In a very unclear message about the 2020 Presidential election, former Vice President Joe Biden says he won’t commit to not running against Donald Trump in 2020. That is to say, he hasn’t decided to run, but he hasn’t decided to rule out running.
Report from WJLA in Washington, DC:
Former Vice President Joe Biden hasn’t decided to run for president in 2020. But he’s decided that he’s “not going to decide not to run.”
Got it?
The 74-year-old Democrat offered a somewhat confusing take on his political future in a series of new interviews ahead of the release of his memoir, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose.” But one thing is clear: Biden thinks he’s the right man to lead the nation.
Biden tells InStyle magazine that “this moment in American history sort of fits into my wheelhouse and the strengths I have.” He cited his experience with diplomacy, his personal authenticity and his willingness to work with both parties.
The scoop comes from a recent interview Biden with Vanity Fair, and clearly he wants to keep his name on the list or he’d be more equivocal in saying he’s ruled it out:
#Exclusive: @JoeBiden's planned 2016 campaign was upended by the death of his son. Why 2020 isn't off the table: https://t.co/35hrSpsfGw
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) October 25, 2017
Biden versus Trump would be an epic battle as neither man is afraid of getting down in the mud. The similarities in their style is striking, and their appeal to a similar slice of voters would also create a real battleground. Biden spent the past couple elections talking about his blue-collar upbringing in Scranton, Pennsylvania. That is Trump’s wheelhouse as he ended up winning the Keystone state over Hillary Clinton in 2016 with the very voters Biden would be targeting.
I think Biden will eventually rule it out, perhaps just due to age. But then again, politicians usually continue to strive for higher office. Having served as VP, there is only one chair left for Biden to sit in, but he’d have to push Trump out of it in 2020 first. Oh, and win a tough Democratic primary, but those are minor details.
