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

[Gothmog]

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.

[Cha]

1. This is important, too, that I got from one of your posts..

Link to tweet

[emmaverybo]

3. Oh yes, yes, yes. "Reeks of white privilege" this discounting his support, and I would add,

of ageism on an across the boards basis. Do we now take older African Americans as un-woke, when it is they who soldiered in the front lines during the civil rights movement?

[Cha]

5. Yes.. "ageism", too, emmaverybo.. I've

seen so many posts lately trying to smear Joe Biden with age.. not just mention it.

This kind of talk doesn't help their candidates, afaic.

Good point about the older African Americans who are for Joe Biden. I do trust their experience and knowledge in choosing their candidate for our Nominee.

I would never talk about anyone's age if I didn't want him/her for our Candidate.. and I never have.

[Tiggeroshii]

2. Cool! If he's the nominee, I'll be enthusiastically supporting him.

As with anybody else who becomes the nominee.

[emmaverybo]

4. I take your point, Tiggeroshil, though you don't respond to the post. We have all so vowed.

[Thekaspervote]

6. Thx Gothmog! Why it's so hard for some to see this.... just don't know

Such a positive upbeat man... love the smile...always a smile

[Ninga]

7. Time is either our ally or enemy. While all written makes sense. It's still too early.

There is nearly four months until Iowa caucus kicks off the primaries.

Steady as she goes.