OPINION:
Joe Biden:
The Unsafe Safe Choice
By Megan Wallin
**This article was first published in January 2019, three months before Joe Biden announced his intent to run in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
Just What ‘Merica Ordered
The obvious: He’s an old, white, male, Catholic, political insider with almost 4 decades of experience in politics. He may be less interesting than Kamala Harris, less hip than Beto O’Rourke, and less compelling than Elizabeth Warren, but Joe Biden has had years to cement his reputation as one of the more trustworthy politicians—if only because he tends to speak his mind, often and for long durations. But even the occasional verbal gaffe seems to work in his favor, furthering his reputation as likable good old Uncle Joe, an “every man”.
Joe Biden is No Ordinary Joe
However, his history has made him everything but an “every man”. Not “every man” graduates from Syracuse University with a law degree while mostly pulling all-nighters and cramming test material. Not “every man” feels as comfortable on the campaign trail as they do on the Late Show. And not “every man” retains sanity in the midst of family tragedy—of which Joe Biden has seen his share.
History of Tragedy
His first wife, Neilia, and their daughter, died in an auto accident in December of 1972, less than a month before he would be sworn into office. Joe Biden was only 30, and one of the youngest senators to date. He was also reeling from the grief and left to care for two young sons. Although he remarried Jill five years later, and later had another daughter, he would be revisited not only by memories of tragedy past but another death. His son, Beau, died of brain cancer at the age of 46. To this Joe Biden credits his decision not to run in 2016.
Pros and Cons for 2020
Joe has not declared his candidacy. One would think that Joe Biden’s history as not only an experienced Senator, but our vice president, would make him a shoe in, but he has his flaws. For one, his alleged long-windedness, which includes arrogant statements and political gaffes, even an accusation of clear plagiarism for one speech, gets him in trouble with constituents on both sides. Some accuse him of being one of the political elites, while others come down on the other side, finding him crass or uncouth. The truth may lie somewhere in the middle.
The Anita Hill Hearings
Of greater significance than a few claims of Joe Biden being boorish are the claims that he, a former student of the law, failed to seek justice. The Anita Hill hearings were in the 1990s, not the 1950s, leaving Biden with little excuse for having not defended her from attacks of her sanity, job qualifications, and moral character. When she alleged that Judge Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her, Biden, with legal prowess and political power, could have set the tone. Instead, he leaned back (and some would say participated) in a ridiculous process of questioning that left Hill’s reputation tarnished and her claims dismissed in a practical mockery.
Joe Biden Was Wrong
With a presidential bid perhaps squarely in his future and reasons to embrace enthusiasm regarding female candidates, Biden now concedes that he should have done more to support her. Hill reports feeling “betrayed” by Biden’s actions—or lack thereof—in light of her testimony, as he didn’t call upon any witnesses who were ready and willing to support her, nor shield her from attacks.
Forward Looking
Humble Origins and Lofty Intentions
According to the polls, Joe Biden, the Scranton, Pennsylvania born senator with a big mouth and folksy charm, has these flaws and more, yet he is currently in the lead for preferred Democratic candidates. This phenomenon may be partly explained by his background and reputation as a man not plagued by loss, but strengthened by it. We are a culture that likes to romanticize the practical, but rarely elect it. Here, we have a practical man with a somewhat romanticized view of the world.
He Talks the Talk
On one hand, Joe Biden is the man who questioned Barack Obama, his running mate and (by that time) President, about our spending in Afghanistan versus our spending in Pakistan. On another, this man traded stories of grief with Stephen Colbert on the Late Show. For that moment, the otherwise political narrative became decidedly pensive and bordered on the whimsical, as they traded topics of policy for matters of the heart.
He Lives Politics
For a man who has been in politics nearly all of his life, Joe Biden is expressive and open in ways many could label naive. Joe told Vanity Fair writer David Kamp: “I just realized I wasn’t ready,” noting that the second year after a loss is always harder than the first. The grief, he explained, is more profound as those who supported you that first year begin to confidently leave you to your own resources.
A Crowd Pleaser
That natural sense of ease with which Joe Biden can induce a crowd to have a conversation with him while they’re simply listening to him speak may be the gift that gives him a real chance at a run in 2020. He also has a passion for what he’s saying that automatically bleeds into a passion for the campaign trail. In the same Vanity Fair interview wherein he discussed his son’s death, Biden compared his style to that of Obama’s. “Barack would rather speak to a million people than speak to 30,” he said. “But I think I can do both. I really, really enjoy what I do.”
The Importance of Being…Not Hillary
Joe Biden didn’t miss a beat. He went on with his usual candor, implying that Hillary Clinton didn’t have the joy for campaigning that he does, and…perhaps that wasn’t entirely her dream. But if we are to believe on thing about him, it’s that he has it: the enthusiasm, the joy, the dream. Now all he needs is the chance.
