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| Joe Biden’s Old-Fashioned Campaign | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Hi. Welcome to On Politics, your guide to the day in national politics. I’m Lisa Lerer, your host. | Hi. Welcome to On Politics, your guide to the day in national politics. I’m Lisa Lerer, your host. |
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| Joe Biden cruised through the first six weeks of his third presidential run. He still leads the polls. Famously gaffe-prone, he has (largely) stayed on message. And he has avoided getting into a prolonged back-and-forth over his positions — past and current. | Joe Biden cruised through the first six weeks of his third presidential run. He still leads the polls. Famously gaffe-prone, he has (largely) stayed on message. And he has avoided getting into a prolonged back-and-forth over his positions — past and current. |
| But that sweet Trans Am of a campaign hit some speed bumps this week. Mr. Biden hasn’t run for office solo since 2008. And over the past few days, things have felt a touch, well, vintage. | But that sweet Trans Am of a campaign hit some speed bumps this week. Mr. Biden hasn’t run for office solo since 2008. And over the past few days, things have felt a touch, well, vintage. |
| • On Wednesday, Mr. Biden’s campaign confirmed that he still backs the Hyde Amendment, a measure that prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion. His position on the amendment puts Mr. Biden not just out of step with his rivals, but also at odds with the official Democratic platform. | • On Wednesday, Mr. Biden’s campaign confirmed that he still backs the Hyde Amendment, a measure that prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion. His position on the amendment puts Mr. Biden not just out of step with his rivals, but also at odds with the official Democratic platform. |
| “Democratic women, Hillary Clinton and the larger progressive universe fought to insure the repeal of Hyde as a plank in the Democratic national platform,” said Stephanie Schriock, the president of Emily’s List, which supports Democrats who favor abortion rights. “We should really demand that our presidential candidates stand by that platform.” | “Democratic women, Hillary Clinton and the larger progressive universe fought to insure the repeal of Hyde as a plank in the Democratic national platform,” said Stephanie Schriock, the president of Emily’s List, which supports Democrats who favor abortion rights. “We should really demand that our presidential candidates stand by that platform.” |
| Mr. Biden’s position could be interpreted as a general-election play — an effort to win more socially conservative, white working-class voters in the Rust Belt. But, to state the obvious, he has not yet won the nomination. And at a time when numerous Republican-led states are trying to effectively outlaw abortion, his stance and history on the issue could very well hurt him with Democratic voters, who increasingly see abortion rights as nonnegotiable. | Mr. Biden’s position could be interpreted as a general-election play — an effort to win more socially conservative, white working-class voters in the Rust Belt. But, to state the obvious, he has not yet won the nomination. And at a time when numerous Republican-led states are trying to effectively outlaw abortion, his stance and history on the issue could very well hurt him with Democratic voters, who increasingly see abortion rights as nonnegotiable. |
| (Mr. Biden is out of sync with his party on more than just abortion. This week, he continued defending his 1994 crime bill, a law that most Democrats now oppose and say contributed to mass incarceration, and which even former President Bill Clinton has backed away from.) | (Mr. Biden is out of sync with his party on more than just abortion. This week, he continued defending his 1994 crime bill, a law that most Democrats now oppose and say contributed to mass incarceration, and which even former President Bill Clinton has backed away from.) |
| • On Tuesday, Mr. Biden’s campaign acknowledged that it had copied some lines of its climate and education policy plans from various studies and online articles. Now, Mr. Biden’s operation isn’t the only campaign that has lifted language from policy papers and academic research without attribution. But he is the only candidate who had a past presidential run effectively end because of charges of plagiarism, leaving him easily haunted by his past mistakes. | • On Tuesday, Mr. Biden’s campaign acknowledged that it had copied some lines of its climate and education policy plans from various studies and online articles. Now, Mr. Biden’s operation isn’t the only campaign that has lifted language from policy papers and academic research without attribution. But he is the only candidate who had a past presidential run effectively end because of charges of plagiarism, leaving him easily haunted by his past mistakes. |
