While Mondale did not formally commit himself to selecting a woman , he made clear from the start that a female running mate was a serious consideration, and three women — Kentucky Gov. Martha Layne Collins, San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein and New York Rep. Geraldine Ferraro — were among the people who participated in the interview process. Ultimately, Mondale opted for Ferraro, who became the first-ever woman to run on a major party's national ticket.
Biden, of course, has committed to adding a woman to his ticket. But his appearance with Abrams raises the question of whether he'll also decide that, more specifically, he needs to select an African American woman.
Beyond Abrams, several other black women — including Sen. Kamala Harris of California, former national security adviser Susan Rice and Rep. Val Demings of Florida — have become prominent in the "veepstakes" mix.
There are plenty of arguments for why each person might be valuable to Biden
as both a ticket-mate and vice president. But there are two main contentions for why selecting a black woman should be a strategic imperative for Biden.