At another Democratic Party gathering over the weekend, former Vice President Joe Biden had another slip of the tongue and possibly revealing his 2020 candidacy, saying he had “the most progressive record for anybody running [for president]." Of course, the liberals at ABC and NBC got excited and hyped it up during their Sunday morning news broadcasts.
On NBC’s Sunday Today, correspondent Morgan Radford led into her report by recalling how Biden sat out of the 2016 race following the death of his son, “but now he's back and may have accidentally tipped his hand last night in front of enthusiastic supporters showing that 2020 may be more than a possibility.”
After noting “the crowd roaring with approval”, she touted how Democratic candidate and former Texas Congressman Robert O’Rourke welcomed Biden to the race.
A short time later, anchor Willie Geist sounded playful when questioning Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd about the chances of Biden throwing his hat in. “He keeps, keeps leaving these Easter eggs and dropping these hints about whether or not he may run. Can we assume he's in the race, number one, and number two, when he does get in the race, what does he do in the field?”
“We should be treating him as a presidential candidate that hasn’t filed the papers yet,” Todd joked. “I mean, my God, we all have sources of the ‘fundraiser whose agreed to throw the first fundraiser’ and things like that. It is all happening, they're just literally doing the infrastructure.”
Things weren’t much different on ABC’s Good Morning America. White House correspondent Tara Palmeri briefly noted that New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had launched her own campaign but almost immediately dismissed it with a recent poll, comparing her to Biden:
In this recent Des Moines Register/CNN poll that surveyed Iowa Democratic caucus-goers, not a single respondent named her as a first choice. But in that same poll, Joe Biden, who has yet to announce his candidacy, is leading the pack.
“All signs are now that he wants to get into this race, and he comes in with a lot of advantages. He's widely liked to cross with Democratic Party. What Democrats are looking for most, this time around, is someone they think can beat Donald Trump. He scores high on that as well,” This Week host George Stephanopoulos told co-anchor Dan Harris after Palmeri’s report.
But Todd and Stephanopoulos did have some words of caution and doubt about Biden.
“Also, he is running in an environment where a lot of the energy on the Democratic side is with those who are far more left-wing than Joe Biden has been,” Stephanopoulos said, after noting Biden’s history of gaffes. “The question is, even if he's a strong candidate against Donald Trump in the general election, can he get through the primaries?”
Todd warned about what Iowa voters were looking for: “[T]hese voters are shopping, they’re looking for new. They’re drawn to new. They’re drawn to something unfamiliar, not familiar. They like Joe Biden but it’s somebody they know. (…) He’s got to figure out how to make his candidacy seem new, seem fresh, seem forward-looking. And I think that's a huge challenge for him.”
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
March 17, 2019
8:08:34 a.m. Eastern(…)
TARA PALMERI: In this recent Des Moines Register/CNN poll that surveyed Iowa Democratic caucus-goers, not a single respondent named her [Kirsten Gillibrand] as a first choice. But in that same poll, Joe Biden, who has yet to announce his candidacy, is leading the pack. Overnight, Biden teasing his decision at a fundraiser in Delaware.
JOE BIDEN: I'm told I get criticized by the new left. I have the most progressive record of anybody running for the – of anybody who would run. [Crowd cheers] [Transition] I didn't mean that.
PALMERI: And calling out President Trump with a message of unity.
BIDEN: Everybody knows who he is. We have got to be clear of who we are. We Democrats, we choose hope over fear.
(…)
8:10:25 a.m. Eastern
DAN HARRIS: So, what about Joe Biden's slip of the tongue there? This guy, all but in?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah, I think so. Listen. He could walk up to the line again and say, “No, I'm not going to run,” but he has been talking to potential financial supporters. Been talking to potential staff. All signs are now that he wants to get into this race, and he comes in with a lot of advantages. He's widely liked to cross with Democratic Party. What Democrats are looking for most, this time around, is someone they think can beat Donald Trump. He scores high on that as well.
But, you know, you saw the slip of the tongue, and one of his liabilities. Setting that one aside, not too serious, but he has had trouble in the past making gaffes out on the campaign trail. Also, he is running in an environment where a lot of the energy on the Democratic side is with those who are far more left-wing than Joe Biden has been. The question is, even if he's a strong candidate against Donald Trump in the general election, can he get through the primaries?
HARRIS: That's the really tricky dynamic.
(…)
NBC’s Sunday Today
March 17, 2019
8:05:46 a.m. Eastern(…)
MORGAN RADFORD: The question right now is, will he or won’t he? Joe Biden pasted up a chance to run in 2016, but now he's back and may have accidentally tipped his hand last night in front of enthusiastic supporters showing that 2020 may be more than a possibility.
[Cuts to video]
Joe Biden, known for the occasional slip of a tongue when he was vice president, possibly making another one when he spoke at a Democratic dinner in Delaware last night.
JOE BIDEN: I have the most progressive record for anybody running for the – of anybody who would run.
RADFORD: The crowd roaring with approval.
BIDEN: I didn't mean it.
RADFORD: Biden laughing and making the sign of the cross. One of Biden's potential rivals, former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke, welcoming him to run.
(…)
8:08:20 a.m. Eastern
WILLIE GEIST: I want to ask you first about Joe Biden. He keeps, keeps leaving these Easter eggs and dropping these hints about whether or not he may run. Can we assume he's in the race, number one, and number two, when he does get in the race, what does he do in the field?
CHUCK TODD: Ah, yes. We should be treating him as a presidential candidate that hasn’t filed the papers yet. I mean, my god, we all have sources of the “fundraiser whose agreed to throw the first fundraiser” and things like that. It is all happening, they're just literally doing the infrastructure.
I can tell you this. I was in Iowa over the weekend, Willie, and it was a fresh reminder that these Iowans are going to be looking for new. I think the biggest warning sign I would have both Joe Biden, and frankly, it’s Bernie Sanders as well, these voters are shopping, they’re looking for new. They’re drawn to new. They’re drawn to something unfamiliar, not familiar. They like Joe Biden but it’s somebody they know.
Can he withstand, sort of, six months of this and then be the guy at the end to say, “well, all right, I am going to go with Biden.” That feels like what their candidacy is going to be. He’s got to figure out how to make his candidacy seem new, seem fresh, seem forward looking. And I think that's a huge challenge for him.
(…)
