Joe Biden

I think we all knew that sooner or later the former vice president would throw his hat in the ring, but when it comes to this candidate there is a lot to unpack. First of all, it's not particularly surprising that he's the front runner. After all, he was an incredibly popular vice president, and he's automatically got the Obama coalition behind him, the same coalition that propelled the previous president into the white house. Biden's got a strong track record of a consistent progressive and no one can deny that he's done a lot of good over his political tenure. Not to mention the fact that he's simply just a likable guy to begin with. Joe Biden is basically America's cool goofy uncle. I thought it was particularly adorable to learn that Sasha and Malia Obama refer to him as uncle Joe. However, it should be said that we need to put aside all of the popularity and examine him closely as a candidate for the most powerful office in the land. Do I think he's qualified? Absolutely. He's easily one of, if not the most qualified candidate in the field right now. Although, that's not to say that he's not without his baggage. There's of course the whole Anita Hill situation, not to mention the fact that he's accepted a lot of support from big banks which gives a lot of democratic and progressive voters a bad taste in their mouths. What do I in particular think of him? I think he's a genuinely good guy. I think he's got a strong progressive track record and I very much like that about him, but despite all that, he's still not my first choice. Don't get me wrong, if he becomes the Democratic nominee, and there's a very real possibility of that happening, I will support him one hundred percent. Still, personally I think if he were to become president, he would go down in history as simply being an ok commander in chief. I think that he wouldn't do a bad job, but I don't think he would really do anything actually ground breaking. He's very similar to Hillary Clinton in that respect, in that I thought the same thing about her, but he is still his own man and should be treated as such. I like Biden, I really do, and as of right now he looks like the candidate that has the best chance of besting Trump which is why I'll wholeheartedly support him in the likely event that he becomes the nominee. Biden got into the race particularly late, and I think there's a reason for that. I think him biding his time was a purposeful act so that he wouldn't have his announcement lumped in with all of the many other candidates. He announced late because he wanted to stand out, at least that's what I think, and from what I can tell he was successful in that endeavor. Biden's a political powerhouse, but as we learned in 2016, we need to constantly remind ourselves that there's no such thing as a shoe in candidate and Biden is no exception. This race is shaping up to be one for the history books and no matter who the nominee is, I'm just glad that I'm alive in the age where I get to see this exciting and consequential race unfold.