Although the vice president often ends up in the shadow of his boss, Biden's choice of right hand has been described as extra important. Biden's age, 77, means that in the event of a win in the autumn election, he is not expected to run for another term, which gives the vice president a prominent role in the next election.
There has also been speculation as to whether his age has made the vice president's own age a criterion in the process. The American connoisseur Andreas Utterström said this about the importance of it before Biden's message:
- A good rule of thumb is that you should make sure that you are 150 years old together and that says that he will not choose anyone over 70 years.
That it would be a woman, however, was a foregone conclusion. Biden himself has said that he will choose just one woman and all those who should have been interviewed for the role indicate that he sticks to that promise. Given Biden's strong support among black Americans and the fact that the electorate constitutes one-fifth of the Democrats' electorate, it has also created expectations of nominating a black candidate. Four of those referred to as "top candidates" are black women.
The text is updated.