Susan Rice sees stock surge in Biden’s VP career

Sens. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi Harris: James Harrison seeks to convince Democrats that he can defeat Lindsey Graham. Senators pressure foreign media to reveal whether they are registered as foreign agents. Warnock Rises Almost M in Georgia Senate Race in Second Quarter MORE (D-Calif.) And Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Warren The Hill Campaign Report: Biden Takes Advantage Of Trump Fundraising Advantage Warnock Increases Nearly M In Georgia Senate Race In Second Quarter The Hill’s Morning Report: Trump Drops When Approval Lows 18 months MORE (D-Mass.) They are getting most of the rumor, but former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has also been receiving a lot of attention at Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump reaches the “radical left,” the media, China on Independence Day heads to Kaepernick on July 4: “We reject his celebration of white supremacy.” Jaime Harrison seeks to convince Democrats that he can defeat Lindsey Graham MOREThe campaign says it considers who to choose as its running mate, sources say.

Rice, who also served as national security adviser to former President Obama, has seen her actions rise amid a series of crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I know she is very much in the mix,” said a source close to Biden’s campaign.

One factor to consider is Biden’s relationship with Rice. The two worked closely in the Obama administration, and personal chemistry is an underrated factor in vice presidential decisions.

“I know they have a good relationship, perhaps the best relationship of anyone on the list,” said the source close to the Biden campaign. “They’ve known each other for years, they’ve worked together and she’s been tested in a way that a lot of people on the list just haven’t been.”

Biden, who has vowed to select a woman as his running mate, has repeatedly said he is looking for someone who is “ready to be president the first day.”

Some Democrats are also pressuring him to choose a woman of color after George Floyd’s death and the protests that continued to call for an end to systemic racism.

Harris has been widely seen as the favorite, but sources said Rice should not be ruled out.

“Everyone automatically thinks of Kamala when they think he needs to choose a woman of color. It has become a conventional wisdom, ”said a source who worked in the Obama administration alongside Biden and Rice. “But if you look at Susan’s credentials, she makes perfect sense. She is a rock star who has the confidence, stature and seriousness to be vice president. “

In an interview with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell last month, Biden said he wants a partner in the White House who is “sympathetic.”

“It is really important that anyone you choose as vice president agrees with you in terms of his governance philosophy and with you on the systemic things you want to change,” Biden told O’Donnell.

People close to Rice say she more than meets the job requirements.

“I have never worked with anyone who is more adept at putting all parts of government into action and bringing together people with diverse views to tackle thorny issues,” said Ambassador Brooke Anderson, who served as Rice’s chief of staff. at the United Nations. an interview.

“She is incredibly smart and strategic,” Anderson continued. “It is not enough to have good ideas. You must also understand how you do things. She combines both and has deep experience in both. ”

Some Democrats have privately wondered if it hurts Rice’s chances that she will never run for political office, as Harris and Warren have. Biden is also considering other elected Democratic officials, including the representative. Val DemingsValdez (Val) Venita Demings Liberal veterans group urges Biden to appoint Democratic Duckworth vice presidents to take advantage of Florida’s pandemic response ahead of general election Progressive groups urge Biden to choose Warren as running mate MORE (Florida), senator Tammy DuckworthLadda (Tammy) Tammy Duckworth Sunday shows a preview: Lawmakers will tackle the alarming spike in Duckworth coronavirus cases to block military confirmations until Esper shows that Vindman will be promoted The group of liberal veterans urges Biden to name Duckworth VP MORE (Ill.) And Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Rice associates that her extensive resume speaks for itself. They also note that she has significant experience in presidential campaigns dating back to her time as a staff member in Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential campaign. She also served in John KerryJohn Forbes Kerry Wesley Clark Says Trump Did Not Serve In Vietnam “Could Have Been The Best” In Light Of Russian Rewards Reports Juan Williams: Time For Biden The Bold The Memo: Trump 2020 Road Steps MOREThe 2004 White House campaign as senior foreign policy adviser and went on to serve in the Obama campaign as senior political adviser and substitute.

“We are at a time when people are looking for leaders who bring vision, skill and energy to solve problems, and that is their strength,” said Anderson. “And that’s perhaps more compelling today than someone who has a long history of running for office.”

The time Biden and Rice shared in the Obama administration also carries some weight.

“They worked shoulder to shoulder together on a wide range of things: eight years working together to solve problems,” said a source familiar with Biden and Rice’s work in the administration. “It was not just that they were together in the administration, but that they were working directly with each other daily or weekly.”

Rice neither confirmed nor denied that she is “in talks with the Biden campaign” during an interview with MSNBC. Rachel MaddowRachel Anne MaddowTrump sings on CNN, ‘Morning Joe’ ranks as Tucker Carlson sets record for Susan Rice ‘humiliated and honored’ by rumors that Biden considers her for Vice President Trump promotes ratings for the rally, Fox News City Hall: ‘These are the actual surveys MORE this week.

“As it is reported that I am being seriously considered for the post of vice president, let me say that I am extremely humiliated and honored to be spoken to in the context of so many extraordinary women,” she said. said.

“The only thing that matters to me is that Joe Biden is elected President of the United States so that we once again have competent, compassionate, loyal and effective leadership in the White House,” Rice added.

Biden’s campaign has not influenced who exactly is on his list. Biden said this week that she is considering a series of women of color, and that Latinas and Asians are under consideration.

“There is no one who understands what the job of vice president entails more than a former vice president. There is no one who knows the skills of a job candidate better than a former boss, “said Philippe Reines, a longtime adviser to Hillary clintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton Democrats are trying to convert now in November. The Memo: Unhappy voters could spark political clashes beyond Trump On The Trail: Trump, the coronavirus fuels unprecedented voter enthusiasm MORE who served in the State Department while Rice was the UN ambassador. “So if Joe Biden is considering Susan Rice as her running mate, she knows what she’s doing.”

Some Democrats fear Rice’s selection will spark Republican talk points about the attack on the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

At the time, the former UN ambassador appeared in a round of Sunday shows and said the attack on the consulate was the result of a protest that turned violent rather than a planned terror attack. The administration later concluded that it was a terrorist attack.

For years, Republicans used the attack on Clinton, Rice and Obama, which ran for reelection at the time.

Having Rice on the ticket, or even as a nominee as secretary of state, as some predict, would unearth the attacks.

But Democrats say the attacks don’t matter.

“Republicans are trying to destroy an opponent’s good name,” said Reines. “With Susan, they have an eight-year lead on their favorite 21st century conspiracy theory. But it was without foundation then and without foundation now. ”

The source close to the Biden campaign confirmed that: “Ambassador Rice has been through that. She knows what to expect. She understands it in a way that others don’t. ”