People trust Joe Biden... they like him on a gut level..

[Peacetrain]

its not tearing anyone else down.. they just feel comfortable with Joe Biden.. They know what he has accomplished.. and that gives them comfort.. We have recently returned from a vacation in the upper Midwest.. and we heard it time and time again.. I like this person.. I like that person.. but I feel most comfortable with VP Biden.. I told this to some earlier today.. we ran into one person who put it the best I have heard yet.. they know if "VP Biden is elected they can sleep at night"

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. I get what you're saying about "most comfortable"... that's how many feel about Bernie too.

I just trust President Sanders will do the right thing. No doubt, Joe enjoys that kind of voter admiration. Wishing your candidate the best of luck in the primaries.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[Wawannabe]

23. I am sorry u just named Sanders president

He has not even come close to that position. Joe Biden has...

In my humble opinion Sanders will never receive that title and should not receive it under the Democratic party. He should try running under his own party... which is???

[Lordquinton]

45. He's a Democratic party candidate

If that bothers you, well, too bad.

PS, you'll vote for Bernie if he's the nominee, right?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

50. Yup, couldve sworn the DNC has welcomed Bernie as a Democratic candidate & he's embraced it as well.

Why would anyone want Bernie to run under another party's banner?!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[hlthe2b]

2. Will we ever get to the day when we could occasionally tune out as we did under Obama?

(Not fearful we'd wake up to a series of WWIII-provoking tweets?)

That sounds like Nirvana right now.

[OKNancy]

3. You know what else?

He's progressive enough for me. He is a pragmatic progressive.
He's pro-choice, he has a good healthcare plan that may actually pass, his foreign policy experience is the strongest of all our candidates. He is smart and caring, and oh... Jill is so strong on education. She will be a wonderful asset.

[DonaldsRump]

4. I agree

I'm of course supporting Biden now, but will support our candidate whoever s/he is. Totally and absolutely.

In a departure from the last several presidential elections, this election is about normalcy, not change by an outsider. If you consider the elections since 1976, almost all of them have been for an "outsider", except maybe Bush I.

I know several conservative Republicans in the South and the West that are disgusted by the Idiot occupying our White House, and either will not vote or will vote for someone besides Trump. I fully appreciate that dirty tricks, Russian interference and vote suppression may alter the balance, but I think all Democrats, most independents, and decent Republicans (of which there are plenty) are appalled.

I cannot believe the "gaffe" campaign by the media against Biden. This is the 2020 version of swiftboating, her emails, Donald Segretti-behavior etc. If that's all they have against Biden, he's going to win in a walkaway. I expect much worse, but I think he's prepared. After all, Biden would be going up against the greatest liar and gaffe-maker of them all, Donald John Trump.

I think most in this country want to get back to sanity. IMHO, a change election for an outsider won't happen until 2024 at the earliest.

[peggysue2]

6. That's my take exactly

' . . .a change election for an outsider won't happen until 2024 at the earliest.'

Yes. First things first as in shoring up everything Trump and his enablers have destroyed while pushing pragmatic legislation to ensure healthcare, get us back on the rails working on Climate Change, gun control, etc., reestablish our alliances and let our adversaries know what's what and maybe most importantly return a sense of trust in government that when working can produce the greatest good for the greatest number.

I think Joe Biden has the experience and skillset to do that and with a young, dynamic VP can kick Trump and his enablers into the next galaxy. Where they belong, btw.

[emmaverybo]

56. I am not hearing from other candidates that they have any realization of the momentous

and multi-faceted mop up job they would face in their first term to right the ship.

I don’t think honestly they do get it because they have not had the experience living in that ship and being responsible for as much of it as Biden was.

Biden’s understanding that this election is a “fight for the soul of America” is more compelling to me than the constant policy initiatives issuing from other candidates.

And do any of the others have a sense that foreign policy and relations are existential issues for the world? Not too long ago India and Pakistan came pretty close to nuclear war. So now, Kashmir, over which they have fought two conventional wars.

Iran, Russia, NK, China, the Middle East...the rise of the far right wing in Europe!

Only Biden has developed any substantial thinking on FP, delivering an address, and also authoring an Op-Ed on the failed policies we pursued in Central America which contributed to the humanitarian crisis at our borders. I am sure he has more to say, but Dems not sufficiently focused on these issues. Thank Goodness Biden is!

[sheshe2]

76. +1000

Obama and Biden spent their first term digging us out from Bush and a near depression.

