Stacey Abrams has issued quite a few hints in the past few weeks that she is tan, rested and ready to be Joe Biden’s VP. The tan part is a bit of a joke only not really. Today Abrams made her pitch on The View where co-host Sunny Hostin asked if Biden should commit to not only selecting a woman VP but a woman of color. Abrams tried to be diplomatic but her answer basically came down to agreeing that he needed to do that. Here’s how it went:

“Stacey, this is something that is concerning to me,” Hostin said. She continued, “Biden has committed to a woman as vice-president but has stopped short of committing to a woman of color. How important is it, do you think, for Biden to make that commitment? Do you think that not choosing a woman of color, a black woman actually, is a slap in the face to the black female voters who are credited with really reviving his candidacy?”

“I think Vice-President Biden is going to make a smart choice,” Abrams replied. She added, “I would share your concerns about not picking a woman of color because women of color, particularly black women, are the strongest part of the Democratic party.”

Again, she’s being diplomatic here but there’s no doubt she’s basically agreeing with the premise of the question. If Biden doesn’t pick a woman of color, particularly a black woman, he’s making a mistake.

Abrams has really been on a campaign lately. Just last week she was featured in an Elle magazine interview in which she came right out and said she’s an ideal pick:

Experienced politicians know there is a right way to answer questions about pursuing higher office. Be demure. Redirect. Convey vague interest while insisting never to have given it serious consideration. But Stacey Abrams does not give the expected answer when I ask if she would accept an offer from former vice president Joe Biden to serve as his 2020 running mate. “Yes. I would be honored,” Abrams says. “I would be an excellent running mate. I have the capacity to attract voters by motivating typically ignored communities. I have a strong history of executive and management experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. I’ve spent 25 years in independent study of foreign policy. I am ready to help advance an agenda of restoring America’s place in the world. If I am selected, I am prepared and excited to serve.”

Abrams was asked about her direct approach to seeking a spot on the ticket by co-host Joy Behar who called it “refreshing.” “I try to be straight forward because while we hope the work speaks for itself sometimes the work needs a hype man. I learned early on that if I didn’t speak for myself, I couldn’t tell the story.”

I think there’s a real chance this campaign is going to work for exactly the reasons Sunny Hostin outlined. Biden’s campaign arguably owes black voters something. If his pick doesn’t reflect that, it could cost him.

But who knows. The old advice about not looking too eager might still prove to be right. There really is something off-putting about Abrams suggesting any other choice would be a slap in the face. Again, that may even be true, but saying it’s true when you’re hoping to personally benefit from the insight might be a step beyond confidence toward hubris. Some went even further and said it sounded like a threat.

Not-so-veiled threat/warning from Stacey Abrams, to Biden.

Very skeptical that this is the way to win the veepstakes. https://t.co/UVRsRw8he5

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) April 22, 2020

If she’s not the pick, she could always just refuse to concede to the person who is. That’s worked out pretty well for her in the past. Here’s the clip from the View: