Former Vice President Joe Biden is ahead in most polls in the crowded field of Democrat presidential hopefuls, and many pundits claim he may be in the best position to deliver President Donald Trump a one-term legacy.
But in an NBC News analysis on what Biden is weighing ahead of what would be his last shot at residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue reveals the very things that have made him endearing to many Americans could keep him out of the 2020 race.
Given Biden’s fierce loyalty to his family and the tragedies he has faced — the death of his first wife and daughter in a car accident and the death four years ago of his son Beau — he may be too sensitive to any criticism of his personal life that could come his way from the GOP and/or President Donald Trump.
“I offered my general advice that he should do what he does best, which is focus on the positive and let others take up the mantle of defending his family, his record and his honor to the extent that’s at all necessary,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) told NBC News.
NBC News reported:
No line of attack would be more reprehensible to Biden than one directed at his family, and he and his team have been forced to consider that even as they also weigh the political dynamics.
Biden is the senior statesman and a largely popular figure in a Democratic Party eager to unite quickly behind someone who can win back the White House. But he’s also a grandfather and a father trying to keep his family together.
Biden told his closest aides this week he has a few final “traps” to run before a final decision — including gut-check conversations with his children and grandchildren.
“Family is the beginning, the middle and the end. Everything revolves around family,” Biden said at a recent public event.
And his family as it is constituted today is also part of Biden’s decision process.
His wife, Jill, has penned a book that is due to be released in May that publishers are promoting as a “brave and vulnerable glimpse into the creation of a beloved American family.”
Biden’s other son, Hunter, has his own struggles, including going through a nasty divorce and substance abuse issues, according to NBC News.
“Discussions among his inner circle have included simulating what would happen on the campaign trail if Biden were asked to respond to a fresh Trump tweet or public comment directed at Biden’s family,” NBC News reported.
But, that said, the consensus is Biden is leaning in the direction of yet another political campaign.
“Elected Democrats and key party figures who’ve spoken with Biden, in person or by phone, say he has been giving percentages of the likelihood of him running — from 70 to 80 and even more recently 90 percent,” NBC News reported.
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