The great identity crisis of candidate Joe Biden
By: George Evans-Jones
Tags: Politics, Campaign, Democrats, Joe Biden, Elections

They say a week is a long time in politics, well, for Joe Biden, who first ran for President in 1988, he is more aware of that political cliche than most. Indeed, in September 1987, after being accused of multiple accounts of plagiarism, fabrication and exaggeration, he vowed to solider on. A week later, he withdrew.

Fast forward twenty years and he was cast in the shadow of both Obama and Clinton who were competing to be the first African American and the first woman to lead a major party in US history; that zeitgeist was too powerful for him to content with. It is, though, worth examining Joe Biden 1988 and Joe Biden 2019 — they are very different candidates yet joined in their inability to adequately define their own campaign’s image.

In the late 1980s, the youthful Senator from Delaware was an exciting name in the Democrat party. Since his will-he-won’t-he run four years early in 1984, Biden developed a reputation as one of the most impressive speakers in the party. He was a skilled legislator, too, grilling Secretary of State George Schultz during the summer of 1986 for the Reagan administrations support of South Africa during apartheid.

This all contributed to the successful framing of his first Presidential run as a candidate able to usher in energetic, systemic change, capable of uprooting a Republican era of Presidents and taking the Democrat mantle off the late Ted Kennedy, whom he had been compared to — even if his candidacy ultimately ended in failure. In June 1987 however, and aged just 45, Biden formally joined the race.

During this run, Biden liked to say Presidential campaigns came in waves; some candidates stand for radical progress, others ‘let America catch its breath’. Of course, then, he was very much the candidate of change. Now of course, aged 76, that image is no longer justified.

Biden’s identity crisis is compounded by the field in which he is competing in. It is a field defined by its diversity, a field of over twenty with several women, POC, and different levels of political experience all being represented. Biden’s 1988 identity seems impossible in 2019. Where does that leave him now, then?

It leads him towards an attempt to pitch himself as the elder statesman, the President who can ‘let American catch its breath’, the President who can steady the ship and put America back on track. There are three major problems he may face if this is the 2019 identity he chooses.

For most young voters, they’re either unaware or don’t care about his 1988 run, Biden’s name recognition comes from his time as VP under Obama, another source of Biden’s identity. This no doubt helped elevate his standing amongst voters and Biden was able to ride the coattails of Obama’s popularity. Who knows, if he had occupied a different Cabinet position (say, Secretary of State), which had more direct responsibility, would he have been so popular now?

Obama was unique, though. The context of which he was elected was unique and yes, the colour of his skin was unique for a President at that time. We do not live in those times now and, even if we did, Biden simply lacks the skill Obama had. While eight years as Vice President under a generally popular President would probably be an asset to most, Biden ought to be cautious about attempting to align himself with a 2008 campaign. Similarly, another one of Biden’s perceived assets is not as powerful as it may have been. As a former Senate heavyweight who oversaw the Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, his resume is impressive, but once more, Biden’s handling of Anita Hill and his vote for the Iraq War go along way to negating much of the impact this experience has. Even if Biden was able to successfully frame his campaign in this context, the idea that voters are searching for a steady-the-ship candidate is no guarantee. Second to Biden in the polls is his Senate colleague Bernie Sanders, who, while he has ran for President before, is a certified Independent and unequivocally Left. Behind Sanders, two woman; Harris and Warren, then Beto and Buttigieg — hardly a group that representing a county looking to ‘catch its breath’

Biden has real difficulty then. Despite his claims otherwise, he is quite obviously not the most progressive in the field; his youthful oratory and appearance are not longer there. However, his alternative identity this time round is equally unwelcome.

Despite Biden’s lead being chipped away this week, his campaign may be confident enough that his name recognition carry him to a point where they can at least defer one of the biggest strategic decisions his campaign will have to make. His competitors don’t look like they’re waiting around, though. Fox News town halls, exclusive small donor campaigns, enormous spending on social media — the Democrat candidates are innovating. On the other hand, Biden has not done a town hall and he was absent from the weekend’s California Democrat Convention. Biden is in hiding and is yet to make his possibly final career defining decision.