I remember it all well when far to many turned their backs on them saying they did not fulfill all their desires fast enough.

[Kurt V.]

5. *some*

[Skittles]

7. yes

[zentrum]

8. Yes. Some.

[Skya Rhen]

9. *Most

[Kurt V.]

11. better

[LakeArenal]

51. Consistently most!

[cwydro]

12. Lol.

I noticed that too.

[Anders8]

10. The man from MBNA Corp? Of course I trust him!!! nt

[wsbradshaw]

13. Republicans will tear him apart

Do a little further research on Biden. If he wins the nomination Republicans will tear his character apart.

[honest.abe]

14. LOL.. they will attempt to do that with any Dem nominee.

Biden's advantage is his relatively clean history. They will be hard pressed to come up with any "earth shaking" scandals like Hillary's email server and Obama's birth certificate.

[wsbradshaw]

24. Not a clean history

Read up on Biden, not a clean history. Ask the family of the other driver in the accident that killed his wife.

[honest.abe]

25. Good lord. That is ancient history and a big nuthin burger.

He has won about dozen elections since then.

[Thekaspervote]

30. This is an old story. Always a lot of he said she said stuff. Don't buy it, i wouldn't regardless of

Who it was

[treestar]

60. are you friggin' kidding?

How is he supposed to feel about that driver?

[LiberalLovinLug]

38. This is sarcasm right?

You just proved how little of a "scandal" they need to create a mountain using their bully platform, and their friends in the RW media. Even the rest of the MSM wouldn't be able to resist milking Biden's gaffes for hits.

[honest.abe]

39. Right. Which means they can and will do it with any of our candidates.

No one is immune.

[Kahuna7]

46. That's nonsense. They've had 45 years to do it and all I've ever seen is

glowing praise for how civil and kind he is.

[Demsrule86]

47. It won't work...people know Biden...but now Warren will be marked as a socialist..and as some

have pointed out, people are not that familiar with her. It could hurt her in a general...she has my vote of course in a general.

[honest.abe]

15. His likability is his main asset.

And that might be all he needs to ride to the WH.

[pnwmom]

17. You do. Many people do. But many of us don't. I look at him and I see that young, good looking,

overly self-confident guy who led the unfair hearings against Anita Hill and caved in to the R's.

It's hard for me to trust him on a gut level.

[Lady_Chat]

33. "Anita Hill says 'of course' she would vote for Biden over Trump"

And if she's ok with Biden, so am I. The other day I read an article about how the Trump administration is refusing to supply sanitary pads to immigrant women who have their period. They are suppose to bleed through their clothes. It's cruel and disgusting, but so is Trump.

I trust Joe Biden would never do that, or separate children from their parents and cage them, deprive them of food, water, soap or sanitary conditions, or spew hate 24/7, or call women, dogs, pigs, and "bleeding from everywhere" or sit on his ass and do nothing about gun control, among so many other horrible things we have seen Trump say and do.

Biden served in an administration that got us out of Recession, got gay marriage and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)passed, along with so many other good things that Trump has rolled back. Trump was handed a gift of an economy, and I wish more of our candidates would remind him and the voters of that.

And I'm so tired of hearing about age, too. Mayor Pete had the best response, it isn't about age, but about vision. Sanders, Warren, and even Trump are all in their 70's. And any one of them would be better than Trump.

The ultimate goal is to get Trump the hell out of office. While I haven't selected a candidate, because I wanted to watch all the debates, I can understand why a lot of people relate to Biden. He has a certain warmth, humor, and has dealt with a lot of in his life, personally, they can relate too. I think people also like the fact, he doesn't find a need to go after our other candidates. Of course he also brings back remembrances of Obama. Either way.. in the end..no matter who, I'm voting Blue.





https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/anita-hill-says-of-course-she-would-vote-for-biden-over-trump/2019/06/13/8f40d922-8e24-11e9-8f69-a2795fca3343_story.html?noredirec

[pnwmom]

34. So what? I would, too, against Trump. But she did NOT say he'd be her first choice,

and he won't be my primary choice either.

[Gothmog]

18. I'm still humbled by the immense trust and faith you placed in President Obama and me.

Link to tweet

[Stuart G]

19. Yes, people trust Joe on a gut level, If he is our candidate, he will win. Why?

Trump lies so much that most people in the world do not trust him. Most people in the U.S.A. do not trust Trump. He lies about everything. And when I say most, I mean 62 or 63 percent will vote for Biden over Trump maybe more. Maybe 65 percent. Trump has proven that he is not to be trusted. Your words,.....,"if VP Biden is elected they can sleep at night."

