Joe Biden missed his chance in 2016, as the sitting vice president he was the heir apparent to Barack Obama. When a president finishes his second term, the vice president usually has a clear shot to be the General Election candidate for his party, potential candidates defer to him, and unless he royally screws up they`re content to cheer from the sidelines.
But Biden didn`t have the cojones to challenge Hillary Clinton, and he used the excuse of the death of his son not to run. I realize that the death of his son was a traumatic experience, but working folks are usually back to work within a week after the death of a son, daughter or spouse.
At the age of 76 Biden is considering a third run for president, and at first glance he appears to be the ideal candidate:
He`s experienced, he served as vice president under Barack Obama for eight years, and he was in the Senate for 26 years. After witnessing the chaos caused by having an inexperienced buffoon in the Oval Office the electorate is yearning for a statesman.
He`s well-liked by the general population and by politicians from both parties. After the 2016 election when the two least-liked candidates ran against each other in the General Election, Americans want to vote for someone they like and admire.
He`s a moderate with a bipartisan appeal, he`s not going to scare anyone like a Bernie Sanders or an Elizabeth Warren.
His poll numbers look great against Donald Trump, and above everything else Democrats want a candidate who can beat Trump.
But a 2020 Biden presidential run would be a horrible idea. The third time would not be the charm, in his two previous campaigns his personality and his message failed to resonate with Democrats.
He may be experienced but he`s way too old, he`s not the crazy uncle in the attic, he`s the crazy great-grandfather in the nursing home.
Biden may be well-liked but the gaffe-prone politician would quickly become a tiresome bore on the campaign trail. We like him as a second banana, but we don`t like the prospect of him sitting in the Oval Office.
Biden is a moderate, but this is the age of the progressive in the Democratic Party. The party belongs to the likes of AOC and Kamala Harris, and it wants nothing to do with moderates like Joe Biden or Amy Klobuchar.
Biden may have terrific poll numbers, but that`s due almost entirely to name recognition. After a month on the campaign trail his ratings would plummet, and he would become a third-tier candidate, like in his previous runs.
The Democratic presidential candidates are as diverse as the voters they seek to represent, and there is simply no room for an old (really old) white candidate with moderate views.
I`m not saying Biden should be put out to pasture, but he should be looking for a retirement home in Florida and not contemplating campaigning in Iowa.