Politico | ‘Absolutely serious’: Susan Rice vaults to the top of the VP heap

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nahal Toosi on politico.com on July 27, 2020.

Don’t count Susan Rice out of the US vice-presidential contest.

At first glance, it might be easy to dismiss the former national security adviser’s chances of joining Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket. Rice has never run for elected office. She doesn’t bring along the loyalties of a swing state. Her work experience revolves largely around foreign affairs, which could seem redundant given Biden’s experience in those issues. Her son is a proud and active Republican, while the Republican Party has for years used her as a punching bag over the Benghazi tragedy – the main reason many Americans have ever even heard her name.

But more than a dozen of Rice’s friends and former colleagues recently interviewed by POLITICO dismiss those concerns. They argued that Rice is no stranger to the campaign trail, even if she wasn’t the candidate, and besides, amid the coronavirus pandemic, what campaign trail is there?

They describe Rice as a highly able government operator, the type who can hold the reins on foreign policy as a President Biden tackles the consuming domestic crises of a pandemic and a cratered economy. Having a Republican son speaks to her open-mindedness, these supporters say, further arguing that Benghazi is a spent issue that isn’t likely to swing any votes.

Perhaps most important? Rice has a long-standing – and by all accounts warm – relationship with Biden.

“He has seen her not just in good times but on really hard and challenging occasions,” said Valerie Jarrett, who served as a senior adviser to former president Barack Obama. Jarrett stressed that she’s not endorsing any particular candidate over others, but also said of Rice: “There is a level and depth to her experience which would be a real asset.”