...He will not suck up to Russia, He will not suck up to big business, he has seen some things people do not want to see. His experience and sensitivity will make Trump look like the piece of sh*t that Trump is. (apologies to those that use sh*t to fertilize anything)

[Nitram]

20. I like Joe Biden. But I get a little uncomfortable when you start talking about "gut feelings."

That was what Trump ran on. That's what motivates his voters. Let's try to avoid gut feelings and stick to facts and issues. Just my 2 cents.

[griffi94]

26. Dubya was confident in his gut as well

Frankly, I'm tired of being at the mercy of a bunch of old white guys
and their relationship with their gastrointestinal tract.

[whathehell]

59. I like him too, but sometimes we need to get out of our "gut"

and into our brains.. Just sayin'.

[JGug1]

21. Trusting Joe Biden

Fine that he is trusted. His gaffs are bad enough to weaken him as a candidate.

[Indykatie]

29. It's Gaffes Not Gaffs In This Context

You'll probably repeat your comment regarding Biden's gaffes throughout the campaign so you might as well use the proper spelling. The highly intelligent Mayor Pete would expect nothing less from a supporter.

[Demsrule86]

48. That has not happened despite the media's best efforts...and I don't consider them gaffes

anyway maybe others don't either.

[Gothmog]

74. "Voters just don't care... they think that he's an honorable man..."

Link to tweet

[trueblue2007]

22. it is ASTOUNDING..... that Joe is not tearing anyone else down!!! He is a hero in my book

[Indykatie]

27. I'm in the 55+ AA Female Demo But Biden Also Has Deep Support with My White Friends/Colleagues

in my age cohort. A recent Q has Biden polling 41% with AAs. That's impressive in such a crowded field. He has a full reservoir of good will in the AA community for a number of reasons but his loyalty to Obama ranks high on the list. Attacks on Biden about the crime bill doesn't hurt Biden with AAs old enough to know what the environment was like in the 90s. Same with him working across the aisle. It's why he has managed to usher legislation through the Senate unlike some others who have little to show for their long Senate careers.

[Thekaspervote]

53. Thx for posting .. from your insider perspective

[NYMinute]

28. Biden is authentic and not rehearsed nt

[Thekaspervote]

31. +1000

[progressoid]

37. Definitely not rehearsed.

[Sloumeau]

32. Thank you for this posting! :)

I am an enthusiastic Biden supporter!

[eilen]

35. I have not made a decision yet as to who I want to support 100%

in the primaries. I have a shortlist though and Biden is on it. Demographics wise I am 55, college educated, white middle class white woman that lives in the suburbs on the East Coast.

But it bothers me that he and his campaign do not take the time to be exact in stories like this-- to me it is an unforced error. He is a likable man. There are probably a hundred stories like this that can be sourced and fact checked before he tells them and still be genuine Joe.

I have had enough with bullshit with Trump. But at the same time, I feel like we should take the trouble to be truthful and honest about our narratives because it paves the way for trust when it comes to the big things. I am not saying we should be petty and pick at every little item --people are human beings and some are better at thinking on their feet and sometimes say things the wrong way or get something wrong... just admit it and put out the right thing, what you really meant.

I have to admit, I heard audio of Elizabeth Warren's dress story and was touched--it was emotional and I think touched at least 90% of the people that heard it. She was also very genuine and it was genius how she connected that to government policy and the kitchen table economy of the minimum wage.

I am also impressed by Senators Harris and Klobuchar. Senator Klobuchar is another one with a lot of pragmatic genuine communication. I know she was smeared for being a tough boss. Well, honestly, I don't care about her being bossy. I saw the documentary with Beto and he was tough too and I don't hear him being lambasted for it.

[Demsrule86]

49. I don't believe he was wrong...media questioned all these folks looking for this...

It could and most likely was a hit job. I don't believe anything about biden these days...the media's attacks just make me like him more.

[AtheistCrusader]

36. White male privilege is a hell of a drug.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

40. Ah, yup.

[NeoGreen]

41. DING!...

...we have a winner!

[emmaverybo]

57. And you think Obama would have spent whole days for eight years with Biden if his VP were high

on white male privilege?

