BIDEN HIS TIME UNTIL VOTE IN SOUTH
Joe tells donors not to worry
Joe Biden tried to convince deep-pocketed campaign donors Thursday that he’s the best Democrat to take on President Trump despite a stumbling electoral start, calling himself the only candidate who can get “anything big done” while taking shots at front-runner Bernie Sanders.
Reeling from poor results in Iowa and New Hampshire, the former vice president made the pitch for his political strength while rubbing shoulders with dozens of well-heeled Wall Street honchos at back-to-back fund-raisers in Midtown Manhattan.
Speaking at the first event, hosted at Sarabeth’s restaurant on Central Park South, Biden acknowledged he “lost” the opening two presidential contests, but downplayed the significance of his pitfalls.
“They make up 2% of the delegates needed to get elected,” he remarked to the audience, which was mostly made up of white executives from financial powerhouses like Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs.
Biden looked ahead to next weekend’s Nevada caucuses, which he promised he would either win or claim second place in, and beyond to the South Carolina primary at the end of the month.
The ex-veep made clear he relies on South Carolina’s African-American community for support.
“They know me. It’s what I come from,” he said. “It’s how I got involved in politics … So I’m confident that we’ll win in South Carolina.”
Concerns about Biden’s electability have emerged since he placed fourth in the Iowa caucuses and fifth in the New Hampshire primary.
Some of Biden’s own supporters have privately acknowledged he must win either Nevada or South Carolina or both to remain relevant in the race ahead of the blockbuster Super Tuesday elections on March 3.
But Biden waved off such anxieties and told his wealthy supporters that the winds will change after the Feb. 29 primary in South Carolina, where polling has consistently suggested he has an upper hand.
“Things look good,” he said, as the donors munched on tuna tartare canapes and sipped champagne.
Biden took aim at the records of the other Democratic presidential hopefuls in sweeping terms.
“I’m the only one who has ever gotten anything big done,” he said. “I don’t think any of them have what it takes.”
The only candidate Biden called out by name was Sanders, who has emerged as the primary field’s front-runner since winning New Hampshire and claiming either first or second place in the still-disputed Iowa race.
“At least now Bernie’s being honest,” Biden said of the left-wing Vermont senator’s recent acknowledgment that his signature “Medicare for All” proposal would cost “a lot of money.”
“Bernie’s a decent guy … [but] he calls himself a democratic socialist,” Biden sneered, suggesting the label would hurt him in a general election.
Waiting for Biden outside his second fund-raiser at the nearby Wayfarer restaurant was a small crowd of demonstrators hosting a self-styled “funeral” for his campaign.
The activists wore black and carried a coffin with Biden’s logo on it while accusing the “Democratic establishment” of propping up his presidential bid despite his poor results in the first two elections.
“It’s time to put Biden’s failed presidential campaign to rest,” said Alice Nascimento, an organizer with the progressive New York Communities for Change group. “Voters deserve better.”
One campaign donor at Biden’s first fund-raiser was even a bit hesitant about the ex-veep’s prospects when asked who he thinks will ultimately win the Democratic race.
“It’s very early,” the man said, declining to give his name. “It’s very hard to tell.”