Teflon Joe? Biden eliminates attacks

A month after his arrival at the presidency, the former vice president Joe BidenJoe BidenJames Carville: Biden represents "stability" and not "generation change". Trump misinterpreted the trends of Biden's name on Twitter. Trump said: "I have confidence" after the latest missile tests in North Korea. is leading the national polls while showing teflon-like quality to survive criticism.

Biden has a 17-point advantage in the average RealClearPolitics national polls. Although her lead has declined somewhat since her rise after entering the race on April 25, she remains healthy and stable.

He is also leading in all the first primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, and rivals his rivals in South Carolina.

He is very early in the presidential primary, which means that Biden has plenty of time to falter.

But the people who follow the race closely express a mixture of surprise and respect during the first month of Biden in the race.

They claim to believe that Biden's strength reflects the generally positive sentiments that many Democrats have about him and that of former President Obama, as well as the argument that has hitherto been at the center of the Biden campaign: he is the Democrat who has the best chance of defeating Trump.

"I think this month has proven that it's not just a name recognition," said an ally and longtime friend of Biden. "People like Joe Biden. And the Democrats really want to beat now President TrumpDonald John TrumpPapadopoulos about AG's new powers: "Trump is now on the offensive" Pelosi uses Trump to his advantage Mike Pence delivers West Point's opening speech NEXTand he is particularly qualified for this moment. "

A ton of criticism and scrutiny preceded Biden's entry into the race.

The strategists wondered whether he was liberal enough to win a Democratic primary given the party's tendency to the left. They emphasized his past support for the war in Iraq, a crime bill charged with massive incarceration and banking legislation at the service of his country's financial interests.

So far, critics have not hurt the former vice president.

"Frankly, I'm surprised more things are not going according to plan," said Democratic strategist Jim Manley, who has known Biden since his Senate aide. "And I'm surprised how good he is in general."

The former vice president was also struck by contacts too familiar with women and by his manipulation of the Anita HillAnita Faye HillAnita Hill: Democratic women of 2020 are not taken seriously. Harris knocks Biden on crime bill: "This has contributed to mass incarceration in our country" Biden defends 1994 crime bill, says it helped him "beat "ARN" PLUS and Clarence ThomasClarence ThomasAnita Hill: 2020 Women Democrats Not Taken Serious Ginni Thomas shares articles criticizing Parkland students Clarence Thomas in a rare TV interview MORE hearings. But that does not seem to hurt him.

A strategist who worked on the Obama campaign but is currently affiliated with none of the presidential campaigns said the controversy had lowered expectations for the campaign's success.

"Those who tried to keep him out of the race had made him stronger by describing him as an unlucky sexual predator who would not be able to raise money," said the strategist. "So when he went on stage and that he did not put his foot in his mouth in the first 30 seconds, he did not fumble someone on the first day …" he not only erased the extremely low bar that was set for him, but he now looks like a behemoth.

Manley and other Democrats believe that Biden's success is a mixture of reasons, mainly the current chaos of the Trump administration and his mandate as Vice President of Obama.

"With all due respect to the Vice President, many people have seen him alongside Obama for eight years, which gives him considerable support," Manley said.

Biden is probably also helped by the vast terrain in which he runs, which has divided supporters of other Democrats into several camps. This is a point that Biden would highlight when calling with donors and other potential supporters of the campaign: with such an overcrowded terrain, no one could reach 50%.

This week, a Morning Consult poll showed that Biden was the second choice of fans of all opponents, with the exception of Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenTrump's defense choice faces tense confirmation 2020 democrats target federal ban on abortion funding Gillibrand benefits from abortion debate to launch campaign MORE (D-Mass.).

The investigation was an important step for the Biden campaign and its allies.

"You talk to many agents and activists who may support other candidates and they still have positive feelings about the vice president," said David Wade, Democratic strategist who served as spokesman for Biden after being chosen to be the candidate for the vice presidency of Obama. .

Wade explained that the Iowa caucus system particularly rewarded candidates who were a solid second choice, as in a bunch of two dozen candidates, "a multitude of candidates will not pass the first cut and their supporters will find another place to go. . "

Wade, who was also assistant principal of a former Democratic candidate John KerryJohn Forbes KerryPompeo has never spoken directly to his Iranian counterpart: Trump's rejection of the Arms Trade Treaty is based on reality Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the first African to deliver Yale's graduation speech MORE in 2004, the process "helped Kerry and John Edwards get out of Iowa".

"But more than any other state, in a race in which even the toughest activists are laser-focused on Donald Trump's winner, to be widely acceptable for all the different paths that make up the progressive highway really counts," added Wade. "It does not mean that there will not be difficult courses. Each campaign will have its ups and downs, but that means you will be sustainable and resilient. "

Biden aides and allies recognize that their candidate is satisfied with his leadership status.

"I think we are all a little surprised by the quality of his work, but it confirms that what we knew all the time was true.He is the best candidate," admitted an ally.

But they know that dangerous roads are waiting for us.

In the coming weeks, Biden plans to take a bit of time to prepare the first debate in order to fight any fires that he might face in the face of opponents seeking to break into his record.

The rivals sought to break through the breakthrough on Biden's ability.

Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegButtigieg defends Kaepernick, NFL players kneeling under a national anthem Journalism is now an opinion – not a news – the defender supports the right of NFL players to protest during an anthem: j & # I put my life in danger to defend MORE, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., said this week that you "deserve the nomination by winning it".

"Nobody was named a candidate in 2019," Buttigieg told the Washington Post.

Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisThe chief of police in San Francisco apologizes for a search of a journalist. Gillibrand takes advantage of the abortion debate to launch his campaign. Democrats in the Senate: Interrupt the speech on the dismissal MORE (D-Calif.) Also sought to pour water on the argument of fitness for purpose.

"I think Joe Biden would be a great candidate for running," Harris told reporters at a stopover in New Hampshire earlier this month. "As a vice president, he proved that he knew how to do the job."

The Biden allies believe that such criticism is a sign of what will happen. But they do not seem worried.

"You have a man in the oval office who is horrible for our country, and people want him, and they think it's Biden who does that," said an ally.

"As for critics, they just do not buy it," said the ally about attacks on Biden.