Former Vice President Joe Biden is taking his sweet time in deciding if he’s going to run for President in 2020. But a look at his plans might determine the answer anyway.
CNBC interviewed an anonymous source from Twitter who said Obama’s Vice President was receiving advice from an unnamed Twitter executive. While Biden said most recently that he was still thinking about running, members of his staff revealed a plan to hire 20 social media experts, as well as partner with viral liberal media outlet NowThis. Biden told an audience on February 26, “We’ve been getting briefings from the most advanced people in the country who run these major platforms.”
One of these people, president of NowThisNews Athan Stephanopoulos, confirmed all the major topics that Biden would rely on in viral media in order to spark attention with voters.
Beto O’Rourke, the Texas Democrat who lost against Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2018, benefited from his partnership with Stephanopoulos. Politico asserted that “viral videos … are poised to play a key role in shaping the Democratic presidential primary, introducing 2020 candidates to their massive social followings and turning contenders into trends.”
Seven op-ed videos have already been created by NowThis following different Democratic presidential hopefuls, including Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
According to Stephanopoulos, videos centered around Biden would address immigration, criminal justice reform, and climate change, presumably key elements of Biden’s campaign. Biden isn’t the only one consulting with NowThis, though: Sanders, who already announced his campaign, hired a senior member from the company to help him create material.
At the University of Delaware, Biden told historian Jon Meacham that while he was “very close” to making “a decision,” he wasn’t ready to announce just yet. A member of the audience yelled out, “Just say yes!” The former Vice President responded, “But I’m not there yet.”
But he’s ready enough to consult with and hire social media experts.
