Over the past 24 hours I’ve changed my betting position on Biden’s VP to put most of my money on Elizabeth Warren. This came after reading this from Taegan Goddard on his Politicalwire site under the heading “Warren Angling to Be Biden’s Veep” following her annoucement that she was seeking the job:

..Biden is making serious efforts to reach out to the progressive side of the Democratic party. For instance, he’s put Bernie Sanders loyalists on various committees to influence the party’s platform..But nothing would do more to energize the progressives more than having one of their candidates on the ticket itself..Warren also has assets that are very important to Biden. The former vice president has had little luck raising money from small dollar donors. In contrast, Warren raised more than $100 million without doing any traditional big-money fundraisers. Allowing Biden use her lucrative email list this week is an attempt to show his campaign what she brings to the table..

Throughout the primary campaign Biden has struggled with his fundraising particularly from small donors. After he gets the nomination he’ll need to raise shedloads of cash just to compete. This is where of all the possible VP choices Warren has the most to offer.

In the two days after Warren’s endorsement Biden raised $5m most of it, it is believed, came from those on Warren’s fundraisisng database. None of the other leading contenders for the VP slot has shown anything like the same success raising money from small donors.

So Warren would brings a significant fundraising capability as well as helping the campaign be more appealing to the progressing wing of the party.

Mike Smithson