The Biden Campaign Is Doomed Before It Starts–And Joe Knows It

The ‘tell’ is Biden himself.  You don’t publicly muse about whether you’re too old, whether the voters will think you’re too old, whether you can raise enough money to be competitive, whether you should announce you will only serve one term, whether you should make a VP pick before you even get in, if you’re brimming with confidence.  You don’t drag out the ‘will he or won’t he’ decision-making process to the point of ridiculousness .

The concerns that Biden has raised about himself are legit.  He and Bernie are very old to be running for President. And, contrasted with Bernie, who is a tireless campaigner, will Biden even be able to engage in the kind of retail politics necessary to score some early wins? He can’t win the nomination in Scranton all by itself.  Does he have the fire to barnstorm through Iowa and New Hampshire?  Does he want to spend all that time puddle-jumping?

The money question is also legit–while some Obama fundraisers are willing to fund him, some of those same money men (they’re almost all men) have also said that they will give to other candidates. Others are staying out of the early part of the race altogether. Not to mention that there is no way that Biden can construct the kind of social media platform that will rival the other candidates. He can probably raise some decent bucks right off the bat. Then what?

We’ve already seen the lack of discipline so prevalent in previous Biden campaigns.  His advisors are leaking all this stuff–when Biden isn’t publicly raising similar issues.  And it looks like it’s gonna be the same type of mom and pop campaign as it was before.  To put it mildly, those campaigns didn’t work out so well. The term ‘amateurish’ comes to mind.

And that’s not even talking about his record, which no doubt will be publicly eviscerated by the other challengers.  Even if he can get past Anita Hill and the crime bill, I don’t see how he will be able to justify his support of the Bankruptcy Bill which literally threw seniors, caregivers, military personnel, and the gravely-ill out of their homes.  The most progressive record in the race? Well, yes, except for all the other candidates.  I’m sure that MBNA cash looked good at the time, but, in a run for President, it will prove problematic.

We all know why he leads in the straw polls–He was Barack’s VP, and he played the part to perfection.  Out there on his own, though, some 12 years removed from his last presidential bid, that lead could be gone within the first weeks of the race…if he decides to run. And we haven’t even talked about his inevitable gaffes. What once was ‘Biden being Biden’ will become ‘He really is losing it, isn’t he?’

The idea of Biden as a presidential candidate has always proven superior to the reality of Biden as a presidential candidate.

While he will likely get in, he gives all the appearances of someone looking for a reason to stay out.  Here’s one, Joe: You can’t win.