SCRANTON: In the final weeks of the presidential campaign, Biden has been cast in the shadow of Vice-President Kamala Harris amid concerns that his unpopularity could be a liability in her race against former president Donald Trump. But as he rallied union members in his hometown during one of his last campaign events in office, Biden was in one of the few places Democrats feel he can still help Harris on the campaign trail.
Scranton is certainly the exception in that respect. Biden rattled Democrats this past week when he appeared to call supporters of Trump “garbage” while denouncing racist comments made by a comedian at a Trump rally. Even though Biden later explained that he had meant that the comedian’s “hateful rhetoric” was garbage, Harris had to spend time on the campaign trail distancing herself from the comment.
Harris’ rallies are far more enthusiastic and energetic than Biden’s, with crowds of thousands dwarfing those at his events. But Harris campaign officials believe that the incumbent president can still provide a key benefit to Harris by rallying working-class white voters and union members in battleground states. “Scranton becomes part of your heart,” Biden said to union members cramped inside a carpenters' union hall. “It crawls into your heart. It’s real.”
Biden used the speech to argue that Trump would repeal much of his domestic agenda if he beat Harris, including efforts to invest in unions. He said that even those in the crowd who disagreed with Harris should vote for her if they wanted to keep aspects of his agenda. “I’m not just asking for me,” Biden said. “I’m going to be gone. I’m asking you to do something for yourself and your families.”
It was Biden’s second day rallying union workers in Pennsylvania, a pivotal battleground state. But Biden’s frequently garbled words and verbal miscues provided a reminder of why Democrats had grown so concerned about his ability to defeat Trump.
Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist who has worked on multiple campaigns in Pennsylvania, said the Harris campaign was right to distance itself from Biden in the final stretch of the race. “This is the time for a change election,” Begala said. “People really do want to turn the page.”
But he said Biden’s personal roots in Scranton made him the ideal person to address a vulnerability of Harris’. “Kamala definitely needs help with high school-educated white men, which is the heart of Trump’s appeal and for Biden, a group he is very strong with,” Begala said. “She will make it up with the women, but if you can send Biden over there, there’s no downside.” — NYT
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