Ridin' with Biden in 2-0-4

[NickCT]

We're all very excited to think about what if Joe Biden had run in 2016, but it is often said that each person has one chance to run for president - that each candidate is met for one particular election.  What if Joe Biden's wasn't 2016?  Or 2008?  Or even 1988?  What if it was actually 2004 - one of many elections he passed on?  Maybe a nation struggling with how to handle two wars, facing new domestic challenges, and yearning for a president they could relate to was waiting for Joe Biden of Delaware to run.  What if he had?

[Brewer]

Yaaaassss

[NickCT]

July 4, 2003: Joe Biden Announces Presidential Campaign
Wilmington, Delaware



"Good morning!  Thank you all for being here.

"It is such an honor to be in such good company today to make a very important announcement.  I've been giving this a great deal of thought, and I've had many sleepless nights trying to make a decision about whether or not I will seek the highest office in the land.  

"I started by considering what is at stake.  Let me be very clear: In my view, President Bush has dug America into a very deep hole.  We need to rethink our strategy in Iraq.  Over the course of this campaign, I plan on coming out with a comprehensive plan for our involvement in Iraq.  We need to end this war as quickly as possible, but we need to do it in a way that will guarantee lasting stability in the region...

"...Our nation cannot lead abroad if we are not leading here at home.  To restore America's place in the world, we also must focus on the hopes and needs of our own people. The Bush administration – because it worships profits over people – has forgotten that to make America strong, we need a growing, vibrant middle-class.

"We need our citizens to feel secure. Secure that their children will be cared for if they are ill. Secure that they will have a retirement income they can count on.  Secure that their jobs and opportunities will not vanish like so many have in recent years...

"...I am officially announcing my candidacy for President of the United States, because we need a president who will tackle these issues and fight for the American people.  We need a leader with vision - someone ready and able to get the job done from day one.  In my years in the Senate, I have learned a great deal about this nation, about how to solve issues, and about how to get laws passed.  I've made some mistakes, and I've learned from them.  I'm just another American who believes that our best days can be ahead of us with the right leadership.  I'm running to provide that leadership.

"A presidential campaign is an exciting journey. Along with my wife, Jill, and our children Beau, Hunter and Ashley, we look forward to spending time with you as we campaign across America.  Thank you and God bless the United States of America!"

[NickCT]

July 11, 2003: Presidential Primary Polling

Nationwide Opinion Polling
Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) ... 18%
Gov. Howard Dean (D-VT) ... 14%
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) ... 13%
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) ... 11%
Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) ... 11%
Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) ... 8%
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) ... 3%
Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL) ... 1%
Rev. Al Sharpton (D-NY) ... 1%
Undecided ... 20%

Iowa Democratic Caucuses
Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) ... 22%
Gov. Howard Dean (D-VT) ... 17%
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) ... 11%
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) ... 7%
Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) ... 5%
Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) ... 4%
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) ... 2%
Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL) ... 1%
Rev. Al Sharpton (D-NY) ... 1%
Undecided ... 30%

New Hampshire Democratic Primary
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) ... 20%
Gov. Howard Dean (D-VT) ... 19%
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) ... 12%
Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) ... 10%
Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) ... 9%
Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) ... 5%
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) ... 4%
Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL) ... 2%
Rev. Al Sharpton (D-NY) ... 2%
Undecided ... 17%

[NickCT]

July 15, 2003: Biden Releases Iraq Plan



Today, Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), released a plan to address the political instability in Iraq - a plan, he says, that would create lasting stability in the Middle East.  The Delaware Senator, and well-respected mind on foreign policy, spoke of his five-point plan at a speech in Manchester, New Hampshire at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.  The five major points include:

1. Giving Iraq's major groups a measure of autonomy in their own regions. A central government would be left in charge of interests such as defending the borders and distributing oil revenues.

2. Guaranteeing Sunnis – who have no oil rights – a proportionate share of oil revenue and reintegrating those who have not fought against Coalition forces.

3. Increase, not end, reconstruction assistance but insist that Arab States of the Persian Gulf fund it and tie it to the creation of a jobs program and to the protection of minority rights.

4. Initiate a diplomatic offensive to enlist the support of the major powers and neighboring countries for a political settlement in Iraq and create an Oversight Contact Group to enforce regional commitments.

5. Begin the phased redeployment of U.S. forces in 2007 and withdraw most of them by 2008, leaving a small follow-on force for security and policing actions.

The plan was developed with the assistance of Leslie Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, is something that Biden plans to hit home over the course of the campaign.  Biden's plan is unique in that it goes beyond the War in Iraq and addresses what Biden hopes to replace the war with.  Voters, Biden's communications director said, will appreciate the Senator's detailed plan to fix the mess created by the power vacuum currently in Iraq.

None of the other candidates have responded to Biden's plan, but it is expected to become a defining issue of the campaign.  Dean's approach so far has been to call for the withdrawal of troops whereas Biden takes a more nuanced approach, like Kerry, Edwards, and others.  Senator Lieberman is perhaps the most conservative, essentially arguing that the country should stay the course in Iraq.

Biden is polling in the upper-middle of the pack since his announcement a week ago.  The Delaware Senator has been hitting the campaign trail hard with major appearances in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.  Sources within the Biden campaign say they see South Carolina as key to Biden's victory in the race for the Democratic nomination, but that stronger-than-expected numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire have encouraged them to campaign hard there as well.

[NickCT]

July 19, 2003: Dean Attacks Biden on Iraq



In a speech in Concord, New Hampshire, home to the nation's first presidential primary, Governor Howard Dean (D-VT) attacked Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), now a top contender for the Democratic nomination, for his plan on Iraq.  Days ago, Biden released a 5-step program for stability in the Middle East, and has since touted his plan as the best approach to handling the ongoing situation in Iraq.  Today, Dean indirectly and directly fired back against Biden.

In a 22-minute speech outside the New Hampshire State House, Dean rallied supporters with a familiar talking point, "Had I been a member of the Senate," the Governor said, "I would have voted against the resolution that authorized the President to use unilateral force against Iraq - unlike others in that body now seeking the presidency."  The line, though used before, has added meaning since Biden's entrance into the race.

Dean continued, "Yes, Saddam Hussein is evil. But Osama bin Laden is also evil, and he has attacked the United States, and he is preparing now to attack us again."  He then honed in on Biden, "One of my opponents put forward a plan on Middle East stability recently, and nowhere did it mention Osama bin Laden.  Or Al Qaeda.  You can't secure the Middle East without removing them first."

Biden's office released a statement, defining Biden's plan as a plan for Iraq and stability within Iraq, and stressed it should not be seen as a "fix" for the Middle East.  "The Senator recognizes that other nations, like Afghanistan and Israel, will be crucial to reaching Middle East peace.  His Iraq plan should not be seen as a total fix for the problems of the Middle East," the statement read in part.  On the trail in South Carolina, Biden fought back against Dean, saying that the Governor had a serious lack of understanding on foreign policy.  In response to a question from a voter, Biden replied, "Look, Governor Dean is a nice guy, but at the end of the day - at this point in our history - we need someone who knows foreign policy.  That's reality."  The Dean campaign has not since released a statement.

The attack of Biden by Dean asserts the Delaware senator as a serious contender for the Democratic nomination, and will help his campaign going forward as he attempts to secure his spot in the top tier of a crowded Democratic field.