Joe’s diversity vow

Democratic nominees talk running mates, health at debate

FORMER vice president Joe Biden is committing to naming a woman as his running mate if he’s the Democratic presidential nominee.

Biden made that assertion during Sunday night’s debate with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in Washington.

Asked the same question, Sanders didn’t definitively commit but said: “In all likelihood, I will.”

Biden has previously said he would seriously consider naming a woman or a person of colour as his running mate.

Also on Sunday night, Biden repeated a previous pledge to nominate a black woman to the US Supreme Court if given the chance to do so as president.

Both he and Sanders have been under pressure to consider a woman or person of colour as a running mate as the once-historically diverse field of Democratic presidential candidates has dwindled to two white men.

Both of the Democratic candidates running for president say they are healthy amid the coronavirus crisis – and are taking concrete steps to keep it that way.

Sanders, 78, noted that he “loves” doing large rallies around the country but has curtailed them and now addresses supporters online.

His campaign staff have been working from home and Sanders also noted that, “I’m not shaking hands. Joe and I did not shake hands” to start the debate on Sunday night.

Biden, 77, noted that he doesn’t have any of the “underlying conditions” that make the virus especially dangerous and said he was taking precautions.

Biden said his campaign staff were also working from home and that he was washing his hands “God knows how many times” per day and using hand sanitiser.

Sanders says if he were president, he would make sure no one would need to pay for coronavirus testing or treatment. Biden later said he also believes that no one should have to pay.