A guy I grew up,with, psychologist, started a course at a well known university dedicated to the study of white privilege many years before the term was common parlance.

He was “woke” and he woke many students.

He was a white male. He had privilege and used it in all the right ways. People can use their privilege for the good or be corrupted by it.

Biden is a very poor example of what it appears you are trying to get at here.

[Act_of_Reparation]

61. You're talking about the same Joe Biden Obama selected as VP to appeal to older white voters?

Fascinating.

[emmaverybo]

65. He selected him, a seasoned hand, to give him, relatively a newbie, greater credibility as well

as for his foreign policy cred, which Obama lacked. To your point, are you indicting Obama for knowing that politically he needed white as well as black voters, young and old, from a broad
spectrum left to center?

My point still stands. Biden has never been intoxicated with white male privilege. He is well aware of it however, and the intersectional economic resources that gave him, relatively speaking, an easier time dealing with raising two sons alone and going through Beau’s grave illness. He has made a point of acknowledging this.

Our front-runner has fought for civil rights for all, going all the way back to his going toe to toe with George Schultz, by proxy, Reagan, over apartheid.

[Act_of_Reparation]

68. Is this a counter-argument?

Because it reads more like a campaign ad.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

62. I think there are two problems with your analysis.

1. I don't think it is talking about Biden but those that trust him that are relying on race. Biden is just the recipient of the privilege in that people trust whites more.
2. Him being the recipient of privilege doesn't mean he is racist. I'm sure the guy you grew up with would agree that people trusting Biden more is likely a result, to a good degree, of that privilege. I know from their writings that Coates and Wise would agree with that.

And if we are going to excuse Biden from being the recipient of white privilege, then you are making the term meaningless. He clearly is the recipient of it.

[emmaverybo]

66. I never said he wasn't. So was my friend who was teaching the corrupting power of "white privilege"

years before it was even a common, named concept. As I said, one can do good or bad in the world with one’s privilege. Biden has done a lot of good for civil rights for all.

[AtheistCrusader]

63. I have fun anecdotal stories too.

Once upon a time, a woman was Precinct Committee Officer in my local precinct. I'd never met her. Never seen her. She didn't seem super active, or really, even present. No communications, no outreach, nothing. So I threw my hat in the ring.

I did no campaigning. No door to door. I knew fewer than 5 households in the neighborhood.

Guess who won handily?

And it's not like there was voter fatigue because her name didn't appear on the ballot year over year, unless/until challenged. Nobody knew who either of us were. I beat her by a 29% margin. Voter sample size of ~350


If you think I was suggesting *Biden* is "high on white male privilege", then I know you didn't understand me, and think you don't understand WMP, particularly how it relates to the calculus of candidate/voter appeal.

I'll give you a hint. When a Black man ran for president, the subtext of the OP was not applied to him. It was applied to Romney and McCain. Biden isn't applying it to himself, and McCain/Romney didn't apply it to themselves. It's done FOR them.

[emmaverybo]

67. I can read your mind? Fine, no argument. I expressed the view that Biden has used his

privilege well. You can disagree. The

[AtheistCrusader]

69. That's not the point.

'He has used his privilege well' is not a useful counterpoint to an observation that 'he enjoys considerable white male privilege' while running against women, women of color, etc.

[emmaverybo]

70. There is no useful counterpoint to your observation.

[AtheistCrusader]

72. I tend to agree.

[Scurrilous]

42. K&R

[Gothmog]

44. Washington Post-Opinion: Democrats want to beat Trump. Biden wants to be the one to do it.

Link to tweet

“As president,” asked a young boy in gray jeans and matching T-shirt, “how will you fix the damage Donald Trump has caused?” The gym exploded, as if the Clinton College Golden Bears basketball team had scored a buzzer beater in a championship game. And Biden relished the moment to remind the gathered, “It’s time we lift our heads up and remember who we are. … I refuse to postpone the opportunity” to change the direction of the country.

As a raft of polls have shown, Biden is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president. Still, I couldn’t shake the impression that the passion on that basketball court was more about defeating Trump than supporting anyone specifically. When I sat down with Biden for an interview on my Cape Up podcast last week, I asked him whether my impression was right; that what Democrats want most is to send Trump packing. They don’t care who it is as long as they are convinced that “who” will succeed.

