Stacey Abrams dismissed the idea among some Democrats that a Black woman candidate can’t beat Trump in the 2020 election.
SEE ALSO: Abrams Battles For Full Count To Honor Every Georgian Who ‘Fought For Their Right To Vote’
MSNBC’s “AM Joy” host Joy Reid asked the popular Democrat on Sunday what she made of the “add a Black lady notion” among many in her party. It’s the idea that the Democrats could win the 2020 presidential election only if a white male candidate is at the top of the ticket. An African-American or woman candidate would serve the party best as a vice president candidate, according to that argument.
“This notion that the only way to win is to recommit to a narrowing of the electorate is wrong-headed,” Abrams replied. “So, I think the nervousness is really an anxiety driven by a false memory. We can win with the best candidate. Race and gender aside, the best Democratic candidate is the one who will run a race that reaches out to everyone and builds a true coalition of voters … in every state.”
Here’s a clip of her remarks about the “false memory” of the 2016 presidential election, which ended in a victory for Donald Trump.
Michael Avenatti, the high-profile lawyer best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels against Trump, said in an interview last year what some Democrats believe but won’t say publicly: that the party needs a white male candidate to beat the president in 2020. His comments came in a TIME magazine article when he was considering a run as a Democrat for the White House.
There was a buzz among some in the party in March when former Vice President Joe Biden, who leads nearly every poll even though he hasn’t declared his candidacy, was apparently laying the groundwork for a ticket with Abrams as his running mate.
Abrams, who fell short last year in her historic race for Georgia governor, met privately with the former vice president in Washington—at Biden’s request—the Associated Press reported.
After two successful campaigns with President Barack Obama, it was believed by some political analysts that Biden tapping Abrams as his running mate could serve as a source of excitement and ignite interest among Black women voters, who have emerged as a powerful voting bloc.
However, Abrams, who is weighing her next political move, shut down rumors that she would enter the Democratic primary as Biden’s running mate.
“I think you don’t run for second place,” Abrams said when asked on ABC’s “The View” about plans to join Biden’s presidential ticket.
Abrams said Sunday that she’s still considering a run for president, but she’s also looking at possibilities of a U.S Senate or Georgia governor bid.
SEE ALSO:
Stacey Abrams Says 2020 Run For President Is ‘Definitely On The Table’
