History will tell us Joe Biden isn’t dead politically…just yet.
In ’76…upstart Ronald Reagan staggered incumbent Gerald Ford coming out of the GOP primary gates. Bush 41 caught Ronald Reagan confused and without energy at the Iowa Caucus in ’80. While in ’88, Bush 41, after serving two terms as Ronald Reagan’s vice-president was beaten by GOP insurgent Bob Dole in Iowa.
On the Democratic side, in ’92, Bill Clinton dodging all of his numerous scandals didn’t win a primary until the ninth primary in the campaign season. As recently as 2008, Barack Obama overcame a toxic video of his minister Reverend Wright giving a sermon… which many thought would doom Obama’s campaign.
There is contemporary presidential history which tell us not to bury Joe Biden… just yet. Because in the five instances listed above…Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bush 41, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama came back from bad starts to capture their party’s nomination.
But for Joe Biden it starts this week in Nevada with nothing worse than a second place finish, then the following week in South Carolina with a win.
Joe Biden has to shake off the fact Donald Trump’s impeachment trial hurt him more than it did the CGOTUS (Chief Grifter of the United States) Never ever forget Rick Wilson Rule # 3 …Donald Trump could shoot Chief Justin John Roberts on the streets of Manhattan and the base is still going to be with him.
Ford had the pardon of Nixon clouding his chances. Reagan lost his message early in 1980. Bush 41 in ’88 had to hire Lee Atwater and James Baker to turn his campaign around.
Clinton was trickier in that every week it seemed there was a new woman coming forward he’d slept with in Arkansas, but he somehow weathered the storms. With Obama…it was probably just youth and inexperience more than anything before his campaign steadied with David Axelrod calling the shots.
But for Joe Biden…he has to come out of the gates this Monday. If I were Biden’s manager…I’d have him watch this video and see if that Joe Biden is still around.