Former Georgia state representative and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said that Joe Biden has not yet moved forward with the vice presidential vetting process. A champion of identity politics, Abrams was rumored to be high on Biden’s short list of vice presidential prospects.
“I have said many times that if called I will answer, but I have not received any calls,” Abrams told Stephen Colbert on Wednesday.
Biden officially began vetting Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) is rumored to be a top contender, along with Florida Congresswoman Val Demings (D) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) withdrew herself from consideration. The former vice president vowed to make a decision by August 1.
Abrams spent a majority of the last few months blatantly auditioning herself to be Biden’s second-in-command:
“I would be an excellent running mate. I have the capacity to attract voters by motivating typically ignored communities,” the Georgia Democrat said in April.
In her effort to lobby for the vice presidential tap, Abrams said that she would have “concerns” if Biden did not pick a woman of color as his running mate. Abrams is most renowned for her 2018 gubernatorial bid against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), an eventual loss that she refused to accept. Rather than concede defeat, Abrams instead blamed mythical "voter suppression" and turned her loss into a faux racial discrimination issue. The wannabe governor's warm embrace of identity politics would undoubtedly plague Biden's campaign.
Though the failed gubernatorial candidate would check boxes for diversity, Abrams lacks both political experience and qualifications to be vice president, especially when compared to other contenders. Going from state representative to vice president would be an unprecedented jump, and a bold selection on the part of Biden.