THE BIDEN FACTOR – AT 11:59 A.M. ET: Democrats are surprisingly divided over whether Joe Biden, their sitting vice president, should enter the race for president. Biden has run twice before, with very poor results. He's had a family tragedy this year that clearly has, understandably, set him back. From The Hill:
House Democrats are torn on the question of whether Joe Biden should seek the White House in 2016.
The vice president lost his eldest son, Beau, to brain cancer this year, and the tragedy is clearly feeding concerns that the strains of a demanding campaign would be too heavy to bear.
But Biden is ruling nothing out, and his recent travels and media appearances –– combined with the struggles facing Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton –– have only fueled speculation that he's ready to enter the contest and grab the baton if Clinton falters.
Some Capitol Hill Democrats are pushing him to do just that.
"I've encouraged him to get in," Rep. John Carney (D-Del.) said Friday. "We love Joe in Delaware, and I think he would add a lot to the race. He's real; he relates to middle-class values; [and] he’s fought for [them] all his political career."
Carney was quick to acknowledge "the tremendous personal burden" facing Biden and his family in the wake of Beau's death, emphasizing that "whatever he decides to do, I'm with him 100 percent."
But he also said Biden has the drive to make the transition from deep trauma to mounting a winning campaign.
"He's said publicly that he's concerned whether he's got the emotional energy to do it. I think he does," Carney said.
"If he would just go out there and be himself, it'd be refreshing in the primary campaign."
COMMENT: Lurking in the background, though, are real concerns about Biden's policy judgment. His career is not filled with distinguished moments or great insights. As we've noted here before, he even opposed the bin Laden raid.
He'll be given credit for the dignified way in which he's handled tragedy, but I'm not sure the American people will be very enthusiastic about a third term for Obama's policies.
September 13, 2015 |