My colleague Alana Goodman has unearthed a radio interview Joe Biden gave in 1975 in which he advanced the bizarre argument that racial integration through school busing was a “rejection of the whole movement of black pride.” For more context, you can listen to the audio or read the transcript here. The revelation underscores the central problem facing Biden’s potential presidential campaign: It isn’t his age per se, but it’s the fact that he’s outdated.
That is, even though Biden would be 78 by the time he theoretically could take the oath of office, that’s a challenge that may be able to be overcome if he’s able to show himself as being healthy and vibrant and otherwise connects with voters. The bigger issue for him is that he was in federal politics since becoming senator in 1973 — nearly a half a century ago. During that time, the country, and especially the Democratic Party, has changed dramatically.
