Draft Biden’s First Ad Features Emotional Speech About Family Tragedy

Titled “My Redemption”, the ad, which premiered on NBC’s “TODAY Show”, highlights Biden’s resiliency – potentially foreshadowing another big decision to come – even as the vice president himself has said he’s not sure if he’s ready to commit to a presidential bid so recently after Beau’s death.

It has ramped up fast: despite their candidate’s apparent reluctance, Draft Biden has volunteers in all 50 states, staff in early primary states, more than 200,000 signatures on its petition urging Biden to run, and almost $3 million in its coffers. In that speech, and in the ad, Biden recounts the phone call he got in 1972 telling his family had been in a auto accident.

Biden has not yet announced his plans definitively. This is a politician plotting a political campaign by shamelessly exploiting national sympathy for his personal tragedy.

Biden talked about the importance of Latinos in the election, much like he did at an event for Padilla last October that also featured Amanda Renteria, who at the time was seeking vice president’s endorsement in her congressional race.

It marks an intensifying effort to demonstrate that there is enough financial support among Democratic donors to support a late-breaking entry by Biden, who has spent the past two months considering the presidential race following a mourning period after his 46-year-old son, Beau, died May 30 after a long battle with brain cancer.

Alexander noted: “It all comes as Biden’s aides are blasting as “offensive” and “categorically false” a report accusing him of being politically “calculating” while mourning his son’s passing”.

Sources say the vice president leaked the the story of his son’s deathbed encouragement to the Times columnist to help test a possible presidential run.

The ad ends with a plea: “Joe, run”.

Mike Allen, my former partner on the White House beat for The Washington Post and now the indefatigable chronicler of Beltway wisdom, had the very latest Biden developments Monday morning for Politico.

Supporters have encouraged Mr Biden to challenge fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination as Mrs Clinton’s poll numbers have declined.

“My dad’s definition of success is when you look at your son and daughter and realize they turned out better than you”.

Or had he? CBS’ Julianna Goldman reported Saturday that a decision from Biden “could come as early as within the next seven to 10 days”, and indications were pointing to yes. “Even implicitly his campaign’s argument would be ‘I have integrity and you don’t, ‘” the ally added. One thing that appears more clear is Democrats here are looking for something to get excited about.

When I wrote about Hillary Clinton’s 2000 run for the U.S. Senate for Working Woman magazine, I talked to several feminists about the unease Clinton can evoke among certain women.