Morning Joe: Joe Biden ‘Has to Talk Himself Out’ of Running for President in 2020
The way Morning Joe sees it, former Vice President Joe Biden might be one of the most viable candidates for defeating President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
Joe Scarborough and his colleagues had a conversation on Wednesday about whether Biden will enter the crowded field of Democrats pursuing the Oval Office. Scarborough noted that Biden has the most favorable chances so far in 2020 polling data, and Mike Barnicle figured that Biden is still undecided because “he wants to maybe lengthen the game and announce the end of March or this month.”
“He wants to run, right?” Willie Geist asked. “He has to be talked out of it at this point, fair to say?”
“He has to talk himself out of it,” Barnicle agreed.
Katty Kay wondered what Biden might be waiting for after thinking about running for the last 2 years.
“There are people who said he will run if he feels there’s not another Democrat in the race that can beat Trump. I don’t know the degree I buy that, but I’m not sure what changes between now and the middle of March. He knows he’s in the field and knows what the field looks like. If he hasn’t made up his mind by now after two years, what’s he looking for?”
The conversation continued with a reflection on how progressive ideology has become the leading factor among Democrats seeking office. As Scarborough highlighted the division between progressives and moderates, he noted that victory is the most important goal for Democrats, so “if a progressive voter in Iowa thinks Joe Biden is going to beat Donald Trump, they’ll vote for Joe Biden.”
“The core of Joe Biden’s argument is ‘I can win back the people that cost us the election last time,'” said Geist. “If he feels the party is drifting to the left and can fill that lane and bring those people back, he ought to jump in.”
Watch above, via MSNBC.
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