Former Vice President Joe Biden had some harsh words for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, calling her Medicare-for-All ambitions “irrational” and suggesting that she doesn’t represent Democrats as a whole. Biden is facing a tough Democratic primary with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party increasingly unwilling to support moderate candidates. Now, it appears Biden is ready to go on the offense.
While AOC isn’t running for president (she’s actually not old enough to run), her “way left” political brand appeals to many Democrats. Biden, on the other hand, subscribes to a more centrist-oriented brand of politics. And while many Democratic candidates have been veering left in an effort to appeal to the progressive wing, Biden has stuck to the middle road.
Biden believes that he best represents the Democratic Party. And he argues that by sticking close to the center, he can set himself apart from the other candidates. Biden noted that in the 2018 midterms, many of the Democrats’ victories were actually secured by more moderate Democrats, not left-wing firebrands like AOC.
Biden also admitted that he was unprepared for Kamala Harris’s challenge over his previous opposition to busing. Biden has seen his support in Iowa polls and other polls decline following his poor debate performance. Some donors are also abandoning Biden, demanding that he perform better before they’ll invest in his campaign.
For now, Biden remains the frontrunner, and it appears that it’s largely because centrists continue to support him. Meanwhile, left-wing voters appear to be divided up among Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and other candidates. If progressive voters were to rally behind one candidate, that candidate might be able to overtake Biden.
