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Jill and Joe Biden at a meeting of the International Association of Fire Fighters in Washington on Tuesday. (Melina Mara / The Washington Post)
Beto O'Rourke is young and has little political record. Joe Biden is older and has a long history of decades, with both successes and mistakes. O'Rourke brings viral energy to his campaigns, while Biden, always looking for ways to harness social media, specializes in the traditional stealth.
The two men are sending stronger signals: they will soon enter the race for the presidency – additions that would instantly shape the primary democratic debate. While leftist candidates have so far received the most attention, the popular former vice president and charismatic former Texas congressman share one essential feature: a more centrist policy that could appeal to an untapped party of the party electorate.
By targeting many of the same constituents, O'Rourke and Biden could be in a kind of collision. They would present the party the most accurate test to date: he wants an exciting but untested face or an experienced and more traditional flagship to face President Trump. And both would try to claim the legacy of Obama, Biden touting his eight-year partnership at the White House and O'Rourke trying to harness the spirit of culture and generation as the Did Barack Obama more than ten years ago.
Biden, speaking Tuesday to the International Association of Fire Fighters, was hailed by the slogans "Run, Joe, run!". He told union members that he appreciated their energy and urged them to "keep a little longer – I may need it" for a few weeks, he added jokingly: "Pay attention to what you want. "
[[[[Biden suggests to firefighters that White House bid arrives in "a few weeks"]
O'Rourke plans to travel to Iowa later this week, which gives him the impression of establishing plans for the early caucus following a captivating appearance at the South By Festival Southwest Texas.
Katie Baron decorates a mural by Beto O'Rourke with elements of the South by Southwest festival before taking a picture Friday in Austin. Baron commissioned the mural to artist Chris Rogers. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post)
Joe Biden told members of the firefighters union that he appreciated their energy and urged them to "save a little longer – I may need it in a few weeks". (Melina Mara / The Washington Post)
Potential applications mean little that other Democrats – many of whom have strong follow-up and campaigning skills – are weakening. But Biden's long history in the party and O'Rourke's recent challenge to Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Which electrified many Democrats, mean that they will likely be major forces.
And their messages would differ notably from candidates such as Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) And Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Who presented striking liberal programs.
They are separated by three decades, but Biden, 76, and O'Rourke, 46, are white Irish-American men who would enter the most diverse field in the history of a party of minorities and women.
The argument advanced by their supporters is that they would appeal to white voters of the working class drawn to Trump. Even before their candidacies are official, Biden and O'Rourke have developed messages that emphasize optimism and unity.
"We seem to be at each other's throats. Extremism is on the rise in this country, "said Biden in his speech on Tuesday. "Mean pettiness has taken precedence over our politics. Sometimes it seems we can not govern ourselves or even talk to each other. . . . People are not what we are.
O'Rourke distanced himself from the Democrats who proposed radical liberal policies. He bristled when asked if he considered himself progressive, saying he did not know and did not like the labels.
[[[[O'Rourke's campaign comes to life in a darkened theater, for better and for worse]
O'Rourke was able to announce a presidential bid every day and distributed hundreds of variations of an ad on Facebook, encouraging users to sign up to find out more about his decision to join or not.
"People in all parts of the country are interested in me and ask me if I plan to run in 2020," says an announcement. "Sign up today to be the first to know what's next. I would like you to be part of it. "
Former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke takes a photo with a traveler as he arrives at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Friday. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post)
Former Vice President Joe Biden takes a selfie with members of the International Association of Fire Fighters. (Melina Mara / The Washington Post)
The challenge they face is clear. Biden's experience and his mastery of politics could make O'Rourke appear inconsistent and superficial. O'Rourke's juvenile charisma might underscore Biden's age, portraying him as a disconnected figure of his age.
In his appearances, Biden's references are a little older and he likes to tell war stories about his long tenure in the Senate.
