WILMINGTON, Del. (MEDIA GENERAL) – Talking to Vice President Joe Biden’s longtime neighbors, you find almost unanimous support for a 2016 White House run.
That’s not to say they think he’ll win. But, by and large, they favor the idea.
Biden is reportedly close to reaching a final decision with his close-knit family, so we visited his hometown in Delaware to learn more about the man making one of this election cycle’s most consequential decisions.
In a series of on-the-ground interviews that spanned the social and political gamut – from shoe shine shop owner to former governor – we found robust support for a Biden 2016 bid.
As many folks noted, the issue of feasibility is a separate matter altogether. But when the clinical plus-minus punditry exercise is set aside, we found that Wilmington is focused on the personal aspect of Biden’s presidential prospects.
Just “Joe”
The first thing you learn in Delaware is that Vice President Biden is simply “Joe.”
In Wilmington, population 71,817, walk 10 feet and you’ll bump into someone who’s known, worked with, reported on, voted for or campaigned against Joe Biden.
Robert L. Jones, Jr. runs the shoe shine shop at the Wilmington Amtrak station, granting him a front row seat to the comings and goings of the state’s favorite son and his famous DC-Delaware roundtrips. Jones is quick to point out that he’s a lifelong Wilmington resident, not from the downstate farmlands. He’s also a big “Joe” fan.
When asked about Biden jumping into the presidential race, he smiles, saying, “It would be interesting to say I know a guy in the White House.”
Jones first met Biden in 1972 at a rally for the soon-to-be-senator. In the years since, Biden interviewed Jones’s son about a possible future at the U.S. Naval Academy – a gesture that meant a lot to the Wilmington native. And Jones regularly polished up the shoes of the vice president’s son Beau Biden, who he fondly remembers as kind and easygoing.
About five minutes into our chat, Jones removed a padlock from a nearby cupboard, swung open the door and pulled out a framed portrait of Biden and himself shaking hands at the Amtrak station. He proudly held up the photo, recalling, “I felt kind of privileged about that.”
That blend of affection and admiration for Biden is common in Wilmington.
Retired Amtrak employee Jim Quirk has encountered Biden many times over the years and calls him “just an ordinary guy” who doesn’t hesitate to “walk up and shake your hand.” Quirk is politically ambivalent this election year, but enthusiastically calls Biden “a nice guy.”
Vicki Myoda put down roots in Wilmington 20 years ago. She attended a dinner party with Biden a few years back and describes him as “very friendly” and “very funny.”
Vicki’s mother Lois Myoda chimed in, recalling how her son’s former classmate Beau Biden, who later became Delaware’s attorney general, was “running for office, every office” even in high school, out of admiration for his father.
Like many residents we met, the Myodas think Biden should jump in the race.
Vicki concedes that “people can be passionate about him one way or another,” but she and Lois believe, “He’ll do better than some people might think, given the current choices.”
Pluses and Pitfalls
Delaware politicians and pundits are mixed on Biden’s electoral viability.
Former Delaware Governor Mike Castle, a Republican, has known Biden for more than four decades. As two of Delaware’s top dogs of opposing parties, they have sparred – but more often collaborated – over the years.
Castle sees Biden’s ultimate decision as a toss-up with no predictable outcome. But if the Vice President were to run and win, Castle says, “I’m not convinced he’d be an outstanding president. On the other hand, I’m not convinced he wouldn’t be.”
Politically, Castle foresees Biden being more moderate during primary season than conservatives would expect. And though he predicts the country’s second most powerful man could face fierce competition from the GOP field, Castle “would urge him to get into it just for the fun of seeing what happens in Delaware.”
WDEL Radio news anchor Allan Loudell has been covering Biden on Wilmington radio since the 1980s. Loudell is certain that Biden “has the gift.”
Despite the VP’s natural ability to inspire personal affection, Loudell predicts some landmines lie ahead, should Biden decide to take the plunge. Namely, how would he and his surrogates walk the tightrope of trying to “capitalize on Hillary Clinton’s charisma deficit without attacking her as a woman; that’s going to be very, very touchy.”
As for Biden’s notorious gaffes, Loudell predicts a grab bag of possible outcomes. He notes, “The very thing that makes Joe Biden authentic and allows him to grab you, can also get him into trouble.”
It’s that same propensity for indulging unplanned whims that stands out to Wilmington newspaper columnist turned WDEL morning show host Al Mascitti. He believes Biden’s biggest obstacle with the party’s left wing will be his record of following his gut instinct on legislative matters, which can be to the right of the party’s base.
Family Man
As the New York Times reported recently, Beau Biden is said to have urged his father to run for president, not long before his death.
While some pundits criticized the Vice President for allegedly being the source of that gripping story, Loudell dismisses the critiques. He explains, “This is a man who’s been in politics all his adult life. I mean, he didn’t even have a glimmer of political calculation? I mean, be real. He’s a human after all.”
While politics do, inevitably, factor into this decision, the one word we heard associated with Biden more than any other was “family.”
“Joe has been very honest with the public about how much he’s been torn up emotionally about his son’s death,” says Mascitti. He speculates that Biden is now, “torn between wanting to grant Beau’s final request and run, and at the same time see what that would do to his wife and Beau’s wife.”
The “wonderful family man,” as Castle refers to him, is reportedly huddling with his loved ones this weekend to mull the decision. But don’t necessarily expect an announcement immediately.
Mascitti reminds us, Biden can afford to weigh his options for a while longer, since “In a way he’s already running for president, but he has the grace period of not having to declare that he has. The meat grinder isn’t operating at full speed.”
“He’s getting the best of both worlds currently,” says Mascitti. That being the case, we could see Biden intrigue build as he sizes up reaction to Clinton’s Benghazi testimony and benefits in the polls from massive media interest.
Back home at Amtrak, Mr. Jones lets us in on a little secret: he’s moved from Camp Hillary to Camp Joe. It remains to be seen if other voters will soon face a similar choice.
Tagged: Elections, Weekend Features
