In a period of national isolation, one of Joe Biden’s most consequential campaign moments—dual endorsements from Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders—came from his proverbial closeness with the two influential leaders.
Now he’ll have to figure out how to maximize the goodwill.
Before Biden’s rout in South Carolina, the exclusive backing of Biden from Obama and Sanders seemed like political fantasy. Indeed, while the first-in-the-South primary served as a springboard to the former vice president’s eventual track to the nomination, the past 48 hours crystallized his role as the party’s uniter. On Wednesday morning, he further cemented that role with an endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). But it also raised questions about what to do with the mileage when large spectacles like rallies are a thing of the past for the foreseeable future.
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“We need you in the White House. I will do all that I can to see that that happens, Joe,” Sanders said to Biden, offering a surprise endorsement in a joint livestream appearance on Monday. The next day, Obama praised his No. 2’s possession of “the kind of leadership that’s guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility, empathy and grace” in a 12-minute video broadcast across social media.
At once, in a rare moment in the age of coronavirus, news about Biden dominated the airwaves, with chyrons promoting the endorsements and television programs flashing images first of Biden and Sanders together, then of Biden and the 44th president of the United States. On Biden’s YouTube channel, Sanders’ endorsement received just 72,000 views, but metrics on other mainstream programs had viewership numbers over four times that amount. Obama’s video, meanwhile, was viewed over 411,000 times.
The timing, in addition to the public airing, of the consolidation is also light-speed compared to recent contests. In 2016, Sanders waited until mid-July to endorse Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid against Trump.
“Barack—This endorsement means the world to Jill and me. We’re going to build on the progress we made together, and there’s no one I’d rather have standing by my side,” Biden said, instantly following Obama’s video.
Facing a public health and economic crisis, Biden has sought to break out of the daily deluge of coronavirus coverage, with varying degrees of success. Cable news networks continue to air President Trump’s chaotic, and often misleading briefings, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a close ally of the former VP, has taken center stage providing updates in one of the county’s biggest hotbeds.
“If this was any other cycle where there’s not a global pandemic, maybe Joe Biden and Barack Obama would go on a road tour together and gin up support, and maybe Bernie Sanders would join them,” said Zac Petkanas, a former 2016 campaign adviser to Hillary Clinton. “Obviously that just can’t happen now. I’m not sure it needs to.”
Obama, whose backing of Biden was highly anticipated after Sanders’ exited the race last week, acknowledged adhering to social-distancing best practices in his message: “I will see you on the campaign trail as soon as I can,” he said.
In mid-March, Biden spoke to a crowded room of reporters packed in close proximity to hear him deliver what would become his inaugural address about the novel coronavirus. The event, held in Wilmington, Delaware, was the last in-person stop on a campaign trail that has morphed into an entirely virtual endeavor.
Since then, Biden has held regular digital briefings and livestreams. His joint address on Monday with Sanders, where they discussed six task forces to address issues that propelled the Vermont senator’s base, injected new buzz about Biden’s campaign from some voters he promised to court mightily. Many of Sanders’ own top lieutenants expressed approval of his move. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Sanders’ former campaign co-chairman, told reporters in a call on Tuesday that one of Biden’s biggest strengths is his ability to form a broad coalition of supporters, a line senior Biden officials often publicly and privately touted as the chief argument for his chances to become the nominee.
But pivoting to general election mode, Democrats said Obama and Sanders will have to play a major role in helping Biden persuade voters, including Independents who may have tuned out a primary that once swelled to nearly two dozen candidates, to choose him in November.
“The biggest thing that Obama can do for Biden is validate and say: fully vetted him, found nothing, superb leader, and the kind of leader we need right now,” one longtime Democratic strategist said. Another operative added, addressing the timing of his endorsement, “President Obama’s always been very smart about the long game.”
Sanders and Obama each sought to do some of the early legwork for Biden in their respective statements. Sanders, whose base of young voters is expected to play a key role in the general election outcome, urged “all Americans” to back his former rival. Going one step further, he specified: “I’m asking every Democrat, I’m asking every Independent, I’m asking a lot of Republicans, to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy.” Obama, who has been publicly skeptical on occasion of Sanders’ left-leaning platform, added that the Democratic Party will have to be “bold.”
“There’s no question that there’s a ton of change and a ton of things that have to be rebuilt,” Ned Helms, a longtime Democratic activist and Biden endorser said about campaigning in the thick of the pandemic. “I think they are getting around that. But at the same time, they’re trying to get space in a media world where 97 percent is coronavirus.”
Asked about next steps, another source familiar with Biden’s thinking said the former vice president needs to stay on the track he’s been on for months: reaching out to voters who feel increasingly isolated during the global crisis.
“Biden needs to do what he is doing—highlight his ability to connect and be empathetic with the American people while showing how a real leader behaves in times of crisis,” the source said. “It is hard for Americans not to compare Biden to the unhinged president we currently have in the Oval Office. If anything, the one thing this pandemic has proven—buyer’s remorse is a real thing.”
Now, with two of the most coveted endorsements of the cycle in his pocket, national attention is beginning to turn to the next point on a campaign’s checklist: selecting a running mate, with Biden himself teeing off the conversation.
In March, Biden committed to selecting a woman for his ticket during the last Democratic primary debate of the cycle, saying “there are a number of women qualified to be president tomorrow.” The campaign is expected to form a committee in the near future to vet possible candidates. Among names frequently floated among allies are Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who ran against Biden before endorsing his bid and have been active in general election-related efforts in the past several weeks; former Georgia Gov. nominee Stacey Abrams; and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer—among others.
But on the heels of Obama and Sanders’ announcements, rushing to roll out a vice presidential pick may not be the best way to keep momentum high, Democrats familiar with the process said.
“No one’s paying attention to anything that’s not COVID-related,” one former senior Obama campaign official said. “Shit it’s April. They don’t have to do this until July. I would sit on it.”
