Political hypotheticals are ultimately unknowable. But Mr. Biden in his book offers a respectable argument that Mr. Obama backed the wrong horse: “I was strongest where the most formidable candidate, Hillary Clinton was weakest: the key swing states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida.”
Like the rest of his party, Mr. Obama no doubt is even more intent today on seeing Mr. Trump defeated than he was in 2016. If he were to conclude Mr. Biden is the only Democrat who can pull it off, the former president could help his former right-hand man in many ways short of an out-and-out endorsement, just as he helped Mrs. Clinton. But a recent Obama remark—that the Democratic Party needs “new blood”—suggests the 44th president has yet to be persuaded that the 76-year-old Mr. Biden is the man for the job.
Going forward, Mr. Goeas points to Mr. Biden’s eloquent eulogy of the late John McCain as a model of how the former veep should campaign, at least in terms of generosity toward political opponents. A sense of humor will help too. If this Joe Biden shows up, says Mr. Goeas, he’ll be formidable.
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