Democratic pollster Molly Murphy told “What America’s Thinking” on Friday that former Vice President Joe Biden’s tenure in the Obama administration will be one of his biggest strengths in attracting voters.
“One thing that he actually has that a lot of candidates who have been around for a long time…is the fact that he’s not only representing the ’80s or the ’90s,” Murphy, a partner at ALG Research, told Hill.TV’s Jamal Simmons on Friday.
“He was most recently a very successful vice president under what most Democratic voters look at as a beloved presidency with President Obama,” she continued.
“In some ways, he actually owns that and that relationship with the Obama presidency more than any other candidates,” she said. “So I don’t think he’s having to look too far to the past to talk about some of the reasons that these voters can trust him.”
While Biden has faced scrutiny for his legislative record as a senator and his handling of the Anita Hill hearings during Justice Clarence Thomas’s confirmation process in the 1990s, he has also hailed his efforts in the Obama administration.
Biden has tied himself closely to the former president, highlighting their friendship on his campaign website with the line, “A running mate becomes a friend for life.”
The former vice president said Thursday after formally announcing his White House bid that he had asked Obama to not endorse him in the race, saying, “Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits.”
— Julia Manchester
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