Joe Biden Says He Will Consider a Republican VP

CNN had this to say:

Joe Biden told voters in New Hampshire on Monday that he would consider choosing a Republican as a running mate, but added, "I can't think of one right now."

Biden discussed the possibility after a woman told the former vice president that if he is the nominee, he will "have to pull out all the stops."

"Our 21-year-old son said the other night, 'I wonder if Joe Biden would consider choosing a Republican as a running mate," the woman added.

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"The answer is I would, but I can't think of one now," Biden replied. "Let me explain that. You know there's some really decent Republicans that are out there still, but here's the problem right now ... they've got to step up." 

Over the past few months, Biden has offered several clues about who he might consider as his vice presidential pick if he earns the Democratic nomination. He previously said he would prefer to pick someone "of color and/or a different gender" as his potential running mate. Biden has also acknowledged he'd think about adding Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to his possible ticket.

"Whoever I would pick for vice president, and there's a lot of qualified women, there's a lot of qualified African-Americans. There really truly are. There's a plethora of really qualified people. Whomever I would pick were I fortunate enough to be your nominee, I'd pick somebody who was simpatico with me, who knew what I, what my priorities were and knew what I wanted to," Biden said in Exeter on Monday. "We could disagree on tactic, but strategically we'd have to be in the exact same page."

And Newsweek confirmed the story with this:

"Republican VP" began trending on Twitter Monday afternoon after Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden told voters during a Exeter, New Hampshire event that he would consider a member of the GOP as his 2020 running mate.

Though he predicted he would be "clobbered by the press" for saying so, Biden did it anyway. "The answer is, I would, but I can't think of one now," the former vice president said, after a woman asked whether he would partner with a Republican for the upcoming election.

After waiting for the laughter and applause to cease, Biden went on to explain his decision: "There's some really decent Republicans that are out there still. But here's the problem right now, the well-known one: They've got to step up."

Biden, a moderate candidate who's led the Democratic 2020 field in most polls since he officially announced his presidential bid in April, has previously floated some names as potential running mates, including former Congresswoman Stacey Abrams and former acting Attorney General Sally Yates.

In New Hampshire on Monday, he told his supporters that the key qualification in determining his running mate is that they work well together. "Whomever I would pick were I fortunate enough to be your nominee, I'd pick somebody who was simpatico with me, who knew what I, what my priorities were and knew what I wanted to," he said. "We could disagree on tactic, but strategically we'd have to be in the exact same page."