As Joe Biden is expected to release his 2016 primary decision in the coming days, the movement bankrolling and gathering support for his run released their first national TV ad on Wednesday morning.
Draft Biden’s ad “My Redemption” began airing on national cable networks Wednesday, and cost the super PAC over six figures. It will air throughout the month of October, as other democratic candidates take to the stage for the first democratic debate, campaign at the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson dinner and hit the campaign trail in key swing states. The vice president, who is reportedly coming closer to a decision, does not have to enter the democratic primary until Nov. 6, the date of the first primary ballot deadline in Alabama.
During the 90-second spot, Draft Biden tells the story of Biden’s personal life, focusing on how he has developed a sense of empathy for others through his own personal tragedies.
“The incredible bond I have with my children is the gift I’m not sure I would have had, had I not been through what I went through. But by focusing on my sons, I found my redemption. Many people have gone through things like that,” Biden’s voice, taken from a past speech, says in the background.
The ad concludes with a simple message across the screen: “Joe, run.”
The Draft Biden PAC has been encouraging the vice president to run for the democratic nomination since May 2015. As Hillary Clinton continues to slip in the polls due to the controversy surrounding her primary email server, Biden’s opportunity to enter the race could grow. But the ad also comes at at a time when his political team is on the offensive, denying a report that Biden leaked his son’s deathbed wish that he would run for the oval office.