On Tuesday, Biden began his speech by quoting Adlai Stevenson – "He said:" Flattery is acceptable as long as you do not inhale "" – while joking, pointing out that he did not actually know the a long-time political scientist, who died nearly 54 years ago. . Biden also remembers having fought alongside the firefighters during a conflict that occurred in 1986 while O 'Rourke was in college.
O'Rourke compares his campaign to the punk bands with which he used to shoot. It revolves around El Paso on a Surly fashionable bike. When he visited the South by Southwest festival, some on Twitter have captured it at the corner of a street around midnight. The next morning he was wearing a t-shirt and posing for pictures in an airport terminal.
While O'Rourke inspired legions of fans during his 2018 Senate run, he is missing a signature achievement during his six years in Congress. And as a candidate such as Warren will develop policy proposals, he will be much behind in catching up with his plans.
Biden has a different and in some ways opposite problem. He has been in public life longer than O'Rourke and he was elected to the Senate six weeks after the birth of Mr. O'Rourke. The Democratic Party has changed dramatically even in the two years since Biden left, with a rise of conflictual liberal activism.
Biden's challenges were met last week, following a report from the Washington Post that resurfaced in his 1975 statement. In these remarks, Biden objected that children would not be taken to school. desegregation – in a colorful and vehement way.
[[[[Biden's Difficult Discussion on the School Segregation Plan of the 1970s Could Be Revisited]
Harris, daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, has expressed a different point of view by recently speaking to reporters in South Carolina.
"I'm just going to speak on my own behalf – and this is not a reaction to the statements he made decades ago – but there is no doubt that we still need to integrate the schools of our country. country, "she said.
Biden is leading in most national Democratic polls. In Iowa, a recent survey showed it very closely in front of Sanders. Almost as important, Biden was the second choice for more voters than anyone, which could be a crucial factor in state caucuses.
But while other candidates have started to create organizations, Biden has been slow to do so. His supporters say his stature would allow him to move quickly.
O & # Rourke with family members at Paramount Theater in Austin on Saturday for the screening of the documentary "Running with Beto" (Matt McClain / The Washington Post).
"The big question is whether he can catch up with his staff and whether he will focus on Iowa or not," said Sean Bagniewski, chairman of the Polk County Democratic Party.
Nevertheless, he added, the 2016 race showed that staffing and fundraising matter little.
"Bernie Sanders was not the most collected and staffed candidate. Donald Trump was not the most collected and staffed candidate, "Bagniewski said. "The money and the good staff are important, but having a charismatic superstar candidate or a national message and stature is more important."
Biden will not inherit Obama's political network – and will not even receive his blessing. Obama told candidates in the presidential election that he was not considering supporting primaries and he wrote on Facebook last week that it would help the party hold a long primary that could improve the ultimate candidate.
This message differs from what Biden says Obama told him four years ago. "In January 2015, the president was convinced that I could not beat Hillary and he feared that a long primary fight would split the party and make the Democratic candidate vulnerable to general elections," Biden wrote in his recent book.
During O'Rourke's 2018 Senate campaign, Obama repeatedly offered to help him, saying he would travel to Texas for a rally or to record automated calls. He even recorded a video, although the O'Rourke campaign did not use it.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, O'Rourke said after the election campaign, Obama gave him advice on how to decide on a presidential candidacy.
"He said," Let's be clear, it's one of the most intense moments. " I do not know if he used that word, but I'm inspired by it. It's one of the most brutal things you can live. & # 39; & # 39; O & # 39; Rourke told.
It should be noted that O'Rourke and Biden are better known for their lost campaigns. O'Rourke failed in his challenge against Cruz in 2018, although the Democrats were excited by the fact that he approached a few points. And Biden has twice appeared in the presidency, garnering little support from either side.
New Hampshire House President Steve Shurtleff (D), who worked for Biden's 2008 presidential campaign, noted that Biden had dropped out after winning less than 1% of the vote in Iowa, but never reached the New Hampshire.
"We never knew how he was going to do it," said Shurtleff. "Maybe now we'll know."
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