Report: Biden Hires Obama Advisors, May Announce 2020 Presidential Bid Next Week

Report: Biden Hires Obama Advisors, May Announce 2020 Presidential Bid Next Week

After months of speculation, it looks like former Vice President Joe Biden will join the crowded 2020 Democrat presidential field.

CNBC reported that Biden hired advisors from President Barack Obama’s administration while other outlets claimed Biden will make his announcement next Wednesday.

From CNBC:

Many of these people didn’t work within Biden’s office throughout Obama’s tenure as president, but they have extensive campaign experience ranging from political consulting to communications, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

Since their time in the Obama White House, some of these aides have gone on to work on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and later helped Democrats retake the U.S. House of Representatives during the 2018 congressional midterm elections, these people said.

Numerous former Obama White House advisors who have been brought on to work with Biden’s team, have yet to hear where the campaign will be headquartered. But they expect it will be either in Delaware or Pennsylvania. Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania and as a Senator, represented the First State for over three decades.

Stacey blogged on Thursday that Biden is still at the top of polls along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Sanders is in first place for the first time since places began their polls for the 2020 presidential election. Stacey noted the significance of Biden maintaining a large margin over the more diverse portion of the field:

Not only is the Emerson poll welcome news for Sanders and “Mini B” Buttigieg, but Biden has to feel good, too. Though he came in second place in this one, he’s clearly weathered the storms surrounding the numerous accusations of inappropriate touching that have plagued him over the last several weeks.

Also, once Biden officially announces, he’s likely to get a good 4 or 5 percentage point bump out of it on top of the big numbers he’s steadily put up for months.

The negativity may not end soon. From The Atlantic:

Already the scrutiny has started, with attention to his opposition to school busing in the 1970s, as well as his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee during Anita Hill’s testimony in the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991, which many women have never forgiven him for, and which he’s stumbled over in trying to explain since. “I wish I could have done something,” is how he put it in late March, infuriating people who pointed out that he was in charge of the process.

Besides, what’s come out so far, in the press and from other campaigns, is only the beginning of what Biden will have to explain. “There is a concentrated [opposition research] dump on him and will continue to be,” one person close to Biden said earlier this month, reflecting on the touching accusations and expecting more. But after a few days of intense coverage, which eventually included about 10 women speaking out, the news cycle—and the outrage cycle—tumbled forward. That might change with his announcement.

If it does happen, Biden will release a video on Wednesday. From there he will “embark on a tour of early voting states and then hold a formal campaign kickoff event.” He may start in Philadelphia before going to Delaware or Charlottesville, VA.

The Atlantic wrote that Biden decided on this at the last minute, which means he lacks money “for any real campaign operations, since he doesn’t have an active campaign account.” He and those around him hope that the enthusiasm over his run will bring in millions right away.

Joe, you better bring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope!

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