Republicans already have a strategy to take Joe Biden down: Force him to back up his own claim that he is the most left-wing Democrat in the race.
The Republican National Committee told the Washington Examiner that it plans to target Biden’s claim that he has the “most progressive” record, forcing him to take a stance on Medicare for All and other policies favored by the liberal wing that are viewed skeptically by centrist voters.
“The Obama administration promised Obamacare would solve everything and wasn’t a Trojan Horse for single-payer,” said one RNC official. “From our standpoint, he has a very difficult line to walk.”
Biden will have to compete in a field of candidates who have endorsed liberal policies such as the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, free college, abortion up to birth, and voting rights for convicted terrorists. If Biden does not signal enough support for these policies, he could risk losing the primary to a more radical candidate. If he moves too far left, he could push moderate voters toward Trump in the general election.
“There is no centrist lane in the Democrat primary, and Joe Biden admitted as much when he said he had the most ‘progressive’ record of anybody in the field and claimed he had never been labeled a moderate in Delaware,” said Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. “Like the rest of them, Biden will have to embrace all of the socialist policies in order to be successful in the leftist field.”
The RNC will also seek to undermine Biden’s brand as a representative of the working class by highlighting the loss of manufacturing jobs under the Obama administration.
RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens sought to tie Biden to unpopular Obama-era policies.
“Biden’s fingerprints are all over foreign policy blunders and the weakest economic recovery since World War II,” said Ahrens in a statement. “We don’t need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isn’t even endorsing his right-hand man.”
[Also read: Trump hits Joe Biden on age: ‘I am a young, vibrant man’]
While Republicans have a messaging strategy to take Biden out, some may also keep their powder dry while Democrats destroy each other.
“America First has invested significant resources in digging up dirt on the entire Democratic field, and will be ready to go come 2020 no matter who wins the nomination,” America First PAC spokeswoman Kelly Sadler told the Examiner. “We look forward to watching how the Democratic primaries play out. Considering Joe Biden’s long history of gaffes, bad votes, and inappropriate touching, we’re more than happy to sit back and watch as other Democrats do the hatchet job for us.”
Several women have recently come forward with descriptions of unwanted physical contact from Biden, forcing him to reckon with the #MeToo movement and changes in social norms over the years.
Republican strategist Glen Bolger said he viewed Biden, 76, as “yesterday’s news” and thought he would have a difficult time gaining traction in the primary.
“His announcement day is probably his best day,” Bolger said. “He’s old, he has a lot of controversies in his background, he’s not woke enough for the electorate.”
