Former Obama adviser lays out why Biden's VP would likely be the 'most powerful in history'

You're probably well aware of the fact that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, needs to pick a running mate. As always, voters are watching the process closely, but there's reason to believe his choice could mean even more than usual, The Atlantic reports.

That's because some people believe Biden's No. 2 will have more power than any vice president in history should the pair defeat President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in November. Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior Obama adviser who worked in the administration when Biden himself served as vice president, explained why to The Atlantic.

"Joe Biden's vice president will most likely be the most powerful vice president in history because the trend is toward more powerful vice presidents, Joe Biden knows the value of having a vice president with lots of responsibility, and Joe Biden is going to inherit an epic disaster," Pfeiffer said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

What Pfeiffer didn't mention, but would seemingly add to his argument, is that Biden views himself as a "transition candidate" who wants to help usher in a new era of Democratic political leaders, likely starting with his vice president. Read more at The Atlantic.