Additionally, it’s hard to see where it hurts. Unless Biden picks an awful candidate for VP (think Palin), picking a woman is basically all potential upside. There might be some small percentage who’d never vote for a female VP but I doubt they were voting Biden anyway. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/37 "2020-05-05T20:04:16Z")
> [@Organism](#): > > Unfortunately, it does. Just not as much as I’d (and maybe? some of you?) would like. You’re proposing that an enormous # of people don’t exist. You’re also proposing that there are no structural reasons behind large parts of depressed youth turnout. There are definitely structural reasons. There are many reasons. Nevertheless, they don’t vote. Of course young people certainly exist, but they don’t go to the polls. I wish they would. ---
**Author:** ![Organism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Organism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Organism)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/38 "2020-05-05T20:13:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Actually, since Putin got trump elected- yes, he is the reason. > > Now sure, Putins disinformation campaign was only like the 3rd most important reason Hillary lost, but the election was so damn close that leaving Putin out would have led to a Clinton win. > > Mind you, with \*Moscow \*Mitch in control of the senate, things would still be problematic, but note the nickname. These are convenient excuses to ignore the fact that you share a country with a large ethno-fascist exterminationist cult whose politics revolve around vindication for a perceived fall. ---
**Author:** ![Organism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Organism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Organism)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/39 "2020-05-05T20:14:49Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > There are definitely structural reasons. There are many reasons. Nevertheless, they don’t vote. Of course young people certainly exist, but they don’t go to the polls. I wish they would. They/we do vote. It’s not as much as it should be. It still exists. It won’t show up for Joey Fingers and his No Platform. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188/40 "2020-05-05T21:15:07Z")
> [@Organism](#): > > They/we do vote. You’re referring to “we” — for which country is this “we” referring? I’d like to see a cite because it seems clear you have an outsider’s view of the US. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-did-biden-announce-hes-picking-a-woman-vp/853188.md?page=3)