Politico has cited unnamed sources as saying that picking a running mate remains an issue for Joe Biden given that the presumptive Democratic presidential hopeful needs a person who "could be to him what he was to [former] President Barack Obama: a friend and confidant who subordinated his political interests to those of his boss".
"He's not kidding when he says I really want someone I'm simpatico with — someone he can trust. His experience with Obama was one of genuine closeness and trust", one of the sources said.
The first rule that Biden's potential running mate should meet is "do no harm", another insider argued, referring to Democratic Party adviser Susan Rice and former presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren as potential candidates.
One insider insisted that Warren "checks the box of can-be-president tomorrow" and that "the question for Elizabeth is whether it's too much octane for the tank".
They added that with President Donald Trump looking to turn Biden into "a scary radical lefty”, Warren may "become the nominee for president in the mind of Republicans".
"Trump will say, 'Biden is so old that he won't survive a year and she is going to be calling the shots and then she will be president'", the insider asserted.
The view was echoed by one more source who said that their understanding is that "Joe is comfortable with Warren personally".
Other sources suggested that the former vice president may pick a running mate who will not only focus on his or her own political ambitions.
"If you assume Biden isn't going to run for re-election you don't want someone who is only paying attention to 2024. The decisions that need to be made are not going to be easy. Biden's vice president might want to dodge a lot of tough issues if they only have an eye on 2024", one source claimed.
Another insider pointed to ex-Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, who is "kind of the path of least resistance" and a woman who has "enough experience".
The insider added that Harris "has been through the process before" and that "one of the many things that Obama liked about Biden is that he had been through the maelstrom".
Almost all of the sources underscored that the decision on picking a running mate should be made by Biden himself rather than a committee of his closest advisers. According to them, even though there are a lot of "good candidates", an "obvious" one has yet to be selected.
"Here's the challenge. […] I don't think there is an obvious frontrunner. And that's why it is going to come down to trust and relationships", one insider pointed out. When asked about who should be picked, another source said, "whoever helps us win".
During the Democratic debates in March, Biden pledged to select a woman to be his running mate, referring to a spate of women, "who are qualified to be president tomorrow".
In a separate development, Biden said that he would take former US First Lady Michelle Obama as his running mate "in a heartbeat", touting her as "a really fine woman".
