Before last night’s debate, I suggested that part of the suspense was the extent to which Joe Biden would resist the leftism that has infected his party. The answer turned out to be that he isn’t resisting, but neither is he embracing it.
Joe is just going with the flow.
Biden’s ambivalence was made manifest when the debate moderators couldn’t tell whether, in response to yes or no questions about key aspects of the left’s agenda, Biden had raised his hand. Biden either doesn’t know where he stands or knows, but doesn’t wish to say.
Biden didn’t wish to say much last night. While most of the other candidates in both debates tried ceaselessly to butt in, and shamelessly violated the time limits when talking, Biden waited to be called on and actually cut himself off in mid-answer once because his time was up.
This is a good way to minimize gaffes. However, it reminded me of when, in 1992, George H.W. Bush looked at his watch during a debate with Bill Clinton. Not a good look.
Biden’s ambivalence isn’t unique to last night. He was ambivalent about both U.S. wars with Iraq. Biden ended up opposing the first one (which was successful) and supporting the second (which proved problematic). Had there been a show of hands at the time, I suspect Biden’s would have gone half up in both cases.
Too bad he couldn’t vote “present,” as Barack Obama did multiple times as an Illinois legislator.
Biden may have been ambivalent about launching the attack that killed Osama bin Laden. But that’s giving him the benefit of the doubt. All we know for sure is that he counseled Obama against the raid.
Finally, there’s some reason to think that Biden is ambivalent about running for (or being) president. By today’s standards, it took him a long time to make up his mind about whether to enter the race. In addition, he hasn’t been campaigning nearly as aggressively as his rivals. Of course, that might be due to his age, coupled with his status as frontrunner.
In any case, after his low energy performance last night, I imagine that many Democrats are ambivalent about making Biden their standard bearer.
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