[ad_1]
Breaking News Emails
Receive last minute alerts and special reports. News and stories that matter, delivered the mornings of the week.
SUBSCRIBE
By Jonathan Allen
WASHINGTON – Joe Biden has a unique moment in his three presidential nominations.
The former vice president has recorded the largest total of first-day fundraisers among the many candidates for the Democratic nomination. He then took a considerable lead in the national polls. And, at least for the moment, the blows against his record – from his vote for the Iraq war to his handling of confirmation hearings by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas – seem to be bouncing back as defenders of video games.
At present, he is in a class by himself.
Biden's sentiment was sufficiently encouraged for him to declare Tuesday that the House had "no other choice" than to continue the removal of President Donald Trump when he blocked the follow-up by the Congress of the investigation led by the special advocate Robert Mueller on the case Russia and the obstruction of justice.
The debate on the impeachment – which will appeal to the Democratic base – could logically result from Biden's thesis in his video launching last week that Trump threatens the institutions of American democracy. But this is also a bold step for a character deeply embedded in the political establishment, who could help hide the political and tactical differences he has with the energetic and progressive wing of his party.
This campaign of shock and fear has so far been countered only by the Vermont Senator, Bernie Sanders, who has drawn a line of demarcation in politics.
It will not be clear for some time if Biden can turn the fast start into an explosive race at the nomination, but Democrats say they're not surprised that he's out blocks with a burst.
The difficulty of "standing against a two-term vice president who also has a national senatorial profile should not be underestimated," said one of the key collaborators of one of the opponents to Mr. Biden. "If (some challengers) did it, that would be stupid."
The first returns are more promising than Biden had the right to expect.
Three national polls confirmed Tuesday its position in the race at the top of the pack, between 36% and 39%. Sanders, finalist of the Democratic nomination four years ago, is ranked second with 22% of the vote. one of the surveys.
In another poll, Sanders was second with 15%, and in the third, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was second at 12%.
Biden, who ran in 1988 and 2008, is more accustomed to seeing his name next to a low single digit vote.
It is Sanders who has the most interest in tackling the Biden threat directly: there is no one else in front of the Vermont senator, and he has little time to lose opposing Biden to policies that matter to many basic Democratic voters.
"I think when people took a look at my record against that of Vice President Biden, I contributed to the fight against NAFTA." NAFTA I have also participated in the fight against (normal trade relations) with China. " Sanders said in an interview with CNN. "I am strongly opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which he supported, I voted against the war in Iraq and voted for it."
Sanders' message seems to be that Biden is often wrong.
A key question is whether this will matter to the majority or to a large number of Democratic voters if they think Biden is the best equipped candidate to face Trump in a general election. Another question is whether Biden can convince them that he is this candidate.
Biden was defended during a trip to Iowa on Tuesday, but refused to return to Sanders.
"We have plenty of time to answer, I'm not going to engage in a debate with my colleagues here," he said, "I'm proud of my record."
It's the beginning of a long race, but apart from Sanders, Democratic hopefuls are reluctant to shoot Biden so far, a reflection, according to party insiders, fearing that voters will appreciate vitriol for someone other than President Donald. Asset.
For example, when Californian Senator Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Was questioned on Tuesday about Biden's candidacy by Vaughn Hillyard of NBC News, she opposed her 76-year-old rival with such subtle terms that they could hardly qualify an attack.
"I urge you to listen carefully to what the candidates have to say and make your decision based on who you think best represents our country and the future of our country," she said. declared.
Sanders' team is eager to attract attention because Biden has presented himself more as a return to the Obama era than as someone who would radically alter the existing system.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Co-chair of the Sanders campaign, said in an interview that, like many Democratic voters, he had a very favorable opinion of Biden. But, he added, the "nostalgia" for Biden's service in the Obama administration – a look back at the past – is the wrong direction that democrats should aim for if they want to defeat Trump.
"The worst mistake we can make is to allow Trump, as president in office, to be the agent of change," Khanna said. "I think (Biden) will be a strong contender and it will probably come down to him and Bernie Sanders because of that feeling of nostalgia that people have for the way things are going." I do not think it's finally what beats Donald Trump. "
For the moment, though, what Biden looks back on is a complete group of Democratic candidates behind him.
[ad_2]
Source link