I’m just messing with you with my choice of photo. Romney won’t deepen his rift with the party by crossing the aisle to endorse Biden. Remember, he was the target of Biden’s infamous “put y’all back in chains” remark in 2012. He may prefer Biden as president to Trump but preferring him and lifting a finger to help him at great political cost are two different things.
But if not Romney, then who?
I can’t find a direct quote of what Biden said during his virtual campaign event today with Megan Rapinoe but these accounts suggest that he claimed some current officeholders will be part of whatever “Republicans for Biden” group is supposedly forming. That eliminates the likes of Jeff Flake as one of the “major” figures he has in mind. But if he doesn’t mean Flake, and he (probably) doesn’t mean Romney, who does he mean?
Biden tells Rapinoe there’s already a Republicans for Biden effort afoot with “major” Republican officeholders involved.
— Henry J. Gomez (@HenryJGomez) April 30, 2020
Joe Biden says that former colleagues – “major officeholders” – have been calling, with a “Republicans for Biden” effort in the works.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) April 30, 2020
.@JoeBiden, on an Instagram live with soccer champ Megan @mPinoe Rapinoe, says some "major" Republicans, including current office holders, are starting a Republicans for Biden group for the 2020 election.
— Michael Mathes (@MichaelMathes) April 30, 2020
Romney’s the only senator who’d conceivably entertain the idea, and as I say, I don’t think he’ll entertain it. There’s no one left in the House who’d entertain it except maaaaaybe Romney pal Francis Rooney, who’s retiring this year and has been occasionally critical of Trump. But Rooney voted against impeachment. Why would he turn around and burn his bridges to the party now if he wasn’t willing to do so then?
Assuming Biden’s telling the truth and not just chattering idly to get in Trump’s head, he must be talking about governors. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts and Larry Hogan of Maryland govern deep-blue states and are completely removed from the populist right-wing media-activist ecosystem that keeps most elected Republican officials in line and on Trump’s side. The wrinkle with Baker and Hogan, though, is that they’re neck-deep in managing the COVID pandemic in their home states and they’re well aware that Trump is vindictive enough to reduce federal cooperation with them on that if they endorse Biden. They’re taking a risk if they do it, and not just a political risk to themselves. A risk to the people of their states.
But if Biden’s not describing them, I’m at a loss as to whom he’s describing.
Speaking of awkward political alliances, some rich Wall Street Democrats have reportedly been in touch with Team Joe lately about the VP process. There’s no favored candidate — but there is a disfavored one.
Big money donors are pressuring Joe Biden to not choose Sen. Elizabeth Warren as his running mate, even while the centrist former vice president tries to appeal to progressive voters…
“I think a lot of the donor base, on board and coming, would prefer almost anyone but Elizabeth. I don’t see him choosing her for veep” said a longtime fundraiser for Biden who is regularly in touch with him.
“She would be horrible. He would lose the election,” said a Wall Street executive who was once backing others running in the Democratic primary and later joined Biden’s donor ranks…
Donors concerned about a Biden-Warren ticket are worried about a range of issues, from Democrats potentially losing her seat in the Senate to Warren being possibly too divisive on the campaign trail against President Donald Trump.
I think they’re probably also a little concerned about having a soft socialist one heartbeat away from setting financial policy when that heartbeat happens to belong to a 77-year-old. But they don’t need to worry. Between identity-politics concerns about Biden snubbing a woman of color and limousine liberal concerns about him nominating a left-wing populist, increasingly it seems like Kamala Harris is the inevitable choice. No one likes her but she’s the closest thing available to a “do no harm” candidate who checks all the boxes.
Exit question: Was Biden asked about Tara Reade by feminist warrior Megan Rapinoe? You know the answer.
No questions about Tara Reade. Rapinoe says she's "certainly Team Biden." https://t.co/mkCV1m7iJx
— Abby Johnston (@ajohnston12) April 30, 2020
