Biden-Warren Summit Should Make Hillary Tremble

Vice-President Joe Biden on Saturday left the seclusion of the Delaware home where he has been weighing a presidential run, to meet Elizabeth Warren – another influential Democrat who has faced calls to enter the 2016 race.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (C) stands behind reporters as President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon make statements after their meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., United States August 4, 2015.

Neither Biden aides nor Warren aides would discuss details of the meeting.

Spending time with Biden in Delaware were longtime Biden confidantes Mike Donilon and former Sen.

Already, some Democrats supporting Clinton have indicated that they would reconsider their support if Biden joined the race.

But it is the controversy surrounding her use of a private server for sending emails during her four year stint at the State Department that is denting Clinton’s image and adding to her growing trust deficit even as she remains the favourite of her party. Part of the Biden argument, if he launches, would be on his record of middle-class values, and Warren could help him graft that to the support she’s generated among progressives, particularly younger ones, for taking on the banks and speaking out on income inequality. If the Democratic base perceives that Warren is weighing in against Clinton, Hillary’s hopes are doomed.

Biden’s entry into the race would up-end the primary process.

Donald Trump, the current leading candidate for the Republican nomination, says it would be tougher to beat Biden if he comes up after defeating Clinton in Democratic primaries.

If Biden’s not in by October 1, it will be increasingly hard for him to run, people who have spoken to Biden recently said.

Biden, who supporters and friends expect to make a final decision by sometime in September, would be entering the race extremely late – no more than five months before the Iowa caucuses.

Biden likely asked Warren, if Hillary goes down, what are your intentions? An endorsement eagerly sought by all the democratic presidential candidates.

One panelist also viewed it as a sign of how much influence the left-wing Warren had in the party.

On Sunday, O’Malley repeated his call for more Democratic debates to be held, and sooner, in order for the now five-strong field to outline polices and respond to “hate-mongering” from Trump and others in the 17-strong Republican field on issues including women’s rights and immigration. Separately, the super PAC encouraging Biden to run has set a goal to raise $2.5 million to $3 million in the next six or so weeks. It’s unclear whether Biden would be the favorite in a reshuffled Democratic presidential scrum.