| • At a time when many Democrats disavow super PACs and reject money from federal lobbyists, Mr. Biden is focused on vacuuming up as much cash as possible, embracing big donors and their dollars at a pace reminiscent of a previous era. Thursday, it was a stop at a prominent Democratic donor’s home in a ritzy suburb of Atlanta. The day before, he wooed contributors at the home of the former president of the Boston Red Sox. | |
| At that last event, he seemed to go out of his way to praise Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, a Republican, as a “decent guy” — a phrase that has previously prompted blowback from Democrats when he used it to describe Vice President Mike Pence and former Vice President Dick Cheney. | At that last event, he seemed to go out of his way to praise Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, a Republican, as a “decent guy” — a phrase that has previously prompted blowback from Democrats when he used it to describe Vice President Mike Pence and former Vice President Dick Cheney. |
| So, will any of this add up to costing Mr. Biden the nomination? Who knows! But one last thing that became clear this week: His opponents certainly plan to attack him — though, as my colleagues Jonathan Martin and Reid Epstein write, they’ll do it with a carefully timed velvet fist. | So, will any of this add up to costing Mr. Biden the nomination? Who knows! But one last thing that became clear this week: His opponents certainly plan to attack him — though, as my colleagues Jonathan Martin and Reid Epstein write, they’ll do it with a carefully timed velvet fist. |
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| Drop us a line! | Drop us a line! |
| We want to hear from our readers. Have a question? We’ll try to answer it. Have a comment? We’re all ears. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com. | We want to hear from our readers. Have a question? We’ll try to answer it. Have a comment? We’re all ears. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com. |
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Last week, we harangued our colleagues for their predictions of what would happen with the 2020 field this summer. Well, we’d like to formally announce that Matt Flegenheimer has won the first On Politics Miss Cleo Memorial Award for Achievement in the Psychic Arts. | Last week, we harangued our colleagues for their predictions of what would happen with the 2020 field this summer. Well, we’d like to formally announce that Matt Flegenheimer has won the first On Politics Miss Cleo Memorial Award for Achievement in the Psychic Arts. |
| His prediction was a bit of a long shot. But Kamala Harris’s lawyerly husband, Doug, did, in fact, achieve a small moment of viral fame last week. | His prediction was a bit of a long shot. But Kamala Harris’s lawyerly husband, Doug, did, in fact, achieve a small moment of viral fame last week. |
| Now, I hate to break this to you, Matt, especially so publicly, but there was a small dispute among the judges — Matt Stevens, another colleague, correctly predicted that the Democrats would tighten their debate rules, angering candidates outside the top tier. But since he didn’t email us to claim his prize, we’re awarding you the trophy. | Now, I hate to break this to you, Matt, especially so publicly, but there was a small dispute among the judges — Matt Stevens, another colleague, correctly predicted that the Democrats would tighten their debate rules, angering candidates outside the top tier. But since he didn’t email us to claim his prize, we’re awarding you the trophy. |
| We also asked On Politics readers to send in their summer predictions. Here’s what they said: | We also asked On Politics readers to send in their summer predictions. Here’s what they said: |
| I think there is at least some chance that Democrats begin to coalesce behind Biden and possibly a Biden/Harris ticket as the best possible way to beat Trump. After much talk about “energizing the base,” reality will emerge and people will remember that America is still about the center. — Tony Miller, Tokyo, Japan | I think there is at least some chance that Democrats begin to coalesce behind Biden and possibly a Biden/Harris ticket as the best possible way to beat Trump. After much talk about “energizing the base,” reality will emerge and people will remember that America is still about the center. — Tony Miller, Tokyo, Japan |
| In the first debate Harris, Warren and Buttigieg shine, but Buttigieg can’t build on his success. His lack of detailed positions hurts him significantly in the second debate, marking the beginning of the end for him. By the end of the summer it’s starting to feel like a three person race: Biden, Harris and Warren. — Mike Burke, Maryland | In the first debate Harris, Warren and Buttigieg shine, but Buttigieg can’t build on his success. His lack of detailed positions hurts him significantly in the second debate, marking the beginning of the end for him. By the end of the summer it’s starting to feel like a three person race: Biden, Harris and Warren. — Mike Burke, Maryland |
