2020 Presidential Election

Joe Biden’s G.O.P. Bromance May Be a 2020 Liability

The former vice president reached across the aisle—and set off a progressive trip wire.
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the National Action Network Breakfast on January 21 2019 in Washington DC.
By Al Drago/Getty Images.

If you ask Joe Biden, he’d make a great president: “I think I’m the most qualified person in the country,” he declared back in December. And yet, as he agonizes once more over whether to enter the ring, Biden faces a number of potential stumbling blocks. There is his voting record on behalf of predatory lenders and in support of a controversial crime bill, his ham-fisted handling of the Anita Hill hearings, and the family drama surrounding his son Hunter. On Wednesday, The New York Times added another wrinkle, reporting that Biden was paid $200,000 to give a speech that bolstered the credibility of a Republican candidate, to the presumed detriment of his Democratic opponent.

According to the Times, Biden told the audience at the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan that Republican Fred Upton, who had teamed up with him on cancer research legislation, was “one of the finest guys I’ve ever worked with.” His comments infuriated the local Democratic Party, coming as they did just three weeks before November midterms, in the midst of a tight race. Republicans promptly emphasized Biden’s praise in advertising materials, featuring his “one of the finest guys” quote on mailers to constituents, along with Biden’s picture. Upton ultimately beat Democratic rival Matt Longjohn by 4.5 points.

The episode is a fitting metaphor for the challenges that will confront Biden if he runs. From a strategist’s perspective, two of Biden’s greatest strengths are his ability to connect with the white working class—the sort of voter that might have flipped for Trump in 2016—and his positive, bipartisan appeal. Some Independents might appreciate the sort of Democrat who would throw his support behind an old Republican buddy. But Biden’s chumminess with Upton might also be seen as the sort of betrayal that could enrage the larger, more vocal portion of Democratic primary voters who think bipartisan cooperation is elitist and out of touch. At a time when progressives are thirsting for an outsider—or, at the very least, someone willing to challenge the Washington status quo, Longjohn told the Times it was upsetting to see Biden “clap Mr. Upton on the back in an establishment political way.” (It doesn’t help that the hefty speaking fee recalls Hillary Clinton’s similarly well-paid speeches for Goldman Sachs.)

In a statement, Biden spokesperson Bill Russo told the Times the former vice president “believes to his core that you can disagree politically on a lot and still work together in good faith on issues of common cause—like funding cancer research.” Regarding Biden’s decision not to endorse Longjohn, he noted that Biden “received hundreds of requests for endorsements from all over the country and endorsed in 135 races this cycle where his impact could be greatest.”

Biden’s enduring belief in the power of crossing party lines may be a compelling message in 2020, after years of bitter partisanship. But it is also increasingly at odds with the dark mood on the left, which is agitating for a fight. “It just gives Fred Upton cover and makes it possible for him to continue to pretend to be a useful, bipartisan fellow,”Eric Lester, who chaired the local Democratic Party during the midterms, recalled telling a Biden aide shortly after the speech. “I entered the hall with positive feelings about Mr. Biden and felt very frustrated.” As the Democratic primary becomes more crowded, and more heated, will voters come to feel the same way?

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