“There is a real passion for getting rid of Donald Trump,” Biden told me. “But I think there is a lot of passion for electing somebody who they think can, in fact, repair the damage that Trump has done, and to actually bring the country back together and unite the country on the basic fundamental things that make America America.” Sure, Biden thinks he is that person, and that’s why he’s leading the crowded Democratic field. “That’s why I think you see the response to the soul-of-America argument I’m making,” he continued, “because they know how deeply I feel it.”....

Eugene Robinson got it right. “Voters are making up their own minds about what’s important in Biden’s performance and what’s not,” Robinson wrote in his Monday column. “I think they’re looking for ‘electability,’ whatever that means; they’re looking for a fighter who won’t back down; and they’re looking for leadership.

[emmaverybo]

52. Trust and like-ability. I think Americans also realize how competent Biden is despite the occasional

gaffe. He’s the one with the track-record at the higher level of government.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

54. Trust me, not all of us like him on a gut level.

[RockRaven]

55. Guess I'm not "people" b/c I happily voted for him x2 for VP(only times I ever had him on my ballot)

BUT I do not "trust Joe Biden" nor do I "like him on a gut level" nor does "what he has accomplished" "give me comfort" nor would I say that "if VP Biden is elected I can sleep at night"

I *will* say that if my choices are Biden or Trump for POTUS then I will vote for Biden faster than my VERY. NEXT. HEARTBEAT.

I see no need to engage in praising the Dear Leader or voicing other weirdo platitudes.

[TreasonousBastard]

58. Obviously. some people here don't trust him so much. But, that's not the point...

Face it-- very few people actually vote with their heads not their hearts. Everyone likes to claim they make informed choices, but how many really do? How many fully understand the issues they claim to be voting on?

What great plans did JFK have that led us to vote for him? Did Carter have great plans, or did we just trust him to set the ship of state right after Nixon upset it?

And on it goes. Every Presidential candidate since at least Jefferson has fed us a bunch of bullshit while running. "A chicken in every pot!" has always been the rallying cry and promised giveaway.

OK, maybe Ike didn't have to bullshit us-- we damn well knew what he did and could do.

So, to today...

The country was unhappy for some reason, and decided to give an untested outsider a chance. Bad idea. We ended up with the most corrupt, incompetent, troublesome choice we ever had. Why on earth would anyone choose another wild card with no real track record?

Nope, the country wants to return to stability and world leadership. No more chances with wild cards that could make things worse.

[Gothmog]

64. Here is why I like Joe

Link to tweet

[Peacetrain]

71. Right to the point!!

[Gothmog]

73. We all have a responsibility to stand up and speak out when we see abuse of power.

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

75. The fight against cancer is personal for me

Link to tweet

[qazplm135]

77. Why are folks trying so hard to

Make Biden inevitable?

If he wins, he wins. If he doesn't, he won't.

[Gothmog]

78. Joe Biden's appeal actually isn't a mystery

Link to tweet

Biden shows reverence for the most popular Democrat around, former president Barack Obama; others find fault in everything from the Affordable Care Act to immigration policy. Biden does not bombard voters with a torrent of multi-part plans; he gives them a few basic positions and defends them. Biden does not campaign from the neck up; he campaigns with his heart on his sleeve. Biden is deeply optimistic; his opponents think Americans are the problem, not Trump. (I don’t suggest that his opponents are wrong, merely that their stance apparently isn’t as popular as they thought.) Biden wants normalcy plus reform; his opponents want a peaceful revolution. Biden knows people want to be heard and seen; his opponents (with the exception of Sen. Kamala D. Harris) don’t fully grasp this. They want to “help," to pepper people with ideas and a to-do list, while Biden takes the time to listen to them. (Think of the well-meaning friend who has a thousand suggestions when you are grieving and you’d rather they just shut up and commiserate.)

This is the grouchy-white-guy-in-the-diner problem all over again. Reporters are blinded by their own age, background, education and geography. Instead of going to West Virginia diners to find the Trump voter, reporters should go talk to the residents of The Villages in Florida, the African American churchgoing ladies and the buttoned-down professionals in the affluent suburbs (the Romney-Clinton voters). These people have endured a noisy, offensive and intrusive presence in the White House. They don’t necessarily want a different noisy, intrusive presence — even one they agree with on substance.