| This summer, I think that either Mayor Pete or Beto will be out of the race. They appeal to too similar demographics to both succeed perpetually, so one of them has to fall. I’m putting my money on Beto dropping, or at least dropping from a top-tier candidate by late summer. Pete attracts the same working-class moderate voters that Beto’s trying to get, while also appealing to the LGBTQ+ community. — Ben Altizer, Michigan | This summer, I think that either Mayor Pete or Beto will be out of the race. They appeal to too similar demographics to both succeed perpetually, so one of them has to fall. I’m putting my money on Beto dropping, or at least dropping from a top-tier candidate by late summer. Pete attracts the same working-class moderate voters that Beto’s trying to get, while also appealing to the LGBTQ+ community. — Ben Altizer, Michigan |
| Uncle Joe will say something during the debate in response to one of the senators (Harris, Sanders, Warren) that will prove to be really damaging, making him seem less than the unifier that he is. — Eduardo Duarte, Maine | Uncle Joe will say something during the debate in response to one of the senators (Harris, Sanders, Warren) that will prove to be really damaging, making him seem less than the unifier that he is. — Eduardo Duarte, Maine |
| I really think that the poll numbers for Joe Biden are very inflated and will continue to fall all summer as lesser-known candidates become better known after the debates. I see the female candidates rising throughout the summer and fully expect Senator Kamala Harris to kill it in the debates and gain some traction. I think their rise will also hurt Bernie Sanders and pull him a little more back into the pack. No matter what happens I’ve got my popcorn ready! — Melanie Vonovick, California | I really think that the poll numbers for Joe Biden are very inflated and will continue to fall all summer as lesser-known candidates become better known after the debates. I see the female candidates rising throughout the summer and fully expect Senator Kamala Harris to kill it in the debates and gain some traction. I think their rise will also hurt Bernie Sanders and pull him a little more back into the pack. No matter what happens I’ve got my popcorn ready! — Melanie Vonovick, California |
| Responses have been edited for length and clarity. | Responses have been edited for length and clarity. |
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
| • Our friends at the California Today newsletter are putting together a playlist of the best California songs, and they’re looking for suggestions from readers. Send them your picks! (For the record, mine are “California Stars” by Wilco and “Coming Into Los Angeles” by Arlo Guthrie. Editor Tom votes for “When I’m With You” by Best Coast.) | • Our friends at the California Today newsletter are putting together a playlist of the best California songs, and they’re looking for suggestions from readers. Send them your picks! (For the record, mine are “California Stars” by Wilco and “Coming Into Los Angeles” by Arlo Guthrie. Editor Tom votes for “When I’m With You” by Best Coast.) |
| • The Women’s World Cup begins Friday, with the host country, France, playing in the first game. (The United States, the favorite to win it all, plays on Tuesday.) Here’s a preview of the 24 teams in the tournament. | |
| • Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl want to take down the 2020 Democrats. But first, reports The Washington Post, they have to stop getting in their own way. | • Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl want to take down the 2020 Democrats. But first, reports The Washington Post, they have to stop getting in their own way. |
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
| “If the F.B.I. says it’s deer hair, I guess that’s it. For now.” | “If the F.B.I. says it’s deer hair, I guess that’s it. For now.” |
| The decades-long quest of a 93-year-old Bigfoot hunter has come to an end. | The decades-long quest of a 93-year-old Bigfoot hunter has come to an end. |
| _____________________ | _____________________ |
| Were you forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox. | Were you forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox. |
| Thanks for reading. Politics is more than what goes on inside the White House. On Politics brings you the people, issues and ideas reshaping our world. | Thanks for reading. Politics is more than what goes on inside the White House. On Politics brings you the people, issues and ideas reshaping our world. |
| Is there anything you think we’re missing? Anything you want to see more of? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com. | Is there anything you think we’re missing? Anything you want to see more of? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com. |
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