House Majority Whip James Clyburn said Wednesday that if Joe Biden becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, he should choose a black woman as his vice president to “reward” the demographic for their loyalty.
"I really believe that we've reached a point in this country where African American women need to be rewarded for the loyalty that they've given to this party,” he told NPR.
Those he thinks would be qualified candidates include Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), failed Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, Democratic Reps. Marcia Fudge (OH) and Karen Bass (CA), as well as Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Clyburn was widely credited with saving Biden’s “dead man walking” campaign on Super Tuesday after he gave the former vice president his coveted endorsement.
Second Amendment activist Dana Loesch said his “coattails pulled Biden through.”
“James Clyburn was Joe Biden’s firewall. This speaks to Clyburn's years of retail politics and making personal associations out of political connections. Biden can’t do enough in this life to pay off that chitl,” she said. “If Biden rips the nom away from an avowed socialist (and truthfully unapologetic communist), the whole party may owe a debt to @WhipClyburn. An award. Something."
Democratic strategist James Carville agreed with that assessment, saying Clyburn “literally saved the Democratic Party.”
So if anyone is to be "rewarded," the pressure would likely be on Biden to grant Clyburn's wish.
Biden has expressed his desire to have a female vice president, but only one of the four possibilities he floated last year is African American: Abrams.
