The word around the campfire is that Joe Biden is not only about to announce his Presidential candidacy but that he may also preemptively announce that recently defeated Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams will be his vice-presidential running mate. The immediate reaction will be, of course, (a) “whoa, bold move”, (b) “instantly establishes his 21st Century progressive credentials” and (c) “We love you, Joe!”

In fact it’s a sign of desperation. Only a 70something, semi-doddering, neck-wattled candidate who’s afraid of being perceived as yesterday’s news and over-the-hill would do such a thing. It would essentially be a kind of Bidenesque, liberal community, higher-brain-cell-count version of what John McCain did when he tapped Sarah Palin to be his running mate back in the summer of ’08.

Plus the fact that Abrams — in HE’s judgment one of the most brilliant and charismatic lightning-rod liberal politicians around today, in the hallowed realm of Beto O’Rourke and Pete Buttigieg…the notion of Abrams being one heartbeat away from the Presidency (and especially with Uncle Joe nudging 80 if and when he takes office in January 2021) will scare the bejeesus out of your white pot-bellied hinterland bumblefuck voting community. Not to mention the Jenny Craig/weight watchers crowd.