CNN host John King defended Joe Biden’s decision to miss campaigning in Iowa over the weekend to attend his granddaughter’s high school graduation.
One week after avoiding the California Democratic Convention, Biden skipped the Iowa “cattle call” over the weekend, an event for candidates to showcase themselves to voters over the weekend.
“Joe Biden had every reason not to be there. His granddaughter was graduating high school, and family comes first, especially when the caucuses are 34 weeks away. He thinks he can make up the time,” King said Monday on his CNN show, “Inside Politics.”
Biden is currently leading in Iowa with 23.8% of the vote, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. Following him is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at 18.8%, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 12%, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 9.3%.
King went on to play clips of other top 2020 candidates who made the trip to the Democratic Party’s fundraiser in Iowa. The other leading contenders took subtle shots at the former vice president. King characterized the jabs as versions of the “don’t vote for Joe” argument.
Sanders slammed politicians pursuing a “middle-ground strategy.” Warren asserted that Americans “are ready for big, structural change in this country.” Buttigieg said, “We are where we are because normal broke.”
King later said that Biden’s no-show strategy would not work in the long term. Comparing the Democratic front-runner to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, King said, “in 2015 at this point, I think [Clinton] had a 40-something point lead over Bernie Sanders. She ultimately prevailed in Iowa, but not by 40 points. When you see those enthusiasm numbers behind the Biden numbers, he better get his tail out to Iowa, and he better figure that out.”
