Vice President Joe Biden is reportedly considering a run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
We hope Biden does more than consider it. We hope he runs.
A Biden candidacy would be good for the Democratic Party, good for voters and good for Hillary Clinton, who has essentially sleepwalked into the role of presumptive nominee.
Biden’s chance of victory would be small, given Clinton’s enormous lead in lining up donors and supporters who want to see the first woman president elected. That he would be 74 on inauguration day in 2017 could also work against him. But a bona fide Democratic challenger would ignite more interest in a race now seen as a Clinton coronation.
Over the weekend, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd reported that Biden was actively exploring a presidential run, in part because he’d been encouraged to do so by his late son, Beau, as well as by friends who’ve been in conversations with him since the funeral. Some Democrats also are concerned about the crowds Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is attracting with his straight, if socialist, talk.
Were Clinton to face a more mainstream challenger like Biden, she would be forced to campaign differently, and presumably better. No longer could she remain in the protective bubble that has shielded her from tough questions. Rather, she’d have to become less scripted, more open and connect better with voters.
A primary challenge would make Clinton a stronger, more battle-tested candidate. Remember how Mitt Romney set President Obama back on his heels at the first debate in 2012? Romney had survived a bruising primary that helped him build muscle for the general election.
“You’re a better general election candidate if you have competition,” says veteran Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf. “The vice president would be a formidable opponent.”
Clinton polls far ahead of any other Democrat, but her lead against Republican rivals —17, at last count — is slipping.
Among Democrats, the latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Clinton with 55 percent of the vote, Sanders with 17 percent and Biden, without declaring, at 13 percent.
But against former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the same poll shows Clinton trailing 42-41, after having led him by 10 points in May. She also now has a 44-43 lead over Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, after leading him by eight points in May.
By contrast, the poll shows Biden leads Bush by one point, and polls even with Walker.
Even worse for Clinton, she was viewed as not honest or trustworthy, by a 57-37 margin.
A strong challenge would force Clinton to better confront the criticisms and, if done well, turn the page.
To her credit, Clinton delivered a strong performance last week at the National Urban League convention in Fort Lauderdale, where she addressed the challenges facing African-Americans, a key segment of her political base. Later in Miami, she made a persuasive argument for lifting the Cuban embargo, even as she spoke in the Cuban-American community’s backyard. Her position on the embargo differentiates her from the top tier GOP candidates, like Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
Clinton also showed no reluctance to take on Bush, saying, “I don’t think you can credibly say that everyone has a ‘Right to Rise’ and say you are for phasing out Medicare.” “Right to Rise” is Jeb Bush’s Super PAC, which has raised more than $100 million to support for his presidential run.
So Clinton can be tough, outspoken and on point when needed. The problem is, those qualities haven’t been needed much in this campaign, and her candidacy is showing some vulnerabilities.
As for Biden, despite a reputation for verbal gaffes, he’s a smart, thoughtful guy with a strong record of putting his country first. During his 36 years as a Delaware senator, he demonstrated an ability to work with Republicans. He is smart, likable, credentialed, doesn’t dodge the press and has never been damaged by a major scandal.
It would be tough for Biden to raise the money and build the team needed to run a credible campaign in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Nevertheless, Biden would be a strong opponent and Hillary Clinton should welcome the challenge. We certainly would.
