The Top 10 women Joe Biden might pick as vice president

The killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officers late last month has drastically changed the calculation for former Vice President Joe Biden and his vice presidential vetting team when it comes to who he will pick to share the ticket with him this fall.

While Biden made clear months ago that he would pick a woman, there now appears to be a significant surge of support for him to select a black woman -- making history (there has never been a black woman on either party's national ticket) while also sending a very clear message to the black community that he not only understands their import to his nomination but also believes they need a major voice in his White House.

(Biden's "you ain't black" gaffe, while not nearly as important as the nationwide protests over police brutality, also plays a part in this calculation.)

With that in mind, I have made major changes in this week's vice presidential rankings. The most likely picks are now all African American women. And Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who I'd ranked as the second-most likely women to be the pick, takes a major tumble this week amid questions about her record as the top prosecutor in Minnesota prior to being elected to the Senate in 2016.

These rankings change weekly, so if your favorite isn't ranked where she should be -- or isn't even on the list -- there's always next week. Speaking of, here's last week's rankings. Necessary Michelle Obama caveat: The former first lady is not on this list because she has never indicated an interest in being a politician. If she does so, she would immediately jump to the top of these rankings.

10. Gina Raimondo: If you believe a) that Biden will have one self-identifying moderate in his final VP group and b) Klobuchar and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is suffering from another self-inflicted wound this week, are moving in the wrong direction on this list, then the Rhode Island governor may well fill that niche. (I had long believed Biden would have a moderate in his final three; I am not sure I think that anymore.) The policy-focused Raimondo has won praise from the likes of conservative columnist George Will, and has a shown a willingness to make hard choices in office. (Previous ranking: Not ranked)

9. Amy Klobuchar: The issue of the Minnesota senator's record during her time in the early 2000s as the lead prosecutor in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) had been percolating on a slow boil during the VP speculation. But George Floyd's death has turned that record, which many black leaders have suggested was too pro-police, into a top-of-mind issue.

And it's very hard to see how Biden takes such a risk in picking Klobuchar given the mood within the Democratic Party right now. (Previous ranking: 2)

8. Tammy Duckworth: While the Illinois senator doesn't get as much buzz as some of the names above her on this list, her profile stands up to any one of them: A helicopter pilot in Iraq, she lost both legs and the use of one arm when she was shot down. She went on to be elected to the US House and Senate from Illinois. She's also making her voice heard in the days since Floyd was killed in Minneapolis: "George Floyd's death was unnecessary and heartbreaking," she wrote in a CNN op-ed on Monday. "It was a tragedy -- but horrifyingly, it was not an anomaly." (Previous ranking: Not ranked)

7. Stacey Abrams: In an op-ed published in The New York Times on Thursday (no, not that one), Abrams makes the argument that the best way to react to Floyd's death is for people of color to register to vote and then do so in November.

"Voting is a first step in a long and complex process, tedious but vital," the former Georgia state House minority leader wrote. Wise words -- and ones that suggest she is ready to lead on an issue of critical import to all minority communities. (Previous ranking: 9)

6. Susan Rice: If Biden wants to pick the woman with the most hands-on experience on foreign policy and national security issues, there's no question that Rice is at the top of that list -- having served as national security adviser and US ambassador to the United Nations during the Obama administration. But she carries baggage, too -- most notably her statements after the Benghazi, Libya, attack and her January 20, 2017, email on Michael Flynn. (Previous ranking: 7)

5. Michelle Lujan Grisham: Lost amid the flood of news over the last week is the fact that Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto removed herself from VP consideration. That move leaves Lujan Grisham, the governor of New Mexico, as the highest-ranking Latina in the VP mix.

(Other names like Texas Reps. Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia still seem like something of a long shot to me.) Lujan Grisham has also stepped up her criticism of Trump and his response to Floyd's death. (Previous ranking: 8)

4. Elizabeth Warren: As I said above, I think it is very likely Biden picks a black women to be his running mate. If he doesn't, the Massachusetts senator probably has the best chance, as she is beloved by liberals and her selection be seen as an attempt to unite the Democratic Party. (Previous ranking: 3)

3. Val Demings: Even before Floyd's death and the ongoing reverberations from it, this Florida House member was getting rave reviews about her potential as a ticket-mate for Biden. But now consider what Demings would do to the ticket: A black former police chief of a major southern city (Orlando) who knows the issues within the law enforcement community vis a vis police brutality intimately. (Previous ranking 5)

2. Keisha Lance Bottoms: Lance Bottoms' speech last Friday night -- amid violent protests in Atlanta -- was a moment. She was empathetic. Tough. And deeply human. I've had the Atlanta mayor on my list almost since the start of the VP process but I was never sure she would break into the top tier. Boy, was I wrong. (Previous ranking: 6)

1. Kamala Harris: For all that's changed on the list this week, the California senator's positioning has not. If anything, Harris seems even more likely to be the pick now as she, at 55, is a generation younger than Biden but also has a wealth of experience -- as California attorney general and a senator -- that we know Biden values. (Previous ranking: 1)