Is Biden Dems’ best hope in 2020?
Former vice-president is in the final stages of deciding whether to run for president
WASHINGTON — Former U.S. vice-president Joe Biden is in the final stages of deciding whether to run for president and has told allies he is skeptical the other Democrats eyeing the White House can defeat U.S. President Donald Trump, an assessment that foreshadows a clash between the veteran Washington insider and the more liberal and freshfaced contenders for the party’s 2020 nomination.
Many Democratic voters, and nearly all major Democratic donors, are keenly interested in Biden’s plans because of their consuming focus on finding a candidate who can beat a president they believe represents a threat to American democracy.
Biden would instantly be the early front-runner if he ran, but he would have to bridge divides in a primary that would test whether Democrats are willing to embrace a moderate white man in his 70s if they view him as the best bet to oust Trump.
“He has the best chance of beating Trump, hands down,” said Sen. Tom Carper, Biden’s longtime friend and former colleague. “On a scale of one to 10, that’s probably about a 12 for us.”
Yet Biden’s skepticism about the field could alienate female and racialized voters who are excited that several women and African-Americans are expected to run.
Nominating a white man may also roil some Democrats who are already torn about whether a woman could win in 2020 after Hillary Clinton’s loss.
Some Democrats are skeptical that a relatively moderate candidate like Biden, who has baggage like supporting the 1990s crime bill that is loathed on the left, would prevail in the primary with a message of unity and national healing rather than the fiery and uncompromising brand of populism that Democratic primary voters elevated in the midterm elections.
“In 2020, Biden-style centrism will become a toxic and losing brand of politics in Democratic primaries,” said Waleed Shahid, a left-wing activist.
The 76-year-old former vicepresident has not yet told his allies that he has decided to run. But Biden has indicated that he is leaning toward running and will most likely make a decision within the next two weeks, according to Democrats within and beyond his inner circle.