Notable Quote of the Day

“Politics has always abided by certain unwritten rules. Not all of them make sense.

One timely example: the rule stating that people who want to be picked as a presidential nominee’s running mate must never appear to be openly campaigning for the job — even though he or she plainly wants it (probably very badly).

If, traditionally, prospective vice presidents were asked whether they would like to be so-and-so’s running mate, they would typically follow some variation on the familiar dodge. They would say how flattered and humbled they were to be mentioned before claiming that they were not really thinking about getting selected, not at all, not one bit.

In other words, they must be reluctant. Or at least act reluctant.

But that custom is fading in this strange lockdown of a veepstakes season. Prospective running mates appear more and more to be shedding their fake reluctance — or not bothering to shroud their ambition in faux nonchalance.

You can call this progress, a win for the notion of saying what you want and advocating yourself. Credit Stacey Abrams as a trailblazer.”

– Mark Leibovich, The New York Times

Election Updates

• Joe Biden’s campaign said that if elected, he plans to rescind the Keystone XL pipeline permit issued by the Trump administration. The campaign’s policy director, Stef Feldman, said, “[D]enial of science ends on day one of a Biden presidency.”

• Biden spoke to the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Victory Fund. He said, “The AAPI community deserves better than a president who never ever misses an opportunity to stoke innuendo and fan the flames of hate.”

• Donald Trump’s campaign launched a website called “Truth Over Facts,” which it described as “an investigative website aimed at uncovering the truth behind Joe Biden’s never-ending, seemingly incomprehensible statements during his third, plodding campaign for president.” The title of the website references an earlier quote from Biden.

• The League of Conservation Voters’ LCV Victory Fund launched a $14 million ad campaign that will run digital ads targeting Trump in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Flashback: May 19, 2016

Trump spoke at a fundraiser to help pay off Chris Christie’s presidential campaign debt. He said of Hillary Clinton, “You talk about bad judgment. How bad a judgment is the email scandal? … For her to be able to continue to run is an absolute disgrace, in my opinion, to this country.”