CNN's Jim Acosta sang Vice President Joe Biden's praises on Wednesday's Legal View, mere moments after the Democrat announced that he was not running for president: "It was extraordinary political theater to be out here...it was unbelievable to see us all called together at the very last minute to witness what we just saw. But, in many ways, it was a kind of a fitting sign-off for this vice president." Acosta added that "the way that Joe Biden, sort of, wrapped up his time here in Washington...it was quite something to watch." [video below]
Near the beginning of his report from the White House Rose Garden, the correspondent pointed out that Biden "seemed to be...really critiquing Hillary Clinton's comments, especially when labeling Republicans as enemies — that the Vice President had to get a message across; and that message was that people in Washington ought to be getting along a lot better than they are right now." Acosta continued by asserting that "quite frankly, that's a message that, I think, is going to resonate with a lot of Americans no matter their political stripe."
The CNN journalist then contended that "Vice President Biden was just really staring at reality in the face. I think he was looking at just how far out in front Hillary Clinton was, in terms of organization, fundraising....she had done the homework. She had done the legwork, the groundwork to build a formidable organization; and Vice President Biden just had not done that."
Acosta also reported that there apparent "doubts about whether or not Vice President Biden could pull this off....I talked to one senior official just recently, who said there's nobody in the White House that has a box of Joe Biden signs behind their desk." He added that "they just see Hillary Clinton as somebody who is going to protect; and perhaps, extend President Obama's legacy; and there were some, quite frankly, fearful in this White House who thought that...Joe Biden had the potential to really ruin all of that if he were unsuccessful...in the general election campaign."
The transcript of Jim Acosta's report from the October 21, 2015 edition of CNN's Legal View:
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD: I want to bring in our senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta, who's standing by live right now. Jim, the one question, I think, a lot of people would have hearing the Vice President say, 'While I'm not running, I will not be silent.' Does that mean he will be vocal for one candidate over the other — I'm asking if he's going to endorse Hillary Clinton — if that's just obvious; or, maybe, not so much?
JIM ACOSTA: Yeah. I think it's a little too early for endorsements, Ashleigh. I think Vice President Biden will be active in this campaign. I think if Hillary Clinton is named the nominee of this party, that Vice President Biden will be out there enthusiastically supporting her. I think at this point, just based on the Vice President's comments over the last few days, in which he seemed to be — you know, really critiquing Hillary Clinton's comments, especially when labeling Republicans as enemies — that the Vice President had to get a message across; and that message was that people in Washington ought to be getting along a lot better than they are right now. And, you know, quite frankly, that's a message that, I think, is going to resonate with a lot of Americans no matter their political stripe. But I think that will come in time. I think all — all wounds heal in time.
But at the same time, Ashleigh, I think Vice President Biden was just really staring at reality in the face. I think he was looking at just how far out in front Hillary Clinton was, in terms of organization, fundraising. You know, they just put out a list of mayors across the country who had endorsed her. You know, she had — she had done the homework. She had done the legwork, the groundwork to build a formidable organization; and Vice President Biden just had not done that.
I mean, the only key player that he had been talking in recent days that we know about, who was mobilizing to support him, was the international firefighters union. I talked to the president of that union a few times over the last few days — Harold Schaitberger sounded very revved up — the president of that union — over the weekend — sounding very much like Joe Biden was going to jump into this race. I talked to him last night and this morning. He didn't sound so revved up. So clearly, something changed in the last 48 to 72 hours. It sounds as though the Vice President and his team were coming to this conclusion, and this is why we heard Vice President Biden say what he said a few moments ago.
But, you know, despite that warm reception that the Vice President had here, Ashleigh, I should caution everybody that even here at the White House, there were — there were doubts about whether or not Vice President Biden could pull this off. You know, I talked to one senior official just recently, who said there's nobody in the White House that has a box of Joe Biden signs behind their desk; and partly that — while there is deep affection for Joe Biden here, they just don't think he was going to be able to overcome what Hillary Clinton had put together in the months leading up to where we are right now.
Having said all that, are there some here at the White House who would love to see Joe Biden run for president and be president? Absolutely! But they just see Hillary Clinton as somebody who is going to protect; and perhaps, extend President Obama's legacy; and there were some, quite frankly, fearful in this White House who thought that — you know, Joe Biden had the potential to — to really ruin all of that if he were unsuccessful — he would, somehow, get the nomination and be unsuccessful in the general election campaign. That is just the frank, candid assessment among some people here in the White House. They were concerned about Joe Biden getting into this race, and I think there was a lot pressure, quite frankly, on the Vice President to come to this decision.
I just have to say: this was — it was extraordinary political theater to be out here, Ashleigh. I mean, it was unbelievable to see us all called together at the very last minute to witness what we just saw. But, in many ways, it was a kind of a — a fitting sign-off for this vice president. He says he's going to be — he'd be very active, very vocal in the coming months—
BANFIELD: Yeah—
ACOSTA: But the way that Joe Biden, sort of, wrapped up his time here in Washington — talked about what his son means to him and so forth — it was quite something to watch. Ashleigh?
BANFIELD: I got to say: I asked Wolf at the top of the show, is this the best-kept secret in Washington? (Acosta laughs) Because it is not often you can scramble a news conference in the Rose Garden with POTUS standing behind you — with absolutely no one knowing — within minutes of it happening—
ACOSTA: Absolutely—
BANFIELD: And this is proof: (holds up stack of papers) this is the show we had planned for today, and we're not doing it, Jim Acosta. Instead, we are doing this one. Thank you for that.
