very happy to be picked as VP.
I have said this all along, back from March when Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon, two of Biden's most powerful advisers first floated that trial balloon about a pre-cooked ticket (which was quickly retracted and then semi-denied.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/us/politics/joe-biden-2020-election.html
snip
But none would carry the impact of naming a running mate early or vowing to serve just one term.
Two of Mr. Biden’s closest advisers, Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon, have floated both possibilities in recent weeks. And they have been egged on by some Democratic lawmakers, who have urged the Biden associates to strongly consider the one-term pledge to immediately defuse the question about his age.
Mr. Donilon has also, though not recently, discussed the general concept with Mark Salter, who was John McCain’s chief of staff and unsuccessfully lobbied Mr. McCain to make a similar vow when he ran for president at the age of 72 in 2008, according to people familiar with the conversation. “It was about country first,” said Mr. Salter, recalling Mr. McCain’s slogan. “Biden could do the same thing now with the country in even more desperate straits.” (Mr. Salter did not recall discussing the matter with Mr. Donilon.)
But Mr. Biden is uneasy with the prospect of pledging up front not to seek re-election, believing that it would make him a lame-duck president before he even takes office and cripple his ability to get anything done, according to some of his aides. He is more open to the idea of picking a vice president well before the customary time frame, which would be around the party’s nominating convention next year.
Some of his top advisers, speaking on the condition of anonymity, believe that naming a running mate before he is the nominee could not only mollify voters concerned about his age but also send a message about the sort of administration he would put in place. They have been interested in this strategy on and off for months, and CNN recently reported the conversations were stirring again. With a younger but still accomplished vice-presidential nominee at his side, Mr. Biden could hope to demonstrate his commitment to diversity and to restoring stability to Washington.
Among the people Mr. Biden’s close allies have discussed for the role are Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia House minority leader who narrowly lost a race for governor last year, and Ms. Harris and Mr. O’Rourke, if their campaigns appear to flag in the coming months.
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Stacey Abrams Says She’s Open to Being Vice President for Any Democratic Nominee
Ms. Abrams, who announced this week that she would not run for president, told The New York Times that she would be “honored to be considered” for vice president.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/us/politics/stacey-abrams-vice-president.html
Stacey Abrams made it official this week that she would not seek the presidency after months of speculation among Democrats, becoming one of the most prominent party leaders to pass on the 2020 race. But in an interview Tuesday night, she said she was open to being considered for the No. 2 spot by “any nominee.”
Ms. Abrams, who drew national attention during her unsuccessful run for governor of Georgia last year, said that she would focus her next year on identifying and stemming voter suppression efforts throughout the country, a major priority for her for years, instead of running for president or the Senate.
But she has remained close to the presidential race, meeting privately with several candidates and topping lists of potential vice presidents.
On Tuesday, Ms. Abrams spoke to The New York Times about why she decided not to run for president, how she feels about the possibility of being on a 2020 ticket, and why Democrats should not shy away from the politics of identity.
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