Abrams praises Biden in the midst of a controversy: "We can not have perfection as a litmus test"

Former Georgian government candidate Stacey Abrams said Thursday that former Vice President Joe Biden's response to allegations that he would have made women uncomfortable by making them too physical was "what that we should look for "among the elected leaders.

"We can not have perfection as a litmus test," said Abrams, a Democrat, in MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "The responsibility of leaders is not to be perfect but to be responsible, to say:" I made a mistake. I understand it and here is what I will do to reform as I progress. And I think we see Joe Biden doing it. "

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During the past week, four women came forward to tell the story of Biden, who is notoriously touchy, and touched them in a non-sexual way, which nevertheless made them feel uncomfortable.

Biden had reacted to the controversy with multiple spokesperson statements, but broke his silence in a video posted on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

"Social norms have begun to change. They have changed and the limits of the personal space protection have been reset. I understood. I understood. I hear what they say, "said Biden, insisting that physical contact is just the way he connects and supports people.

Leading Democrats and Republicans have stood up for Biden's defense over the past week, but others were less pleased Wednesday with his lack of excuses.

But Abrams said his recognition of the issue and his commitment to being "more attentive and more respectful of people's personal space" demonstrated sufficient accountability.

"I think the Vice President acknowledged the discomfort he's caused. He created a context that explains why that is his behavior and he claimed that he would do something different in the future. And I think that's what we should be looking for, "she said. "Because we are going to find out that everyone is running for office – whether it is for the presidency or the school board – and we must be prepared to forgive, but forgiveness does not mean you are forgiven. accept, unless what you see is the responsibility and an attempt to reform so that more people can feel included and believe that their needs will be met. "

Abrams, who said Thursday she was still considering becoming a presidential candidate in 2020, has been in touch with Biden in the media in recent weeks, after reports that the vice president would be widely announced months ago, was starting the race with a ticket with Abrams as vice president at the vice presidency.

This information is "not at all" true, said Abrams, who added that she had not discussed her own presidential ambitions when the two met earlier this year.

Abrams skyrocketed on the national scene last year in its run under high surveillance for the governor of Georgia, which she lost by little. His name has been announced for a number of future races, including another shot for the governorship, a race in the Senate in 2020 and a run at the White House. Earlier this year, she presented the Democrats' official response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address.

She said Thursday that her future plans would depend on her decision to run for the Senate, a "short term" choice she hopes to make this month.

"I think you can not run for an office unless you know it's the job you want to do. I do not think you're using an office as a stepping stone, "she said. "So, my first responsibility is to determine whether a Senate should suit me. And then the next conversation for me will be if not the Senate, so what else?

As for announcing a race at the White House, she said, "I do not think it's imperative to do it before September. I think it's important that people have these conversations now, but I'm not going to make decisions based on other people's deadlines. "

Abrams noted that she was not intimidated by the ever-widening primary field of Democrats, which could exceed 20 candidates in the coming months. But she has definitively excluded the possibility of joining the primary school as a candidate for vice-presidency.

"I do not think you're running for second place and I do not intend to run in a presidential race as the main candidate for the vice presidency," she said. declared. "If I get into the presidential race, I'll run in the presidential race, but once we have a candidate, I'm open to the conversation if I'm not a candidate. I am open to conversations with anyone.