The upcoming announcement of Joe Biden’s vice president may be the most consequential in history. This fact is magnified by a Rasmussen poll that shows 59% of likely voters think Biden is unlikely to finish a four-year term. Astoundingly, this includes 49% of Democrats.
Think about what that means. Almost half of Democrats could be prepared to vote for Biden fully assuming his vice presidential pick will assume the office before 2024 if the Democrat ticket wins. Hopefully, this means some are skeptical of a party that would put an obviously cognitively impaired candidate at the top of the ticket. A recent video from the Trump campaign highlights Biden’s noticeable decline. It is dramatic:
Under these conditions, it is no surprise that Democrats attach more importance to the vice-presidential pick than Republicans or Independents. Fifty-nine percent of Democrats attach importance to it compared to 32% of Republicans and 43% of unaffiliated voters.
These numbers could shift significantly as Biden is forced to leave the basement and debate. As more Americans start to pay attention, more exposure is likely to highlight Biden’s new behaviors. These include becoming confrontational when he is under pressure and losing his train of thought and saying he is done speaking.
It seems the Biden team is hoping the veep pick will take some of the pressure to appear in public off of the nominee. They obviously can’t debate in his stead, but they can hit the campaign trail with more vigor. NBC News is reporting that an experienced team has already been chosen to support the woman he selects.
With Joe Biden’s long-awaited decision on a running mate set to be revealed this week, his campaign has assembled a veteran roster of strategists to help navigate the crucible of a fall campaign.
The team includes a pair of trusted Biden veterans who played key roles during his time in the White House and are familiar with the value and potential pitfalls of being a supporting player on the presidential ticket.
The eventual candidate will need some support. President Trump has already made an issue of Biden’s mental capacity and may make the vice-presidential candidate the focus of attacks. With all of the speculation on the final list to date, opposition research has likely been ongoing.
And speculation is hitting a crescendo. This news could be a complete head fake, but in announcing the line-up of speakers for the Democratic convention, commentators have been taking note of someone who has been left off. While it has been well known that former National Security Advisor Susan Rice has been under consideration, she is not on the list of speakers.
