Vice President Joe Biden visited the Capitol Tuesday to buoy dispirited Democrats in a trip that also served as a farewell tour for the elder statesmen who raised the specter that he might not be done with electoral politics just yet.
“I don’t make decisions that far in advance; it’s never worked for me,” he told reporters seeking clarification about comments he made Monday night intimating he was willing to seek the presidency in 2020, when he would be 77.
“We didn’t discuss 2020,” House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said with a chuckle after Biden met with House Democrats for more than an hour.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., also laughed off questions about whether she thinks Biden is serious about running.
“No … you don’t feel remorse for Joe Biden,” she laughed when asked if the House Democratic Caucus had buyer’s remorse about choosing former Secretary of Sate Hillary Clinton to be the party’s nominee.
“He is an extraordinary person who has a real connection with people, wherein lies his strength in no matter what position in public life he has,” DeLauro said. “And he’ll continue to do that, and that helps the Democratic Party.”
While dismissive of presidential rumors, all Democrats exiting the meeting praised Biden.
“He’s positive; he’s bullish; he’s optimistic [about Democrats’ future] and he was very well received here by the Democratic Caucus,” said Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn.
On his way into the meeting, Biden told reporters that the Democratic Party will bounce back. He did not commit to any specific role when he leaves the White House next month, but Democrats are convinced he will continue to be a frontline messenger for them.
“He’s going to be very much involved,” Hoyer said about Biden’s role in helping rebuild the party after the drubbing Democrats took on Election Day. “He’s a senior statesman in our country. He also is uniquely positioned to have great confidence by working men and women who think he’s real, who thinks he gets it. I think that’s very, very important for our party, and I think he will continue to be a major leader in our party and in our country.”
They all talked about his image as champion of the middle and working classes, perhaps sketching out a presidential campaign theme.
“I know I’m called middle-class Joe and in Washington, that’s not meant as a compliment,” Biden said over and over on the campaign trail this fall.
“I think one of the things Joe Biden represents is respect for average working people,” Hoyer said. “And I think all of us better understand that it’s average working people that have made this country the great country that it is and that we need to make sure to convey to them … that we respect their contributions and we understand how critically important they are to America.”
