Biden’s Biggest Obstacle
by Thomas Hoffman
In the aftermath of the first Democratic debate, everyone is talking about the one Democrat who wasn’t there. Everyone is waiting to hear if Vice President Biden is planning to run for President again. The clock is ticking rapidly for Vice President Biden to make his decision. Less than one day ago, Biden spoke to a major Union leader, fueling even further speculation. Sen. Ted Kaufman has recently sent a letter which refers to “a campaign from the heart” Biden would lead. Biden is currently here in New York receiving the Athenagoras Human Rights Award and speaking out against extremism. He could reveal his decision any minute.
Some people think Biden’s biggest problem is President Obama. Others say it is Hillary Clinton. However, Biden has a much bigger obstacle then Clinton, Obama or even Donald Trump, his lack of star power.
I hope Biden runs. I hope Biden wins. Unfortunately it is history that says people like Joe Biden don’t get elected president. If there is one thing all our recent past presidents had in common, from Clinton to Bush to Obama is they are all TV stars. Even now, it is no coincidence that one of the most popular candidates is actually a former reality TV host. If there’s one thing Joe Biden is not, he is not a TV Star.
The Boston Herald featured an article about this problem , it focused on Jon Huntsman but it could just have easily been Biden. The article was called “Too Sane, Too Plain.”
Whether it was Reagan vs. Carter, Bush vs. Kerry, Clinton vs. Dole or Obama vs. McCain, the movie star always prevailed. The one exception to this rule was when Al Gore defeated Bush in the popular vote, and even that wasn’t enough.
There are a few things the Vice President has left on his side. One is the possibility of a sympathy vote, due to the recent passing of his son Beau. The only other card Vice President Biden has to play is incumbent power. There is one thing Biden can say the other Democratic candidates cannot. He can say he has been the second most powerful person in the world for eight years. That has to count for something.
Thomas Hoffman is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College. He majored in Communication Arts, with a Concentration in Professional and Promotional Communication. He has received several awards for writing in The Mortimer Levit Writing Contest.
“Joe Biden official portrait crop” by Andrew Cutraro, White House photographer. – http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hi_res/vp_portrait_hi-res.jpg. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joe_Biden_official_portrait_crop.jpg#/media/File:Joe_Biden_official_portrait_crop.jpg