Biden has been in and out with the media since he began running…
Not for the last week though…
He’s been traveling thru Iowa to try get his support up against a peaking Pete Buttigieg…
And with that….
He’s made himself available to reporters, something that is essential to get go press….
Of course?
Joe Biden being who he IS?
There have been a gaff or two along the way….
Some days, as we’ve written over the past few months, Democratic co-frontrunner Joe Biden looks much weaker than the conventional wisdom suggests.
Other days, he looks much more durable than what you read on Twitter.
And this week, Biden’s been in the latter category — he’s looked pretty strong when it comes to the fundamentals on paper. Certainly stronger than in his debate performances.
On Tuesday, Kamala Harris suspended her presidential campaign, underscoring Biden’s almost unmovable strength with African-American voters.
On Wednesday, his campaign released a blistering ad/video on President Trump’s reception and performance on his most recent overseas trip.
On Thursday, he picked up the endorsement from former Obama Secretary of State and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry, who campaigns with Biden today in Iowa.
And last night, the Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg camps began to fight each other, leaving Biden above the fray (at least for now).
Speaking of the fray, however, what also stands out for Biden this week was his confrontation with that Iowa voter yesterday.
There are two ways to look at it: One, Biden took tough/hostile/inaccurate questions to an 11 on the dial, when it probably needed to be only a six or a seven. (“You’re a damn liar, man…Let’s do push-ups together here, man, let’s run… Get your words straight, Jack.”) Remember, Biden’s campaign pledge has been to offer “strong, steady, stable leadership.”
Two, he showed voters some fight that they might not have seen recently, especially when the conversation turns to his family….
image…Democratic 2020 presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden sits with kids from the Union Baptist Crusaders drill team during an event at the Brown Derby Ballroom in Waterloo, Iowa, Dec. 5, 2019.Shannon Stapleton / Reuters