Jason’s prediction is looking more likely by the day, as the Associated Press released a big story about how Joe Biden’s vast foreign policy experience makes him unique in the crowded Democratic field for 2020. Never mind that foreign policy plays little role in voters’ choice in elections, particularly for Democrats; Trump’s visit to Viet Nam gives the story a timely news peg. (It’s also on Delaware Online, but the link isn’t behind a paywall.)
Get ready for lots more of this. Because Biden currently polls at or near the top of the field, and has people who have cultivated the media for years, the media will treat him as the frontrunner as soon as he announces he’s running. With too many candidates to give them all time, the media will also winnow the field for us, my guess is to three candidates, most likely Bernie Sanders, Kamela Harris and Biden.
Please understand I’m not hoping this will happen, and I’m only talking about probabilities, not certainties. I make the prediction based upon past and current media behavior. The attacks on Amy Klobuchar are the only news she’s making — her positions aren’t as important as the fact that she once ate a salad with a comb. The media has taken Trump’s side in attacking Elizabeth Warren for her ancestry. The Beto moment seems to have passed, though I’d say there’s about a 3% chance he enters as a late compromise candidate.
Back to the AP story: I’d say it makes a good case for Biden as the next Democratic Secretary of State. If that’s what he’s running for, I support it.