At the Democratic primary debate last week, Joseph R. Biden Jr. prompted some distress within the party with a rambling, discordant answer to a question about the legacy of slavery, a moment that highlighted his unsteady instincts, and mixed record, on matters of race. Three days later, a heavily African-American […] Read more »
Biden bear-hugged Obama. His foes couldn’t pry him loose.
Historically, when a former vice president runs for a promotion to the top job, he struggles with the legacy of his former boss. George H. W. Bush was caricatured as a wimp as he tried to step out of Ronald Reagan’s shadow. Al Gore was paralyzed as he tried to […] Read more »
Why won’t Democrats say they want government to solve problems?
They didn’t come out and say what they really mean. AP Photo/Eric Gay Jennifer Mercieca, Texas A&M University All 10 Democratic candidates in the Houston debate Sept. 12 spoke about investing public money – taxpayer dollars – in education, health care and economic opportunity for Americans. Those ideas depend on […] Read more »
The Contenders with Walter Mondale
The Contenders is a special podcast series by Joe Lockhart. Given the importance of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, we thought it important and informative to hear from those people who’ve actually run for president. What goes into the decision? How do you possibly get to the place […] Read more »
The Democrats’ Age Divide Is Defining the 2020 Primary
When the progressive tag team of Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez skirmished with Joe Biden this week over climate policy, the altercation pointed toward the former vice president’s most glaring vulnerability in the 2020 Democratic presidential race—while simultaneously underscoring the imperative for him to defend his greatest asset. […] Read more »
Biden’s been in politics longer than any US presidential nominee ever. Here’s why that matters
If Democrats pick Joe Biden as their next presidential nominee, he will set a new standard for political longevity. In the process, he will provoke complex questions about relevance, age and shifting political attitudes in the US. Should Biden prevail next year, he would become the Democratic nominee exactly 50 […] Read more »