Part of the “mystery” of Biden’s appeal would be solved if the moderators flipped their questions, as one smart Democrat not in the Biden camp put it. Instead of asking Biden or another moderate, “Why aren’t you going with the big, bold idea of Medicare-for-all?,” the moderators might consider asking Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) or Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), “Why blow up Obamacare, and why don’t you trust people to choose Medicare if given the option?” Instead of assuming that extreme proposals are the standard, requiring the moderates to explain why they are such wet blankets, the moderators should press the super-progressives on questions such as: What makes you think that voters want to go through another health-care makeover? Why should poorer people pay for richer people’s health care or subsidize their college debt?

Better yet, ask the candidates to relate the personal story from a voter who moved them the most, or the last voter whose phone number they took so that the candidate could call later, or the most insightful thing they have heard from a voter. It might reveal who is talking at voters and who is listening to them.

[Gothmog]

79. The hardest job for the next president may be fixing Trump's mess

This is one of the reasons why I think that Joe Biden is the best candidate. Who ever is the nominee will have to be prepared to fix all of the damage that trump has done to our government. https://beta.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-hardest-job-for-the-next-president-may-be-fixing-trumps-mess/2019/09/16/e16216fe-d8bf-11e9-ac63-3016711543fe_story.html

Perhaps the most straightforward and least complicated undertaking, since it would be entirely within the next president’s purview, is rebuilding the executive branch from the corrupted ruin Trump will leave behind.

One of the most underreported stories about the Trump administration is its basic incompetence. Perhaps Trump’s biggest con of all was convincing his supporters that he was some sort of business wizard with a genius for management. In truth, the Trump Organization was a mom-and-pop family business that he repeatedly micromanaged to the brink of collapse. He is doing exactly the same with the government of the United States.

The White House itself is less like “The West Wing” than “Game of Thrones.” Courtiers vie for the favor of the Mad King, unable or unwilling to perform normal duties for fear of risking Trump’s ire. Usually, the White House is a place where information from outside sources is synthesized and digested so the president can make the best possible decisions. Under Trump, the flow is reversed — his whims, however ill-informed or contradictory or just plain loopy, are tweeted out and must be made into policy.

Agencies vital to our national security — including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — lumber along, month after month, without permanent leadership. “It’s easier to make moves when they’re acting,” Trump has said, but really the situation reflects his own insecurity. By keeping his underlings weak and beholden only to him, he limits their power — and thus hamstrings the departments they nominally lead.

Joe Biden is the best candidate to repair the damage done by trump. I think that the repair of this damage will keep the next Democratic President very busy.

[Gothmog]

80. Biden's Electability Advantage Will Be Hard to Shake Among Risk-Averse Democrats

Link to tweet

The most obvious is Biden’s consistent strength in head-to-head polls against Trump. You can remind people all day long that these are unreliable indicators of how a general-election campaign will actually play out, but they won’t be able to ignore them. And Biden’s advantage here is significant. There is not a single poll in the RealClearPolitics database of 2020 trial heats between Biden and Trump in which Biden does not lead. His current lead in RCP’s polling averages is an enormous 11.5 percent (Sanders’s is 7.0 percent, and Warren’s is 5.2 percent, but both have trailed Trump in some surveys).

A second factor making Biden Mr. Electable is the widespread belief among pundits and voters alike that, all things being equal, proximity to the political “center” is a general-election asset. The more we approach a three-candidate nominating contest in which Biden’s only real challenge comes from Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the more Biden’s relative “moderation” will become evident. That may hurt him with some primary voters, but it could at the same time enhance his perceived electability.

A third factor some analysts focus on is the practical ability to win voters the party lost in 2016 — either to Trump or to third parties or to the living-room couch. There’s at best limited evidence that Biden is more popular than other Democrats in the much-chewed-over white working-class demographic (especially Obama-Trump voters). But he certainly talks about his focus on these voters a lot, which enhances the perception they are his people. And he certainly has conspicuous strength among African-American voters, whose fall-off in turnout was a big problem for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Biden does not look like a good bet to energize younger voters, but Trump might well do that for him...…

“Risk-averse” is probably the most important term to remember in assessing Democratic voters heading toward 2020. They still don’t entirely understand how Hillary Clinton managed to lose to Donald Trump in 2016, but they aren’t inclined to take anything for granted this time around. And that will make it difficult for candidates other than Biden to convince Democrats their other qualities are worth taking a bit of a risk on. Sure, Biden could in theory blow himself up with some high-profile gaffe that undermines the very premise of his candidacy. But that’s not within anyone else’s control.

[Peacetrain]

81. Love this!!! thanks for posting