Jim Clyburn Likes A Georgia Dem For VP (It’s Not Abrams)

Fresh off his king-making endorsement in the Democratic Presidential Primary, Jim Clyburn is setting his sights on Georgia.

In last weekend’s “Lunch with the FT”, Clyburn made clear what he’s looking for from Joe Biden’s VP nod: an African-American woman. (The Financial Times is so exceedingly good you should all subscribe to it–and you’ve got plenty of time).

Would Stacey Abrams be on the ticket? “I doubt it.”

While he believes Abrams does not have enough experience, he has his eyes on another Georgia politician. “There is a young lady right there in Georgia who I think would make a tremendous VP candidate, and that’s the mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms.”

Clyburn also said: “there’s something to be said for somebody who has been out there” and “the bench of black women is much deeper than people think.”

I will concede Clyburn is a much smarter political mind, a better finger on the Democratic pulse, more keenly understands what moves black voters or whatever cliche you want to go with. But I don’t know that Mayor Bottoms is as strong as he thinks. I’m sure if Bottoms were given a national platform we’d learn a lot more about Mayor Reed’s shortcomings being his anointed successor.

Another interesting note is that Mayor Bottoms is the second Atlanta Mayor to have VP whispers around them. Bill Campbell’s name was floated in 2000 but I’d be shocked if most of that didn’t directly come from Hizzoner.